Fireplaces Help

Class 1. Commonly in older houses, earlier than 1960. The class 1 chimney is identifiable by 7" (180mm) or greater diameter flue and generally terminates with a stone or brick built chimney. The existing chimney must be structurally sound before the installation of a new fire or fireplace. Usually your local chimney sweep will conduct a full inspection at the time it is swept. It is recommended that sweeps are NACS registered.

Class 2. Either an older house where the existing chimney has been lined by a proprietary steel flue or a newer house with a steel flue built in. This chimney type is identifiable by a 5" (130mm) diameter flue and a steel flue terminal.

Pre-cast flue. Modern houses, generally later than 1960 often have a pre-cast concrete chimney system, identifiable by a rectangular box section flue and a terminal, as illustrated in the picture.

No Chimney. Options available for new homes built without a chimney or older properties where the flue is no longer viable:

Catalytic converter fires are simple and easy to install. This safe, flueless technology enables gas fires to be installed in almost any area of the home, this coupled with being 100% efficient offers a great alternative to the traditional gas fire.

Power Flue gas fire. A quiet but powerful fan situated on an outside wall expels flue gases from the fire. To suit every taste and setting, fires are available with a choice of modern or traditional trim options and coal, logs or pebbles.

Exhausto Fan Systems. These systems enable a fireplace to be positioned in practically any room of the house. Fans have the power to draw fumes up to 15 metres away removing the concerns associated with fireplace design and installation.

Electric No more the poor relation, electric fires have come of age! From modern contemporary styling to traditional design we have all types to suit all tastes and budgets.

There are three main control options available on gas fires. Manual controls allow you to turn your fire onand off and to regulate its heat output using a dial located at the base of the fire often hidden behind an ash pan cover.

Slide control gas fires have a control on the top right hand side of the fire so you don´t have to bend down.

Remote control fires have a hand held infra-red remote.

There are predominantly three fuel effects available on most gas fires that we sell. Whilst each manufacturer´s effects differ slightly they are as follows:

Coal effect

Pebble effect

Log effect

If a gas fire has under 7kw of gas input CORGI regulations state that it doesn´t necessarily need additional room ventilation providing that the flue works properly without it. A CORGI registered gas installer will ensure adequate ventilation when installing a new appliance.

Building regulations Document J section 2 requires that the free air ventilation is 50% of the cross section of the flue.

There are several types of gas fire to consider, the following guides you through the options available:

Inset gas fire come as standard 16" or 18" models. They have the option of coal, pebble or log fuel bed effects and are available with either manual, remote or slide controls. You have the choice of ´no vent´ or high output ´vent required´ variants. This type of fire is ideal for installing into existing firebrick. This type of fire is suitable for class 1 flues only.

Hotbox fires come as standard 16" or 18" models. They have the option of coal, pebble or log fuel bed effects and are available with either manual, remote or slide controls. You have the choice of ´no vent´ or high output ´vent required´ variants. This type of fire is supplied as a sealed unit with a ceramic lined fireback for increased heat output. This type of fire is available for class 1 class 2 and no chimney situations.

Convector Fires come as standard 16" or 18" models. They have the option of coal, pebble or log fuel bed effects and are available with either manual, remote or slide controls. You have the choice of ´no vent´ or high output ´vent required´ variants. This type of fire is supplied as a sealed unit with a ceramic lined fireback for increased heat output. This type of fire is available for class 1 class 2 and no chimney situations.

Slimline fires are especially designed for pre-cast flues. Models are also available to suit 5" diameter class 2, Class 1 and no chimney situations. Available only as 16" model, they have the option of coal or pebble fuel bed effects and are available with either manual, remote or slide controls ´no vent´ option. This type of fire is supplied as a sealed unit with a ceramic lined fireback for increased heat output. This type of fire is available for class 1 class 2 and no chimney situations.

Powerflue fires. come as standard 16" or 18" models. They have the option of coal, pebble or log fuel bed effects and are available with either manual or remote controls. You have the choice of ´no vent´ or high output ´vent required´ variants. This type of fire is supplied as a sealed unit with a ceramic lined fireback for increased heat output. This type of fire is used in no chimney situations. A quiet but powerful fan situated on an outside wall expels flue gases from the fire.

The nature of natural marble is such that when it is formed in the earth, some small cracks are created too. Also considerable variation often occurs in the colouring and veining of this material. To achieve a perfect piece of marble with no imperfections at all means a huge amount of wastage. This has two principle effects, the product becomes prohibitively expensive and the natural resources are depleted too quickly. Therefore natural marble products may have small amounts of colour matched filler to give the impression of a continuous surface.

Due to the fact that these are natural materials, each piece of natural stone is unique and may exhibit texture variations, fossilised shell remains or calcite veining. Colour variations are typical of natural stone and should be considered part of the natural beauty of stone. Generally Bath stone is smooth, open grained and light cream in colour. In contrast, Cotswold stone is slightly coarser, darker in colour and warmer.

When drawn from the ground and then during the cutting and carving process natural stone is wet, however after installation as the moisture evaporates some discolouration/dark patches will occur. This is perfectly natural and as the stone dries completely, this discolouration will reduce however non uniformity of appearance and imperfections are to be expected.

Portuguese limestone. This is natural stone cut straight from the earth. The stone is sedimentary limestone formed over 50 million years ago. The characteristic darker veins on the lighter background, intermingled with fossils of plants and animal life all add to the beauty and individuality of this great material.

When limestone is subjected to direct heat cracks can appear. This is normal and should not impact on the performance of your fire. It is also normal for limestone to be subject to sooting.

Micro Marble is an engineered stone, manufactured from crushed marble and specially developed resins, is used to make many of the fireplace suites we sell. Whilst it has the appearance of smooth natural stone, Available in a range of colours and finishes, micro marble is non porous and therefore maintenance is relatively straightforward. Clean with a mild soap solution and dry with a soft cloth.

Jurastone, another natural product, marble is used in the construction of this material. Jurastone is made from aesthetically unappealing sheets of solid marble then coated with one of two great finishes. These finishes are the smooth Cotswold and the slightly textured Chiltern. Both finishes give the consistent appearance of stone.

Wooden Mantels. We sell a versatile and varied range of both solid wood and MDF mantels. Available in a range of colours, wood types and finishes. Clean as all wooden furniture.

Cast Iron. All cast iron products are delivered with a protective, oil based coating on polished surfaces. This should be cleaned off during installation. It is recommended that a spray-type oil is applied from time to time in order to avoid surface rust appearing. Ensure that the room in which the cast iron product is being installed is thoroughly dry. For example recently plastered wall cause high levels of moisture in the atmosphere and, as a result, rust is almost inevitable.

Under no circumstances should a water-based cleaner be used to clean cast iron products.

Firebaskets are more prone to moisture from your chimney dropping on to their exposed surfaces. This is likely to cause corrosion, even to plated cast iron products. To minimise this it is recommended to have your chimney thoroughly swept clean and to seek advice of a chimney sweep regarding the installation of a chimney cowl.

When using gas fires, the products of combustion can sometimes cause white deposits to form. These deposits can usually be removed with a soft brush.

When using cast iron products in a solid fuel application only burn small fires initially, this will help to temper the product.

High temperature paint is used on black and graphite products where the fire will burn. This paint will eventually burn off. A proprietary, high temperature paint can be used to re-coat your fireplace.

There are some very high temperature fuels which could cause damage to your fireplace. Please refer to the Solid Fuel Association (www.solidfuel.co.uk) recommendations and use an approved coal merchant as your supplier. No responsibility can be accepted if high temperature fuels have been purchased from an unapproved source. If in doubt we recommend the use of a clay fire back.

Clean ash away regularly as a build up beneath the fire will cause the grate to burn out quickly. The grate is a consumerable part of your fire and will need replacement from time to time, depending on the frequency and burning temperature of your fires.

Gas Fires. A gas fire is a technical piece of equipment and, just like a gas boiler should be serviced regularly by a CORGI registered installer. This will help you to enjoy safe and trouble free use of your fire for years to come.

Limestone products once installed and dry should be cleaned and resealed where necessary using appropriate products. Your installer should carry out the initial sealing where applicable. Further sealing should not be necessary.

Marble and stone can be cleaned, if needed, with warm soapy water on a damp cloth then immediately dried with a soft lint free cloth. All marble and stone is porous. You should avoid placing wet objects on the shelf as these may mark the material. Avoid dragging objects across the material as they may scratch. Do not use polish or propriety cleaners of any type on these materials.