Why do we work bank holidays well being mainly a internet based firm selling Gallery Fireplaces we find that a lot of our customers when they have time off from their own jobs start looking online for a new fireplace.
So we took the decision a few years ago that we would work bank holidays so our customers get a quick response to questions so that it makes the online shopping experience easier for them.
We do not have appointments at our showroom though we are only office based today to deal with enquires and orders and nobody is a the factory until tomorrow when we have viewings booked and a lot of items to unpack that have been delivered so we have a busy day there and hopefully will get some time to photo the new items we have had come into stock time just seems to run out.
This month has just flown by and we only seem to have completed half of what we set out to do we have so many new products to add to our website update.
Whilst writing this article we have had an email from a customer asking if they can collect a Pembroke Full Polish Fireplace from us Wednesday as a fitter is coming Thursday to fit it, luckily for them we do have this item in stock it amazes me why some people leave things so late to get the fireplace ordered after arranging a fitting date.
We always advise our customers to book fitter for a few days after the item has arrived giving you the chance to check the item over and for us (if needed) to rectify any problem if anything is wrong.
We do check all the items onto our vans so damage is very rare but fireplaces are fragile items and need careful handling so it really does make sense to have it delivered before fitter is arriving and to make sure you are happy with it to avoid any problems during fitting. Back to the Pembroke customer where do they go if we don’t have it in stock there are not many online companies who keep items in stock most we know of order only what they sell from the suppliers so that’s why they can not offer the same turn around time as us or offer collection from the factory after viewing the showroom.
That’s why at Cast Fireplaces we believe we are one of the leading online shops and no other company offers the same service we do.
Tomorrow again sees the return of the best selling items Feature
Archive for August, 2009
We can offer Short Notice Fireplace Collection
Monday, August 31st, 2009Collection of made to measure Timber Fireplace Surround
Sunday, August 30th, 2009What a start to the bank holiday weekend we have and today is doesn’t seem to change as some of you may now rhian had sine flu last week and is now better anyway we were supposed to be taking some time off together this weekend but we were awoken early this morning by our daughter ringing who is away with nanny and our son for a week she only feels really poorly and has high temperature and wants to come home this doesn’t sound to bad but there at Sandy Bay Tyneside so at 8 am this morning were driving up there to fetch her back.
So an early start to the day and my joke about doing a couple of Fireplace deliveries on the way back up didn’t go down to well so she is now back at home tucked up on sofa with my Sky remote hogging the Television.
I was back in time for our only appointment today which was at 4pm from a young couple who came last week to visit showroom they live in Leics and have had a Toulouse solid fuel fireplace package with jazz tiles and the real speciality is the timber surround which we have made for them from two different surrounds.
When visiting our showroom they loved the Oak Stourhead Mantel but wanted it in pine with a Bedford Shelf and footpad. They were amazed when I said we could do this for them as they couldn’t decide which mantel to choose as they said the Bedford Corbels were too chunky for them so they went away assured they could have what they wanted and as it was a standard sized surround we didn’t charge them any extra for doing this bespoke item.
Here at Castfireplaces it is important to us you get the right item you want and don’t settle for something you don’t think is right as at the end of the day you will have to sit looking at this fireplace as the main focal point of your room so we do offer this service on all of our surrounds.
Bespoke surrounds normally take around 2 weeks to manufacture but we rushed this through for them as they were camping near Matlock and wanted to collect it on there way home so with a little bit of juggling we have another satisfied customer who is sure to tell their friends the trouble we went to get it right for them so if you do want something out of the ordinary it can be done you only have to ask.
Forest Win What a fantastic day at Cast Fireplaces
Saturday, August 29th, 2009Well what a great day at long last Forest have beaten Derby and I am celebrating, a lot of my friends are Derby fans so they will be in for some stick. Funnily enough we do a Fireplace called The Derby I have often thought about changing its name as that’s what is called by Gallery when they first produced it. It is rather an ornate fireplace and it was dropped from the gallery range a few years back but because it was a good seller we decided to keep stocking it and have done so ever since.
You cant buy this fireplace from many retailers and it is now only available in a black leaded finish which really makes the intricate casting details really stand out, so if you are looking for something more busy take a look at this great cast iron combination fireplace.
Rhian has been a little busy bee in the office today and has collected a nice pile of orders ready to arrange delivery on Tuesday for the following weeks.
Stoves again prove top be very popular and as we have said we have doubled stock levels to ensure consistent flow to avoid waiting times infact last week we even supplied a Firefox 12 to a local chimney sweep who could not wait for the trade suppliers as they were out of stock even our rep often jokes we keep more stocks than them of certain items.
This morning proves why we do this as we had an early call to our showroom to view our stock and Mr Darby (I knew the omens were good today) duly went away in his van with a Pembroke full polish gas package so if you visit our factory you will be amazed at the range of items we keep in stock for collection so if you wish to visit it is viewing by appointment only just ring me to arrange
Off to torment my mates now it’s long overdue
August Bank Holiday is start of Fireplace Heating Season
Friday, August 28th, 2009So the end of the August is upon us and it is the last bank holiday of the year which always seems to get people thinking about DIY and home improvements and in particular for us Fireplaces ready for the winter. This week has been fairly busy and we have no spaces left for this weekends deliveries to London as we are only sending the one van because I am off on Saturday and Sunday due to Forest playing Derby (Fingers crossed for a Forest Win) a lot of the suppliers we purchase from are Forest fans too so I am sure we will meet up for a drink before or after the game.
Anyway we are open over the weekend and will be answering calls and emails but there are no appointments available to the showroom to view our Fireplaces and Stoves.
We are again back to work Tuesday for viewings and collections it is not very often we take time off but the kids are away with my mum for the week so we are taking advantage of it while we can.
We always answer the phone and emails even when we are closed so our customers always get a quick response to there questions. As it is the end of the month it is again time for our best selling featured items which has seen some small changes.
The timber we had delivered at the start of the week has started to be turned into Timber surrounds so coming towards the busy time of year for us we will have plenty in stock we also have had delivered a new corbel type surround which we will photo this week which I am sure will be a very good seller and will compliment the range we already offer.
We also have 3 new oak surrounds too which we will take photos off and feature over the next few weeks so keep your eyes out for our new coming fireplace products and also look out for our new look website categories
Website Updates and strange day at Cast Fireplaces
Thursday, August 27th, 2009Well what a morning we have had stove delivery on one of our vans which we collected from the suppliers and half way through unloading these the gas bottle ran out on the forklift so I had to disappear and get new bottle from around the corner which when we attached it to the forklift failed to start. Now we have never has a problem with the forklift so this was a surprise and it turns out that the bottle I had picked up was empty too luckily I know the man at gas shop and he laughed as I returned with empty bottle and exchanged it with no problem.
Anyway that was that and after we had unloaded stoves and stored them at the factory we started to load the vans for deliveries in North Wales, Manchester and Stoke area on Friday checking this all onto the van as we go to ensure there are no damaged items I managed to bash the shelf on a made to measure oak surround which we blanket wrap to protect from damage in transit after unwrapping and checking the item over luckily it was all ok so it was rewrapped and loaded again.
On the way to the garage where we fill our vans I realised I had left my wallet at home which meant no diesel card so I pulled in and checked what to do as I didn’t fancy heading back there again to fill up. Again good luck was on my side and I just signed for it and went on my way.
I am now tucked up in the safety of my office where no harm can come to me or any of our Fireplace products. On a brighter note the lovely Rhian is back with us again and says she feels good to be back to normal.
This afternoon is going to spent uploading our new ranges of items on to our Website Update which will take place in the next few weeks with all these new categories and items I am sure it will make our site the simplest to use online and as usual we really do offer the best service so when searching for a Fireplace, Fire or Stove I am sure nobody comes anywhere near so you don’t have to compromise on service to get the best price when shopping at www.castfireplaces.co.uk
New Stoves and Fireplaces to be launched on our Website
Wednesday, August 26th, 2009A small disaster has struck us here at Cast Fireplaces my wife Rhian has returned from girls weekend away only to be struck down with Swine Flu. So she has been quarantined in the Bedroom so the kids and myself don’t catch it she is on tamiflu and lemsip and is starting to feel slightly better again.
So again I find myself between the Office and the factory as we have deliveries planned and items need wrapping and loading to ensure your fireplace arrives how it should via our terrific Home delivery service. Speaking of travelling to and fro today I had to help an old man who had fell in front of my van today, honestly I did not knock him over so I covered him in blankets we use for wrapping fireplaces up in and rung ambulance I was then late back for dinner and lunch was cold but hey he was alright.
So if you do enquire about items you will get me again I am afraid. We had a rep from a company that supplies stoves visit us yesterday and fingers crossed should the discount rates add up we have negotiated we will be offering another range of Multi Fuel Stoves to compliment those we already offer.
As you know we manufacture timber surrounds and we have just ordered a cold spray wax system to quicken up the hand finish of all our timer surrounds it uses the same wax we already use and instead of applying by brush or cloth you just spray it on them wipe of excess and then hand buff to required finish we already spray on water based stain so it is another process that will be quicker which will again lower the price of our Timber surrounds to make our prices even cheaper and as asda say every little helps.
We are constantly on the search for new products and have already got 4 new ranges to launch when website updates are in place so we can again offer a bigger range with more choice and diversity than most shops online.
So anyway that’s it for now I am off to check on my patient and check the kids are still happy see you soon.
What solid fuel can i burn on my Stove or Fireplace
Tuesday, August 25th, 2009There are many different types of solid fuel on the market for you to burn in your Stoves or Fireplaces and here we are going to explain some of the fuels you are likely to encounter when looking to buy such Products whether online or from a high street shop
Coal
The most popular choice of fuel for burning in fireplaces and stoves around the UK the main product you will find is called House coal. It is a Bituminous (non smokeless) coal, which cannot be burnt in smokeless areas.
It is available in three sizes
Doubles are the normal grade that is around the size of a golf ball
Trebles are larger than doubles and tend to be about the size of an apple
Cobbles are the largest of the house coals and are normally only used for large open fires
Anthracite
Ideal for glass fronted stoves it is very hard and dense and offers good heat and burning times and is also classed as smokeless
Wood
Very popular again due to the prices of other solid fuels as most companies offer trailer loads from around £80. This is normally supplied as a mixed load of hard and softwood. The only drawback to wood as a heat source is that it has to be dry to get the best use from it so make sure its stored correctly before use
Paper Bricks
With the rise in solid fuel prices a few of our customers have told us how they make paper bricks from waste newspaper with a paper press I have heard mixed results with some saying they were great and others saying they took too long to make and then burnt away to fast so without experience of these myself its hard to say but it is a very green option.
Green Logs
Manufactured into brick size blocks these “ Green Logs” are made from rapeseed oil plants and comes from the crushing process when extracting the oil I have tried a few of these logs given to me by a customer who bought a stove from us. I must say they were difficult to light but when going lasted longer than wood and im sure gave off heat slightly warmer the only downside is they are expensive but they stack well and don’t need any drying anybody interested in this fuel contact me and I will point them in the right direction to try them
There other options of solid fuel on the market such as Coke, Peat, etc but they are not widely used so just google search them for further info on burning these items and remember when burning solid fuel have your chimney swept on a regular basis.
Benefits of Mixed Logs for Solid Fuel Fireplace or Stove
Monday, August 24th, 2009What are the benefits of burning wood in a Fireplace or Stove are a common question we get asked and whether our stoves are suitable for burning wood. All the stoves we supply are approved for Multi Fuel that means you can burn Wood Coal Coke Anthracite etc in them without needing to worry about damaging the Fire.
A lot of our customers are switching to burning wood and often ask me what burns best.
Seasoned Timber is the main answer to that question but there are many different types of wood but the main thing is make sure it is dry and has been stored so air can blow between it and then you will have a wood or log supply that will give of the best heat.
I would recommend burning hardwood such as ash, beech or oak as you get a good heat output. Softwoods are also fine to burn but you will get more tar in the chimney and will need to refuel your stove more often as it does not last as long but they do give off a brighter flame.
Just bear this in mind when buying logs as a lot of companies online now supply what is called a mixed load which has both hard and soft woods mixed up there always well dried and you will be able to use them straight away.
Normally you will burn 4 softwood logs to 3 hardwood logs but when burning as a mixed load this will not matter as it would be too much trouble to separate.
Wood is a good source of heat and is Green to the environment too some say even carbon neutral but I am of the opinion unless it is burnt with minimal co 2 emissions then the output to the atmosphere will cause global warming. It is a lot better than burning fossil fuels such as coal etc but I will let you make your own mind up to assess the green issues of Solid Fuel Use.
One thing I am sure of is it is a hell of a lot cheaper than burning gas and our woodshed is now brimming ready for the Winter Season so remember wood always warms you twice and happy burning mmmmmmmm there is nothing like a real fire to warm a cold winter evening.
View our Fires and Fireplaces Even Out of Hours at Showroom
Sunday, August 23rd, 2009Well what a busy few days in my world I am doing two peoples jobs with Rhian being off thank god she comes back tomorrow cant wait to see her im really missing my wife.
Anyway enough soppy things all things have gone fine with us being short staffed I persuaded one of my old friends to drive my van to London today on our second delivery van.
At this time of year it is necessary to send two vehicles full of our fireplaces to people anywhere around London and the South.
We operate this service every weekend with our normal one-hour slot and as I have been office bound all weekend thanks again to Paul who always helps me out when I need him isn’t that what good friends are for.
This week we have the timber arriving tomorrow for all our Timber Surrounds so we have busy day unloading and racking that along with three appointments at our showroom at various times of the day the last being at 7PM. We often cater for later evening appointments so our customers can view our products out of normal office hours I don’t think any other company offers this as most are 9-5 people and that’s it.
So if you want to visit our showroom when other companies are closed just ring me and ill be more than happy to meet you there.
Well that’s one of the reasons what makes us different from the rest we answer emails calls till 8pm at night seven days a week and answer emails even after then so you get a faster reply to your questions and offer viewing of our products when other companies don’t.
I think there is nothing worse to ask a simple question to any company and then wait 24 hours for a reply that just does not happen here we aim to answer all enquires by email within 2 hours and most are done quicker than this.
So if you do need any information regarding our Fires and Fireplaces just contact us and we will get back to you as fast as we can if in doubt you can always ring for instant answers
Increase of stock for stove and fireplace sales
Saturday, August 22nd, 2009With the month of August being a lot warmer and drier than July it seems very strange to us that people have been buying a lot of Stoves recently. I am not sure why this rush has started but I do know we have had to nearly double the amount we keep in stock to make sure we do not run short.
I’m not sure if I have mentioned before the problems we had last winter before Christmas getting any multi fuel stoves into stock so customers could get them fitted before the big day. This was not just the Gallery range of stoves and fireplaces we supply but multi fuel stoves were in very short supply.
The only way we managed to clear all our orders was we had delivery 2 weeks before Christmas which were all pre-sold before they landed and then were sent out over the next few days.
That was not ideal for anyone last year so I have made sure we have plenty of stoves and fireplaces arriving for the busiest part of the year so fingers crossed it will not happen again.
The Firefox 5 Multi Fuel Stove has been the run away winner already this month by far and in general we have sold 21 stoves since the start of the month both Tiger and Fire Fox models which is a lot to say its August and not really cold, I think people have realised what a great heat source and focal point they are and with prices starting from £280 they really are a bargain too so if you wish to view the range of Stoves and flue pipes we offer just go to the Stoves category on our website for a great bargain