A woman in distress after the fitters has finished installing her fireplace decided after they had gone to clean her new cast iron fireplace and remove the dusty fingerprints from the cast decided to clean it with cold water on a cloth.
Each fireplace we supply does come with instruction leaflet explaining what to do etc re cleaning and it does state never to wash fireplace with water.
Now i have done it to remove stubborn dirt marks but it must be dried off straight away with another clean cloth this is fine but if water is left on the surface and particularly polished surface it will start to rust.
Anyway Mrs C came into the room in the afternoon and noticed all the highlighted details on the cast had gone rusty but the matt black surface of the main body of the cast was fine and the finger prints had gone.
So she rang us for some advice simply solved i told her as the rust had not had time to get hold and would only be surface rust.
Just spray some WD40 onto a clean cloth and wipe over the polished areas NOT THE BLACK and it will come straight off.
Ten minutes later she rang back thanking me for our advice and i did mention not to clean it again with water as polished cast iron and water do not mix to well, she laughed and promised to read instructions next time.
Posts Tagged ‘Fireplace’
Help ive cleaned my cast iron fireplace with water
Friday, July 9th, 2010Customer brings us a Fireplace to match up to gas insert
Friday, July 2nd, 2010A strange thing today was when a customer arrived at our fireplace workshop in Langley Mill in his van which is not that unusual until he jumped out and then came into factory enquiring about gas inserts whether we had them in stock to fit an arched fireplace.
I asked him which arched insert he had and he replied i dont know i bought it from ebay and its in the back of the van.
Expecting to see something which is the normal ebay cheap crap and something we do not do gas inserts for there in the back of his van was a Jig or Carron as they are now known Ce-Lux Fireplace.
The Celux is not a bad cast its one we do supply but i dont think its anywhere near the quality of the gallery fireplaces we sell but each to there own.
He was in a rush to get gas insert fitted so a quick call to JIG to find out if they do a Class 2g as insert as he has 5″ liner installed.
All ordered 5 minutes later this is arriving to us on Tuesday for him to come and collect.
So it was a little strange someone bringing a fireplace to us (its normally the other way round) but he now has got the gas insert he needs to complete the job.
A little word of warning when shopping on auction sites most items on there are seconds or copies you do really have to be very careful what you buy and who you it from theres a lot of dodgy sellers out there and you have no safeguard buying it from ebay they are not proper companies etc who offer warrantys etc.
Fireplace not backfilled this is what happens
Friday, June 25th, 2010So when using a fireplace for solid fuel use we have stated many time before that it needs to be backfilled to stop any damage to the cast iron back.
I know some of you are now saying what is back filling and how do i do it.
Any profesional fireplace fitter would have done this already for you and you will not need to worry about it, for those that have fitted it themselves or had DIY Dan the I can do anything man you may need to pay a little attention.
Backfilling is filling the inside chamber of the chimney breast so that it is packed full and very tight with no air pockets with vermiculite or small pieces of rubble.
This is an essential part of fitting a fireplace and for all open back fireplaces it must also be sloped so soot falls into the fireplace opening its a little harder with fireplaces with damper flaps as these still have to operate backwards and forwards.
So if you have not backfilled correctly or have air pockets there you can expect over time to have some damage to your cast iron back and hopefully just the Replacement Firebrick like in this photo supplied by one of our customers.
Luckily its not the end of the world we do supply replacement bricks for our fireplaces as they will will warp and crack over time but not wihin 8 months like the one shown below.
So check your fireplace is fitted correctly to avoid any damage to the working parts of it.
Fireplace Deliveries from Plymouth to Aberdeen
Thursday, June 3rd, 2010Well another Sunny day but it does not seem to have stopped people buying fireplaces and stoves from all over the UK.
Today we have seen orders form Plymouth to Aberdeen all to be delivered by our fantastic exclusive home delivery service with its one hour timed slot delivery window and our popular ringback service where we ring you enroute to confrim arrival time so you can make your way there.
So really you would struggle to find two delivery spots further aprt but of course they will not be done on the same day it will be two seperate runs.
We really do cover all the UK mainland postcodes and we can also deliver to other destinations by pallet or other courier so if you wish to order your Fireplace or Stove and have it delivered with the best srvice to be found on or offline take a look at our website and see what we can offer you.
Do not forget you can also collect from our Factory and Showroom in Langley mill if you wish to save even more money and collections are free of charge as we have heard of some companies charging you to collect items.
Can we use Electric Fireplace on Flat Wall
Monday, May 31st, 2010A simple questions was asked today on Bank Holiday monday and yes we are open as to whether a customer can use the Jubilee arched insert with the Brompton Limestone mantel on a flat wall and have the Electric insert thats goes with it.
I was sorry to be the bearer of bad news but the jubilee fireplace requires the wall to have a chamber recess of 6.5″.
This is to accomodate the cast iron back that comes with this fireplace, there is no way round it really, i did suggest building false chimney breast to house the back and she has gone to see her builder to see what can be done.
I know a lot of our customers do like the more tradtional fireplace design but theres not much choice of fuel options for a flat wall as i have said already the cast back does ne to be recessed into the fireplace chamber.
In our Modern Fireplaces section we do have quite a few fireplaces that can be used on flat wall situations and then have an electric fire to suit.
I appreciate the fact it does detract from a more Victorian fireplace look but for people not wishing to construct false chimney breasts it can certainly offer a focal fireplace for your room without the need for building work.
I Know JIG once did a combianation fireplace with electric insert built in to it but to be honest it looked terrible.
So for once we have not been able to offer much of a solution except for the false chimney breast idea so she has gone off to ponder her options, i have this sneaky feeling she will be back as she seems to have set her heart on the Jubilee Brompton Limestone Package
Derby Fireplace to be retired from our range
Tuesday, May 25th, 2010A little bit of sad news as one of our old time favorite fireplaces is to be retired from the gallery range of fireplaces and stoves we offer.
We have sold the Derby Fireplace since its introduction into the Gallery range and the first year it was launched it won the Best Fireplace award at the Harrogate show.
It was originally sold in Both a Full Polished and Matt Black finish which was later changed to Black Leaded and the Full polished version dropped.
It has been a steady seller over the years in Black Lead since it was discontinued by gallery from the purple brochure and now it has come to the end.
We do have one left in stock at the price of £350 which is a real bargain as the price has shot up so much recently they would have needed to be sold at around £450 which is expensive when compared to our Pembroke Fireplace.
So Mr Derby Fireplace (or dirty derby as we know it being Forest fans) the time has come to bid you farewell it must be over 10 years this fireplace has been sold by me even when i was at Derwentside, funnily enough i enquired whether another one of my old favorites the Primrose was still available and as to how much they would be as i think we need to replace a cast of this size but retailing it at over £450 is just to much.
So anybody requiring the last Derby Fireplace available its here waiting in our showroom to find a new home and if your reading this article just click Derby Fireplace to view it.
Timber made to measure Mantels from Castfireplaces
Monday, May 24th, 2010As a lot of our customers now know after quite a few blogs and it stating it on all our timber mantels we do offer a made to measure bespoke size service on the majority of our fireplace mantels and surrounds.
Ive had an email over the weekend from a man who requires an oak lincoln mantel at a made to measure size but wants me to price match it to something similar he has seen on another website.
How can we price match something that is bespoke and made exactly to your measurements when you are trying to price compare it too a standard off the shelf item.
I tried to explain this to him when i rang him back but as this mantel was smaller than the standard one we keep in stock (which is cheaper than theirs anyway) im sure he didnt grasp that made to measure items are always more expensive.
You can buy a suit from Marks and Sparks off the shelf and you can also have made to measure but a made to measure is never going to be the same or cheaper price.
But your making it anyway he replied why cant you just make it smaller and you save some money on wood and i will get what i want.
After explaining we dont just cut timber for one mantel at a time we always make ten minimum so we just set up the saws and cut a batch out ready and then use our jigs to clamp everyhting perfectly square and drill out all screw holes etc.
I wouldnt have minded if it was just opening size difference but he wants to specify leg width and shelf thickness which is perfectly fine if you wish to pay the extra for it.
Anyway needless to say after trying to explain this which i can clearly say im not sure he understood it he didnt order it he said ill measure up and have a think about it.
So im a little puzzled to say the least im sure im not going mad or is the sun clouding my normal judgement,still it makes me smile and has filled my blog of around 360 words lol
New Bliss Range of Fireplace Chambers Added
Tuesday, May 18th, 2010The whole range of Bliss Fireplace Chambers has been added to our website today along with the Barley Slate and Quarry Tiled Hearths.
Our Brick chambers allow you to create a beautiful inglenook type fireplace without the need for a brick fireplace.
Fabricated in an English workshop by experienced technicians the chambers are made to a standard size which can be cut to your own required dimensions by a fireplace fitter on site.
We also offer a made to measure service where we can manufacture a chamber or hearth to a specific size.
These are available in the following colours
Cobble Dark Brown
Cobble Golden Brown
Cobble Golden Cream
Cobble Lavender
Cobble Super Red
Old Red Stock
Reclaimed
Smoothface Brown
Smoothface Buff
Smoothface Red
This Range of Fireplace chmabers are also available in a made to measure service which can be manufactured to suit any fireplace chamber opening just contact office for prices.
We also offer a full made to measure service in the matching Barley Slate and Quarry Tiled Hearths to compliment your chosen chamber.
Shortly we will also be offering the range of slim bricks so that customers can buy 0.5 Metre packs to tile there own chambers and fireplace openings.
So have a look at the new range of Brick Fireplace Chambers and don’t forget if we do not have the perfect size you want we can supply them made to measure or simply just the tiles to create your own.
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- Cobble Dark Brown
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- Cobble Golden Brown
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- Cobble Golden Cream
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- Cobble Lavender
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- Cobble Super Red
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- Old Red Stock
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- Reclaimed
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- Smoothface Brown
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- Smoothface Buff
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- Smoothface Red
New Shopping Cart on test for Fireplace Website
Thursday, April 29th, 2010As we all know checking out on a website has to be the most simple thing your website does and here at Castfireplaces we are no different.
There are things we need like postcodes contact phone numbers etc they cant be avoided and we have been tweaking a new cart on our test pages we run to see how it responds in normal website running conditions to improve our checkout process.
This fireplace test site is a full working site as our own is and this is where we have been trying out the new tile selection format too.
We are just adding the final bits to make the shopping cart even easier to see and navigate too instead of being just at the top of the page i think it really looks great and works a treat.
So with a little bit of luck it should all be ready to impliment next week which will make our website even easier to use again.
If any of our customers would like to send us any information on ways we can improve our service and website we will always have a look at them as different minds see things in a different way.
We do have further things planned to improve your shopping experience with us and ill tell you more about them when they are ready to go live.
Othere website retailers do visit our site (normally everyday) to view various things and see what we are doing i suppose they will really seeing as we are one of if not the best fireplace website on the internet
So ill keep you all informed when things are ready to go
Bye for Now Mark
Metal Polish and Some Elbow Grease thats How
Monday, April 19th, 2010A question we get asked from time to time relates to the upkeep of our polished cast iron fireplaces and how do you the customer keep them in great looking condition.
I have become quite an expert over the years at polishing cast iron and have had plenty of practice cleaning it.
At home i have a pembroke full polish fireplace that sits in pride of place in my lounge, now having a five year old son with what seems the worlds stickiest hands i have become an expert at cleaning our plasma tv and pembroke fireplace from finger marks.
When the fireplace arrives to you it has a light machine oil on it to stop it going rusty in transit this needs to be removed before fitting and WD40 will do this just fine.
WD40 is ideal for general cleaning but if left over time the finish will begin to tarnish from moisture in the air and need to be addressed with a good quality Multi Metal Polish and a good amount of elbow grease.
It is simple to apply and work in small patches do not cover the whole fireplace with it then try and remove as it does spread all over.
I would suggest using gloves and two clean cloths one for applying and 1 for removal also around the bars where most tarnishing occurs particularly with solid fuel fireplaces i always use 0000 wire wool which is for polishing and is very smooth but also slightly abrasive if you can remember think back to a brillo pad its very similar.
Apply the metal polish to the steel wool and work in circular motions wiping away excess as you go.
This should remove most of the most stuuborn stains leaving you with a gleaming fireplace.
Dry and clean off with new clean cloth and rub all over to remove excess thats it all done now sit back and relax and admire your handiwork
Simple as That