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Chimneys & Fireplaces

Draft From Chimneyā€¸

Question: We have a large and ugly brown brick fireplace in the middle of the longest wall in our living room. i know it can be removed, my neighbor took his out, but alas now he has moved away so i cant ask him how it was done.

It is one layer of brick on the wall, about 5 feet tall. It does not connect to an out side wall, (we live in a condo) the hearth part is about one foot W by 5 feet L and it is 4 bricks tall.

What is the best tools or way to do all this? I am concerned mostly about the hearth, I think the wall will be easy.

Answer: The trick, in order not to make a monster mess is to remove the bricks from the top down. The first couple of bricks are the hard ones. Using a 3/8" carbide drill bit, drill into the mortar below the top set of bricks. Then using a concrete chisel, break away the rest of the mortar. Use a small hand 2.5 lb. hammer and tap the brick on the face until it comes loose. Once you have removed the first couple using the drill, the rest will just break away once hit on the face.

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