Brick fireplace removal

[Dave Hammelef]

Heres a different question for you all. My wife I are contemplating removing our fireplace. Well not actually removing. The room is on a slab and the hearth is just brick mortised to the cement. Then the brick work goes up the wall to the ceilling. What we are thinking of doing is closing off the top of the chimney. Maybe filling the chimeny with insulation. and removing all the brick and just drywall where it was. The question is, How to remove the brick and what is behind it. another option would be to drywall over the brick but I really do not like that idea. So any comments or suggestions are welcomed.

Dave

[Todd Burch]

David, in my old house, I had an island fireplace that you had to walk around once entering the front door. I hated it, and the look of the brick. Click the link below to see and read about how I handled it.

My Fireplace Conversion (http://www.burchwoodusa.com/miscpix/Remodel/fireplaceremodel.html)

Todd.

[Bob Boake]

Fireplaces and chimneys are constructed of a wide variety of materials. Construction methods and material have changed dramatically over the years.Have you gone up on roof and look down to see inside?

If it a modern metal prefab unit on a more recent house then the interior brick is most likely a facade and can be taken down easily.

Some recent brick fireplaces have a lining that looks like stacked up square terra cotta pipe with mortar and then brick around it.

[Bob Lemon]

Dave, We had 2 beautiful fireplaces, back to back, in a divider wall between the living and family room. One had a raised hearth with brick floor to ceiling. The other was roman brick. Total floor space occupied equaled 55 sq. ft. It was nice to have a fire, BUT! for every cubic foot of air that went up the chimney, we had to let the same amount in an open door or window, or it would suck smoke down the second chimney! BAD!! Besides we wanted the space for something else.

We used a pneumatic hammer and chisel to break up the masonry. We had rectangular ceramic tile for the flues. A pile of concrete blocks on a poured slab under the house (house has raised floors), and lots of broken brick and mortar filler, plus gas pipe for fire starter. (The house was built in 1958) It took a lot of work, and time with ear protection and goggles on to remove the fireplaces.

Where the chimneys went through the roof, we installed a skylight window. For various reasons, the shaft is still not complete.... Someday.....
Bob

[Ray Thompson]

Don't do like my contractor did several years ago. He took the bricks off very carefully down to below the ceiling then just pulled the thing over. Needless to say there was a fair amount of soot attached to a 100 year old chimney. We spent weeks cleaning after him.

Ray