Nothing says home like a warm crackling fire and cuddling with loved ones. Frost and Flame in Windham and Gorham can bring that dream to life from the fireplace to the masonry.
“We can build you a room for your stove
if that’s what you want it to be,” said owner Steve Richard who purchased Frost
and Flame in 1992.
Frost and Flame opened its doors in 1978
during the energy crisis. They sold Jotul wood stoves and bikes as a counter-seasonal
product. Woodstoves turned to gas stoves in the early 1990s. “People liked gas
for the convenience,” said Richard. “It also ran with no power.”
The fireplace designs run from simple to
elaborate and come in different faces, interiors and sizes. Three-fourths of
new homes in the US put in a gas fireplace, according to Richard.
In 1989, Frost and Flame saw the infancy
of the pellet stove that used small pellets made from sawdust. They were
cleaner to burn than wood and there was no need for a chimney, it could be
vented through the wall. On average one filling of a pellet stove would burn
for 15 to 20 hours.
Frost and Flame is unique because of how
the company is run. It’s not run like a store, but more like a construction
company. From electrical and masonry to carpentry, they can do a job safely
from start to finish. With 14 full-time employees and Richard visiting 98
percent of the homes to do site inspections, the company is ready to handle any
project.
The company does work from Portsmouth to
Boothbay Harbor, Augusta to Mount Washington Valley.
“We are the largest stove shop in Maine
as far as volume,” said Richard. “We carry every major brand available in North
America. To have all of this in one store is pretty rare.” Frost and Flame installs
between 1,200 and 1,500 stoves each year.
When a customer walks into one of the
showrooms, Richard’s goal is to educate them, deliver the correct product for
the customer with 100 percent safety and fulfill the needs of what they’re
expecting.
In addition to selling the stoves, Frost
and Flame does a lot of service after the sale. They are also fully licensed
and insured. The employees have worked with Richard for 12 to 15 years each.
There is very little to no turnover. Richard trains all of his personnel
together so everyone knows everyone else’s job.
The different stoves provide different
opportunities for heating. A gas stove has no heat spike like a wood stove,
said Richard. With a pellet stove, the heat can be controlled better. Frost and
Flame also offers fireplace inserts to re-invent an old fireplace.
Stoves range in price from $2,200 to
$5,800. Frost and Flame offers financing through Casco Federal Credit Union.
“We try to make the experience as smooth
and effortless as possible,” Richard said.
The stores are open six days a week and
online at www.frostandflame.com and www.sebagolakepools.com.
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