# Demo Masonry Fireplace



## LNG24 (Oct 30, 2005)

I have a Masonry Fireplace I need to demo. No problem, but I need to leave the Masonry Chimney intact. 

Here is my questions: Can I expect the masonry chimney to run to the floor (cement floor) or does it terminate on top of the firebox?


----------



## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

It's a unit, not divisible. What are you trying to do?


----------



## LNG24 (Oct 30, 2005)

We need to remove the fireplace, but they want the chimney to remain in case they want to add a wood stove and I guess for the shear amout of work involved in removing a chimney 2 1/2 stories high on the inside of a house.


----------



## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

The flue sits on top of the firebox. the firebox supports it kind of like an arch.
Maybe just strip the face, and block up the opening?
There would need to be some kind of clean-out though.


----------



## LNG24 (Oct 30, 2005)

I was afraid of that, but I had someone tell me they build the chimney from the floor up and the firebox sits in front of it. Made some sense since the firebox isnt 3' deep, but the exterior of the fireplace is.

I guess to demo the chimney we would need to start from the top down. Whcih we can get to the first 6' but then I will have 8' behind the walls of which I would not want to open up. Any clue as to if they woud have attached any part of the framing to this structure OR if I removed the top 6' and then worked in the basement, could I let 8' of the chimney come down into the basement?

Sounds as scarey as I am writing it, but just wondering.


----------



## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

Probably scarier than it sounds even:w00t:
I don't think it'll "slide "down gently!
This is why so many are abandoned in place.
How old is the house?
Does the flue have a clay liner/tile?


----------



## LNG24 (Oct 30, 2005)

Yes, Clay liner in the flu


----------



## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

Wait, Basement?
How big is the structure in the basement?


----------



## tkle (Apr 15, 2006)

General contractor?I'm scared.

Work from the top down.It's only 8' behind the wall.Take the debris out the top,leave the wall.Watch out for dead birds.


----------



## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

LNG24 said:


> removing a chimney 2 1/2 stories high on the inside of a house.


Is it a two story house, or one story with a basement?


----------



## bobcaygeonjon (Aug 30, 2007)

Please video the 8' your gonna let slide down into the basement. In fact get a few cameras set up. we need some split screens especially one with the look on the HO face. 

Oh and then when your getting sued get a screen writer in to take notes. Thet sort of comedy value doesnt come along often.:w00t:


----------



## LNG24 (Oct 30, 2005)

I bet you'd want a piece of the action if I win the $10k on Americas Funniest Videos then too! I'd rather ask a stupid question than to do something stupid. 

Honestly, I was under the impression the the chimney was straight to the floor. I had masons tell me this! However, I do not know as I never built or supervised a full masonry chimney and firebox. I do know that we use to put footing under where they would be when they were speced for for an oil burner flu and given the dimensions of the exterior of the fireplace sides and the interior of the firebox, I am ending up with a huge area behind the fire box. So it made sense that this massive structure was supported by the floor and not the fire box. 

So if you have built or demo'ed a Full Masonry Fire Place, I'd like to hear it from you. And if my history has anything to show for my work, when I attack this project, it will be done right with no injuries and no structural damage and the homeowner will end up with exactly what they want.


----------



## LNG24 (Oct 30, 2005)

neolitic said:


> Is it a two story house, or one story with a basement?


Its a Raised Ranch. Basement is 4' masonry, 4' wood framing. 1 story upstairs and another 6' going through the attic and out the roof.


----------



## stacker (Jan 31, 2006)

its just like neo said,the clay flue liners sit on the firebox.if you remove the firebox,then nothing is supporting 15 plus feet of chimney flue
the outside of the chimney will go all the way to the footer.but that is like clothes to you and i,take it away and the chimney is naked.


----------



## LNG24 (Oct 30, 2005)

Now that makes sense. I'll see if we can come up with a plan "B' for him or demo the entire thing from top down and install a new chimney outside. I am sure I will need to open a wall up if I am going to demo this thing.


----------



## woodmagman (Feb 17, 2007)

LNG24 said:


> We need to remove the fireplace, but they want the chimney to remain in case they want to add a wood stove and I guess for the shear amout of work involved in removing a chimney 2 1/2 stories high on the inside of a house.


I would not think you are even coming close to meeting any type of building code with what is being proposed. Two men and a conveyor belt could remove this in about 6 hours, one man in about 3 hours could put the new wood stove in and run the new class A chimney, a carpenter and helper could have the basics done up in what ever time the design required.
The first thing that fails on a normal fireplace is the flue. That is why most fireplace dealers run chimney liners. All that work around the the flue is bound to knock a joint loose.


----------



## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

LNG24 said:


> Now that makes sense. I'll see if we can come up with a plan "B' for him or demo the entire thing from top down and install a new chimney outside. I am sure I will need to open a wall up if I am going to demo this thing.


I don't get why you would take it down if you aren't going to open up that space anyway?
Why do the demo and leave a dead space?
If you don't want the space, abandon it in place.
I'm confused.


----------



## woodmagman (Feb 17, 2007)

LNG24 said:


> Now that makes sense. I'll see if we can come up with a plan "B' for him or demo the entire thing from top down and install a new chimney outside. I am sure I will need to open a wall up if I am going to demo this thing.


Breaking the chimney from the top down and dropping the brick down the flu will allow the proccess to migrate through the house with out even opening walls, unless the chase is real small.


----------



## LNG24 (Oct 30, 2005)

woodmagman said:


> Breaking the chimney from the top down and dropping the brick down the flu will allow the proccess to migrate through the house with out even opening walls, unless the chase is real small.


Chimney is 16 x 16. Chase is 24 x 24. I have personally installed a metalbestos chimney in a 24 x 48 chase from the inside up.  It was on a modular home and they installed the chase, all 32' of it, without waiting for the fireplace and chimney. Only thing we could do was to get in there and build it from the fire box up. I could not get anyone willing to do it so in I went. Climbed up the chimney with a nail gun and some 2x4's and they slid the zero clearance fire place in and fastened it. Then they dropped the chimney sections down to me. I attached them and climbed up. Did this all the way up. But the hole was too small for me to get out so I had to duck down as they cut it bigger to let me out. :notworthyI have pics of that one somewhere. FYI: I have a fear of getting stuck in tight spots especially since I am 6'4" , 215lb. Now I don't know that I could do a 24 x 24 space, but maybe I could find someone smaller:whistling that is willing. :thumbup:

Ideally it is what he would prefer.


----------



## woodmagman (Feb 17, 2007)

LNG24 said:


> Chimney is 16 x 16. Chase is 24 x 24. I have personally installed a metalbestos chimney in a 24 x 48 chase from the inside up.  It was on a modular home and they installed the chase, all 32' of it, without waiting for the fireplace and chimney. Only thing we could do was to get in there and build it from the fire box up. I could not get anyone willing to do it so in I went. Climbed up the chimney with a nail gun and some 2x4's and they slid the zero clearance fire place in and fastened it. Then they dropped the chimney sections down to me. I attached them and climbed up. Did this all the way up. But the hole was too small for me to get out so I had to duck down as they cut it bigger to let me out. :notworthyI have pics of that one somewhere. FYI: I have a fear of getting stuck in tight spots especially since I am 6'4" , 215lb. Now I don't know that I could do a 24 x 24 space, but maybe I could find someone smaller:whistling that is willing. :thumbup:
> 
> Ideally it is what he would prefer.


What the heck....leave it there....You need almost that much room for a Class A anyway....I think Santa has a couple pounds on you and I never heard him complain...


----------



## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

I'm still confused.
You'll do all that work and just leave a 2' square dead spot?
Why not open it up and create a usable space ?


----------



## LNG24 (Oct 30, 2005)

neolitic said:


> I'm still confused.
> You'll do all that work and just leave a 2' square dead spot?
> Why not open it up and create a usable space ?


Are you taking about the chase? All that can be done with that space is to expand a closet in a bedroom. The cost to open the wall, add a floor, match the hardwood to the existing floor, reframe the opening for the closet, and paint...well all they are getting is 4 sq. ft. of space That will be the most expensive 4 sq. ft. I have ever remodeled.:w00t:

The reason for removing the fireplace was to reclaim 15 sq. ft. of space in the family room downstairs that we are remodeling. The fireplace just breaks up the useability of the room too much. Maybe at some point in the future they would open the closet, but it would only make sense if they were remodeling the whole bedroom or incorporating it into another larger project and we could do it whiel we were framing and refinishing floors and walls elsewhere on the project. 

Right now all we are doing is blowing out a basement door and tiling.


----------



## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

I said I was confused
Some where I missed that the Fireplace was in the basement.:whistling
Thought fireplace was in LR and backed by a flue chase.
Makes more sense if that's the story.
At least I know how they're put together...
Ought to be worth a cookie, huh?:laughing:


----------



## LNG24 (Oct 30, 2005)

neolitic said:


> I said I was confused
> Some where I missed that the Fireplace was in the basement.:whistling
> Thought fireplace was in LR and backed by a flue chase.
> Makes more sense if that's the story.
> ...


Here ya go:


----------



## tkle (Apr 15, 2006)

Not a stupid question,just the thought of that chimney coming down..:whistling.You should be able to gut it.The stack itself is supported on 3 sides by the shell with an angle iron supporting the front.The box supports the damper and the throat but hopefully not the flues.If done right it shouldn't.Better and cleaner though I would tear it down.


----------



## bobcaygeonjon (Aug 30, 2007)

LNG24 said:


> I bet you'd want a piece of the action if I win the $10k on Americas Funniest Videos then too! I'd rather ask a stupid question than to do something stupid.
> 
> Well yes thanks,
> 
> ...


I've built a few and demo'ed a few. 
Seriously you cant just demo a fireplace and leave the chimney standing as I'm sure you know unless you want to just remove the face and block up the opening. But even then you have to leave ventilation or else condensation will occurr in the flue. 
So my advice from the info you have given is either demo the whole thing (starting from the top) or just leave in place.
Maybe these drawings I find on the net will help you.


----------



## LNG24 (Oct 30, 2005)

Now this was a huge help. :thumbsup:Thanks for the drawing and advice. Though there is not a fresh air intake anywhere, I do see what you are all talking about. :notworthyI will let him know how we need to proceed. Demo from the top down or leave it be.

Thanks Everyone. I'll post some before, during and after shots when we complete it.:thumbup:


----------

