As you are reading this article we will be flying back home from our summer holidays in Benalmadena Spain back to hopefully a sun drenched UK. As some of you will know there has been no one at our office or factory this week except for our joiner bevearing away on our new fireplace showroom, which by all accounts will not be far from finished. This is the time of year now when we start to gear up for the “Heating Season†all the goods we will be expecting to sell will have been order and will be starting to arrive such as New Surrounds and a range of Gas fires we are going to try out.
We always come back to a pile of work on our return but we will soon be back up to running speed in no time at all. Sorry for being closed for the last two weeks but we are a small family run business and need Holidays and most of all would not want a manager or sales person in running things as its our reputation on the line and we prefer to offer our own personal service to all our customers. We believe in old-fashioned customer service values and our whole company is built on this basis (all to often lost on website transactions).
Thanks for the numerous emails of what you would like to see in our new showroom we have listened and will be featuring most of the suggestions except for the sauna that our little timber man suggested (nice idea though).
Hopefully when we are back at work tomorrow the 1st Of July we will start the fitting of all our display fireplaces and by the end of the month we will have a fully opened showroom ready for you all to come and view until then keep checking our Fireplace website for all our offers
Archive for June, 2009
Return from Holiday to Fireplace Normality
Tuesday, June 30th, 2009Fireplace Tiles for our Cast Iron Inserts
Monday, June 29th, 2009When fitting a tiled insert it is quite important you choose the tiles correctly as they are not that simple to change after the fireplace has been installed we carry a good selection of Tiles on our website to compliment the range of fireplaces we sell. They are of a standard size so will fit any original fireplace you have or even a reproduction fireplaces from another company.
They always come in sets of ten and have two panels of five each side depending on which tiles you have ordered some of them are left handed and right handed. Basically this means the flower patterns are slightly different and will point in towards the Cast.
Have a look at this photo it shows Jazz Burgundy Ivory Left Hand Panel
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See how the top tile the flower points inwards on the right hand panel it would be the opposite way please bear this in mind when fitting them and we always recommend laying them down in the pattern they are to be fitted in.
Unless you are really sure of your colour scheme it’s good to go with something Neutral in Colour with a light Stone background this will then allow you to change room colours without the tiles looking at of place.
Most of all pick a design that you like than see what colour suits what you already have or intend to furnish the room with. Remember the tiles can be changed at a later date but the fireplace would have to be removed to do this but it can be done.
Our Range of Tiled Insert Fireplaces
Sunday, June 28th, 2009We sell Gallery fireplaces on our website and the more traditional type of Victorian fireplace image when thinking of these is one of a Tiled Insert and some type of surround whether in Timber or Stone. What could be more of a period feature than a tiled fireplace and a marble surround? This design is still as popular as it ever has been and a good proportion of our fireplace packages sales are made up of tiled inserts.
In this Section we sell the fireplaces as individual items so you can just buy the Tiled insert without the tiles or back if you already have them. We supply Cast Iron Backs for these but they will sit in front of standard 16†clay Milner back because the sizes have not changed at all.
We do have a lot of customers buying a tiled fireplace on its own as they have hearths and existing surrounds they wish to use. We offer a good selection of tiles to compliment the insert you have chosen.
Most of the casts are a standard size of 37†x 37†which will fit surrounds with a 34†to 36†opening we do a few smaller ones for narrow openings too. We offer them in Black or Highlighted finishes so have a look through this section and see what you think of this type of reproduction period fireplace and pick a set of tiles to match your décor and there you have it the main focal feature for any traditional room setting.
Tulip Highlighted Insert and Oak Bedford
We Sell Gallery Fireplaces Multi Fuel Stoves
Saturday, June 27th, 2009Woodburning Gas or Multi Fuel Stoves are big sellers here at Cast Fireplaces they have been extremely popular over the last 3-4 years so much so everyone last winter before Christmas ran out of stock, not just Gallery stoves such as the Tiger and Firefox stoves as a whole were in extreme short supply luckily we had some on order that came in 2 weeks before Xmas and our customers had pre ordered them and were very happy as we got them all delivered on time.
The selection of stoves we sell on our website are all made from Premium grade cast iron and come with features such as air wash, brick lining etc all features that should be found on any good stove.
We buy in large bulk orders of these stoves to offer them at an extremely affordable price compared to most other websites. We are in the process of altering our website to allow our customers to choose sections for these stoves as to the type they want. We also offer a complete range of flue pipes, bends etc and have also started to offer Chimney Lining Kits to fit this range we do so we really are the one stop shop for all your Multi Fuel stove needs.
We do keep all the items in stock and will have all them featured in our new showroom so customers can come and view them open and close them and see what great quality they are and how robust they are. They are designed for heat output so you can be assured that they can become the primary heat source for any room.
We have the Tiger Plus Stove at home and there is nothing better than on a cold night to get it roaring away and all sit in front of it chatting or just watching television. Once you have had a real wood-burning stove you will appreciate the true beauty of a real fire with very little mess.
Modern Fireplace Changes to this Category
Friday, June 26th, 2009The Modern Fireplace seems to be our fastest growing section what originally started out as one section we know have plans to alter it and split the categories up into sections that are dedicated to each particular type here we will try and explain what they will become
Jura–Stone This section will feature all our Jurastone suites that are available for use with gas and electric fires, we currently do not offer solid fuel option except for when we use a Jura stone surround such as the Longford and feature it with a cast iron fireplace. This Stone is available in two finishes and both will be offered on our website with various fire options.
Micromarble This again is going to be a featured section with the options of purchasing full suites in Mocha Beige or Marfil, which are the two, finishes available in this type of fireplace. We will again be offering a full selection of fires to complete the packages.
Portuguese Limestone This natural products is available as an option for most of our Modern Fireplaces it’s a white limestone with darker and lighter veins which are a natural feature of this product. We offer full suites with panels and hearths in the same material to form a unique fire set to grace any room.
Granite The Black granite panel and hearth set has been added to our modern range as we feel it gives a very contemporary look and is perfectly suited to everyday living. These sets are available with numerous mantels and are offered with both gas solid fuel and electric.
These category changes will take effect over the next few weeks as we update and alter our website so until then they are all in the one category so it may take a little time navigating through them but they are all there for you to see and buy.
Reproduction Marble Fireplaces antiques for the Future
Thursday, June 25th, 2009Explaining these fireplace categories seems to be taking ages we only have 4 left after this post but if it makes it easier for our customers to navigate round the site then its worth doing.
The Next Category we feature is Marble Fireplaces this is where we sell all the marble fireplace packages for use with all fuel options. These tend to be rather grand styles as most original marble surrounds were. They are all made from natural 100% solid Carrara Marble, this stone is creamy white in colour and has grey veins running through it personally I think you could not pick a better marble to manufacture these surrounds from. Quite a few years ago gallery decided to try another stone, which was Florentine marble, this was beige in colour and wasn’t very popular with our customers and only lasted one season before it was withdrawn and since then Carrara has been the choice of marble used for these great designs.
It is an expensive stone to use hence why the prices are higher than our limestone packages but there is nothing as Grand or Sophisticated as marble it never dates and is the perfect fireplace to fit in larger Victorian Homes. These packages are featured with some of our more ornate and larger cast iron fireplaces so they make sure that they make a statement and become the main focal point of any room.
We can mix and match the inserts and the surrounds to get the perfect fireplace you are looking for so you are not fixed to have the packages we have listed in this section so let your imagination run wild and choose one of these fabulous grand fireplaces.
Fireplace Mantels and Surrounds What a choice
Wednesday, June 24th, 2009One of the ranges we have on our website is dedicated to Mantels and Surrounds this is split into three sections so our customers can navigate round them easily going straight to each section. These items are split across the following Sections
Timber Surrounds this is where we have all our fireplace surrounds in various styles and manufactured from woods such as Pine, Solid Oak and a few MDF Veneered Oak. We can offer made to measure sizes in all of our surrounds except the Malton so if we don’t have the exact size you are after I am sure we can make it for you and made to measure prices are not that much more expensive. Also if you have seen a design elsewhere let us knows and we can price that up for you too in any wood.
Cast Iron Mantels We only stock Gallery fireplace surrounds as most of the others on the market are of inferior quality so we don’t have a very big range just the Palmerston in 48†and 54†offered in Black or Full Polish but it makes a nice alternative to wood or Stone.
Limestone Surrounds this section seems to have grown and grown over the past couple of years and gallery are always introducing new stone surrounds. The Quality of this natural product is second to none and the range of designs that we offer cannot be matched by. From plain simple designs to ornate Limestone surrounds that would fit in any drawing room we have a stone fireplace surround for you. These are truly a natural 100% product made from solid limestone.
These items listed above our just for the individual surrounds as we realise at Castfireplaces that just changing the surround it gives a whole new outlook on any fireplace so have a browse and see if you get any inspiration.
Hearths and Fireplace Fascia Sections explained
Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009In this article we will cover two of our smaller sections they are both individual fireplace items and the first one is
Fascias this section is called Fascias because that’s what they basically are they are designed to sit in front of the chimney breast opening and then fitted with a Fireplace surround to form an opening either suitable for a standard gas or electric fireplace or to in the case of the Shire Newton to form an opening for a fire basket. They do not have any cast back etc so can’t be used on there own without a fire or basket.
Hearths This section is where we keep all our individual hearth available on there own or with a panel so you can choose from a choice of Granite, Slate, Limestone and tiled with options in Gas or solid fuel use.
We also offer a made to measure service on all our item so please contact us regarding a price These items are very delicate and we always use our own delivery service to deliver these items as we have proper methods of transportation that keeps them upright to minimize damage.
As always at Cast Fireplaces we offer a huge range of items that other websites don’t sell on there own and we understand people sometimes do wish to change one item and not the whole fireplace that’s why we offer individual fireplace items.
Where can i Buy Fire and Trim Sets
Monday, June 22nd, 2009We also sell Electric, Gas fires and Convector fires on there own on our website if you simply want to change the gas fire you have for something more modern or some thing has better efficiency. We now supply a good range of Gallery fires and can offer both High Output fires and High Efficiency fires too. Some of them require a trim and fret for these and we keep them all in a section entitled Fires and Frets.
This Category is where they are all available without having to buy the full suite, its surprising what a difference it makes to the look of the fireplace by changing the fire and this can be done at very little expense as all the cut outs in modern panels and hearths have remained the same for ages so you should not need to worry about the fire fitting in.
Particular interest has been shown in the new H/E Glass fronted fires from gallery as they are at the top of the tree for output and efficiency and are some of the best on the market. The item we sell most of is the Gallery hotbox fire which is for more decorative use and comes with a choice of trim and fret so you can personalize this fire to the décor of your room. Have a browse through this section and if you see something you like or need any further info just contact us and we can advise you on what you need etc
What is a Combination Fireplace
Sunday, June 21st, 2009A Cast Iron Fireplace that has its own shelf attached to it without the need for a surround is called a Combination Fireplace we have a category dedicated to those types of fireplaces on our website. These fireplaces are a common sight in many Victorian houses that had them fitted as bedroom fireplaces and also in living areas where it was not “grand†enough for a mantel and insert type fireplace. These combinations are really compact items and are great for chimneybreasts where the space is tight, as they don’t need the extra width of having a surround.
We offer 14 different types from shelf widths of 30†to shelf widths of 48â€, they come in a variety of styles and designs and some even have tiles such as the Edwardian, Amsterdam and Fulham. We do square and arched versions and they all come in a variety of finishes such as Black, Highlighted and Full Polished.
We also offer them as packages for gas solid fuel and electric so we will have a combination fireplace for every room in your house.
Prices start from as little as £210 for this type of fireplace so there very cheap for a feature that will grace any chimney breast and give a room a totally different look.
If you require any help measuring up for your new fireplace or want any advice as to what type of fire to install in which room etc just contact us we are always here to help.
Photo below shows small bedroom fireplace that is called the Daisy.
Daisy Highlighted Fireplace