Removing a Fireplace
Removing your fireplace might be done for any one of a number of reasons, including the desire to install a new one in its place or the desire to modernize the overall appearance of the space by doing away with the fireplace entirely. Other possible motivations include:
To Begin With, Safety
Make sure that you always protect your eyes with safety goggles and your hands with some robust gloves if you are dismantling a brick or tile-lined fireplace. This is especially important if the fireplace was built using tile. In addition to it, a dust mask is recommended. To remove the hearth from the chimney, you will need to use a bolster chisel; thus, you need ensure that it has a hand guard attached to it.
Taking Away the Fireplace
In the vast majority of situations, the hearth will have been placed down after the fire surround, thus you should begin by removing the fire surround first. Obviously, before you get started, you need to be sure that this is the situation. Assuming that this is the case, you will need to use a bolster chisel and a club hammer to break the connection that connects the brick hearth to the constructional hearth that is underneath it (the constructional hearth will be flush with the floorboards or concrete floor). As soon as you see a crack developing along the bottom edge of the hearth, you may use wooden wedges to assist pull it up by tapping them into place.
In many instances, the hearth will separate from the floor in a single piece, and you will be able to lift or pull it out of the way because it will be detached in its whole. In the event that the hearth crumbles to pieces, and presuming that you do not intend to reuse it, you will simply be required to continue removing portions of it from the floor.
There are some hearths that consist of little more than a layer of tiles that have been set on top of the constructional hearth. To get rid of them in this scenario, all you have to do is use a bolster chisel to lift them up and remove them.
Taking Away the Surroundings
The majority of fireplace surrounds will have metal lugs fastened around their edge to help hold them in place, even if just partially. These are likely the screws that were used to attach the surround to the bricks of the chimney breast before the plaster was applied over them. Before you can remove the surround, you need to expose the lugs, which requires you to chip away a small strip of plaster all the way around the fireplace. Once the lugs are exposed, you can remove the surround (around 25mm should be enough).
After you have located all of the fastening lugs, you will be able to remove the screws that are attached to the wall and are keeping the surround in place. When the last screw is removed from the surround, it is a good idea to brace it against the wall using a piece of wood to prevent it from falling over. Although it is unlikely that this would occur, it is always better to be cautious than sorry, particularly if you intend to repurpose or sell the surround at a later date.
If the screws are rusted securely in their positions, you might try soaking them in penetrating oil for some time. In the event that this does not succeed in releasing them, you will have to drill out the heads. When all of the screws have been removed, you may then drop the surround to the floor and remove it, but having some assistance is highly recommended for this step.
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