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How to reopen a sealed/cemented fireplace fire box?
I just joined this forum so I could pose this question of the community. I've been looking everywhere and so far haven't found any good info, so here goes hoping you guys can help.
I'm looking to reopen the sealed fireplaces in my home, a circa 1900 wood frame located in Church Hill, an Old & Historic District, in Richmond, Virginia. We have four fireplaces that look like they were sealed up with concrete when a previous owner did renovations. The mantles themselves are in great shape and the iron fireplace surrounds are intact as well. The chimneys above the roof line have been repaired (horse hair mortar had deteriorated). We'd like to get the fire boxes opened up and the chimneys relined for use. We're not sure if we'll go with gas logs or just burn wood, but mainly this is a cosmetic facelift we want to do to make the rooms more attractive and increase our resale value.
Does anyone have experience doing this kind of work? What tools should I use and how should I go about it? Can I just swing a sledgehammer to start breaking it up? I imagine it will get pretty dirty with the soot, so I am anticipating that much but otherwise have no idea how difficult the work will actually be. Any and all help is greatly appreciated.
Here's the fireplace for reference:
Tags: box, chimney, diy, fire, fireplace, repair
Views: 389
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Lair Tienter on -
I've done a lot of these. To start get a chisel and a hammer along with a 5 gallon bucket. Start making a hole in the center. gradually make the hole larger and deeper. Once you get a hole all the way through to the fire box it gets a lot easier. Don't use a lot of force(sledgehammer) because you never know how much you are knocking out. You just want to take out the block not the whole fireplace. Put the small pieces chipped out into the bucket for easy removal and not make the whole house a mess. I have never found much soot in these fireboxes but don't know why. Keep a broom handy or a shop vac and you will find that will lessen the mess. The ones I've done were just brick with stucco over them so once you get 1 brick out it goes quick. Good Luck! Lair
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Permalink Reply by Althea B. RIdley on -
I read your question re firebox restoration. I think the project could become greater than you are now assessing. I recently had four adjoining fireplaces redone and had a professional do the work. House was built in about 1795, therefore likely to have been more complicated. A crew spent nearly three weeks carefully jackhammering the interior in order to line chimney and retain the use of two of the fireplaces. They had hoses, buckets, scaffolding, plastic wraps around six rooms and a pump and chute to add cement to the interior to create new lining.The company we hired are very professional, and travel to wherever if you would like his name. He is also a civil engineer, which once we saw what was involved, gave me great comfort! He is Mark Schaub, Chimney Savers in Hillsborough, NJ (908)359-7798. You might also go on the website www.stovax.com to read up on options for inserts, gas, electric, convector. This English company also sells fireplace fronts, etc. but there may be some information of help to you for this project. Best luck!
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Permalink Reply by Darren Stross on -
The chisel is how I would start as well. I just wanted to add that your fireplace is a typical coal hearth. You'll find that it as a shallow firebox and relatively small flue. It was designed to burn coal rather than wood. The elevated grate would hang from the inside of that frame or sit on the hearth and extend a bit out through the opening. It would be removed and replaced with the summer cover in that arched opening when the heating season was over.
Good Luck,
Darren
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