Manufacture Focus: Cast Tec

Cast Tec has its origins back in 1983 when Managing Director Geoff Moore became a sole trader buying and restoring original cast-iron fireplaces using the family ‘dip & strip’ business premises in North Shields as a base.
Demand for cast-iron fireplaces was very limited in the early 1980’s but with a housing boom looming in the South-East weekly commuting took place to Camden Market in north London to sell fireplaces from an indoor market stall on a weekend.
1984 heralded a small shop unit in Camden Lock called the Victorian Fireplace Co. where original fireplaces purchased in the north-east were sold for 15 years.

1987 saw the restoration and manufacturing side of the business moving to a factory workshop in Washington, Tyne & Wear.
Brian Hart, now Cast Tec’s Operations Director, joined from the company at this time to take on the responsibility for running the workshop.
1990 saw the housing boom turn sour and the recession of the early 1990’s affected trading conditions in the London shop. The response was to open a retail showroom in the Washington premises in the north. Called Grate Expectations, the showroom opened in 1989 and traded for 15 years.
1998 saw the humble beginnings of Cast Tec when it was decided that the Distribution of Reproduction cast-iron fireplaces to the trade would be the way forward. It was the only way supply could meet demand in the future and an approach was made by Britannia Castings which resulted in the exclusive rights for Cast Tec to distribute what became the Portman Collection range of cast-iron products in the UK.
1999 heralded the end of an era with the closure of The Victorian Fireplace Co. shop in Camden Lock due to the increasing difficulty of obtaining original fireplaces with demand outstripping supply.
That year Tony Byrne, who ran the London shop from 1995-99, became the first sales/delivery driver for Cast Tec progressing on to become Sales Director. 
2002 saw Cast Tec become a Limited Company and the following year they gained the exclusive rights to import and distribute the Agnews range of quality cast-iron fireplaces throughout the UK mainland.
2005 saw the established Firemaster name and range of products being brought into the Cast Tec stable on behalf of the Ouzledale Foundry Co. Ltd.
2006 heralded an exciting move for the 20 staff of Cast Tec Ltd. to a new 30,000 sq ft. factory premises inside the Port Of Tyne in South Shields where they have access to the Port’s outstanding facilities.

Opening Up Your Fireplace

So you've just moving into a new house or flat and notice there is a chimney breast in your living room but no fireplace! No living room can be complete without a fireplace, both as a focal point and as a compliment to other heating the room, allowing you to turn down the central heating and just enjoy the warmth that a gas, solid fuel or electric fire offers.
Where Do I Start?
To start you'll need to find out if your chimney breast has a fireplace opening. Tap where you thing the fireplace is, or if there is an air-brick, remove it. This will help determine what has been used to block up the opening, whether plasterboard, MDF, timber or block-work.
If you're a competent handy-person you may be able to try and remove the material blocking the opening, but if you find a broken lintel, or no lintel at all, STOP IMMEDIATELY and call in a building professional.
Now I've Made My Opening, Is My Chimney Usable?
Whether the chimney is usable rests entirely on your chimney or flue has a pull, or up- draught, without this there would be no way of drawing the harmful exhaust gases out of the room. (To get an  idea of what flue you have click here)

Most gas fitters, or solid fuel engineers will test the pull of a chimney by using a smoke pellet or match, but you can test this yourself. Try lighting a match, blowing it out near the entrance to the flue, see if the smoke trail is sucked up the chimney.
Ideally you should see the smoke trail be sucked up the chimney, indicating a good pull by the flue. If not, this may be because the flue has been partially or completely blocked, or even removed! Check rooms above or in the loft, the chimney breast should go through those rooms too, a missing chimney breast would need to be rebuilt to re-instate the flue before you could use a conventionally flued appliance.
Although it does not stop you using a catalytic flueless gas fire or a bio-ethanol fire. Another issue may be that the chimney has been capped, head outside (weather permitting) and look up at the chimney, binoculars may be helpful, to see if there is a metal cap on the chimney pots. This cap would need to be removed and providing that the rest of flue is intact then removal of the cap will re-instate the pull of the flue, allowing the freedom to have fires such as the stunning Drugasar Eclipse suite (shown right).
I've done all of the above, but my chimney still has no pull, I think it's blocked.
The best thing to do would be to consult a chimney sweep and see if they can sweep the chimney and clear any blockage. If you're looking to install a wood or solid fuel appliance then most manufacturers recommend having the chimney swept every 6 months, with many stove manufacturers advising that a flue liner be fitted to ensure the flue has a uniform pull.
I've Decided What Fire I Want, Can I Fit It Myself?
No, Simple As That. Gas fires must be fitted by an installer registered with Gas Safe, likewise any solid fuel appliance must be fitted by a HETAS registered engineer. Both of these are legal requirements and doing it yourself may make it very difficult to sell the property, or worse, could seriously endanger your life.

Interior Design Trends For 2012 - Victoriana

In our second entry on design trends for 2012 we look at Victoriana. Family life revolved around the fireplace, hot water would come from the stove, almost all heat came exclusively from the fireplace with the Cast Iron "Victorian" radiator not becoming commonplace until the very late 19th Century.
No Victorian style living room would be complete without the traditional fireplace, so in this entry we shall suggest some of the very best ideas to complete that Victoriana finish. Forget the over-furnished rooms and heavy drapes. While traditional and would give the Victorian finish, they are a little bit over the top for our liking.
Our first suggestion is part of the Premier range from Cast Tec, The Cast Tec Dublin Cast Iron Insert with  the Harton Cast Iron Surround. The traditional Victorian finish is displayed in the quality antique finish and complements the matt black and highlight polished areas of the Harton fireplace surround.
Available with either gas, electric or solid fuel means this fire is suitable for anyone, whether you have a chimney or not:

• Gas fire with a maximum heat input of 6.9kW with natural gas as standard and is suitable for class 1 or 2 flues
• Electric fire that comes with two heat settings of 900W & 1800W which is controlled by a remote control as standard, top venting fire with LED effect and adjustable height
• Solid fuel kit which comes complete with fret, ashpan, grate and operating tool. Capable of burning wood peat, and other smokeless fuels

The Dublin & Harton could be used just to give that Victorian highlight and a focal point, or, as pictured in conjunction with other furniture in the room to create a stunning theme that can be the basis for a beautiful home.

Our next suggestion is another cast-iron combination, This time from Carron. The Lambourn Cast-Iron Combination features traditional Victorian styling, that just like the Cast Tec Dublin would create an ideal talking point in any room. The detailing on the mantle and the canopy both add to the effect, while the choice of solid fuel, natural gas or LPG mean that you can have that stunning center-piece, while the choice of tiles means that you can cater the apperaance to your existing decor.

Both of the above fireplaces would create that a stunning Victorian feel to any room, rarely was any piece of furniture not adorned with accessories, pieces were carefully positioned for maximum impact.  Pick lighting, throws and cushions with needlepoint detailing, lampshades with intricate patterns; mini statuettes and even faux stuffed animals to complete that Victoriana look.