skip to main content

How do I UNINSTALL a wood burning fireplace?

18 years ago

We are moving into a 1970's era home and need to take out the fireplaces. There are two wood burning fireplaces with one cinder block chimney. Where do I begin? What tools would I need? Do I start with the chimney and will all of it fall into the center of the house? Do I need a jack hammer to do this? Is there an easy way of doing this? :-)

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

Xanndra
18 years ago
Since none of us can see your home, the placement of the fireplaces/chimneys or see the structural integrity of the home, I don't see how anyone would even attempt to advise you on how to do this.

You really should hire this out to an insured, bonded company should the worst happen if you are truly set on doing this. Personally, I would not.

And no, there is NO easy way of doing it. Especially the chimneys. Those will be the worst.

P.S. Are you married and actually living in the home? This could break the house AND the marriage. This is from someone who has done TOO much remodeling and is now divorced.
kyrsyan
18 years ago
I agree with Xanndra, get a professional out to do an inspection. If they are in good shape and only need minor repairs or caps, then leave them alone. They raise the market value of your house, and you don't have to use them if you don't want to. If they are in bad shape, then let the pros do it. Just make sure that they are insured and know what they are doing. I had to take out two chimneys in one house, but I was only willing to do it because the bricks were already literally falling off. Even with modern replacements, the market value got killed.
Related Discussions
Can I convert my gas Fireplace to a wood burning one???
Q
Comments (11)
Now hold on guys. Yes, caution is absolutely required here. However, I have a builder grade fireplace that looks very similar to the OP's unit. Mine is designed for either wood or gas. My unit has the same cheesy thin metal like stuff. If you look at the other pics on flicker, you will see that the unit has a full above roof chase and what appears to be a spark cap. I believe my unit has one of those huge 14" flues which is common for these units. This one doesn't seem to be that large, which makes me wonder if it is indeed a wood burner. The top of the front of the unit also has something that looks like sheet metal extending down into the firebox that is different from mine and that makes me think of gas. Remember, these are open fireplaces and don't really generate dramatic heat. My cheesy back fake bricks never got damaged in any way. So, two points: the 'fireplace' may indeed be designed for wood and you will need to check further; AND you aren't going to heat much with this thing either.
...See More
How much wood will I burn??
Q
Comments (2)
The first question is where do you live. Climate pays a big role. The 7100 is a big unit with a big firebox. I couldn't find any info on the Quad website but I'm going to guess it's in excess of 3 cubic feet. So 128 cubic feet per cord gives about ~42 fills of wood per cord. Now you will probably not max it out every time you fill it but you will probably need to fill it at least three times per day if using it constantly. If you figure 1.5 fills per day as an average then it would appear that one cord will roughly last you one month. You have listed a three month burning season so three cords would probably be a better guess. I burn through the night and all weekend in an Isle Royale in central NH and I use about 2-3 cords over the winter. Ash is pretty good firewood and nice in a pinch because you can burn it green. Good luck.
...See More
Wood-burning prefab and gas logs? How do I do it?
Q
Comments (2)
Macey, The Colonial looks really nice (the Estate is too big). It's going to be a corner fireplace so I like the big opening. There are no Lennox dealers near us, but since we're building in the northwest and live in the southwest, there are some showrooms on the way (we are making lots of trips) we can visit. Does anyone have experience with this fireplace?
...See More
what to do? help! old wood burning fireplace and obstacles
Q
Comments (1)
How far up does the brick go on that fireplace. Looks like you still have sheetrock over some of it. Does it go to the ceiling? If so, I would expose it all, and either tile it or rebrick it. If the fireplace is very old, please have a fireplace expert come and check it out, to make sure it is capable of being a real wood fireplace, and not a fire hazard.
...See More
clkeever
18 years ago
Are you wanting to actually get rid of the masonry chimmney or just the fireplace units themselves?

Related Stories

FIREPLACES Heat Your Space in Style with Today's Wood-Burning Stoves

By Shawn Gauthier

Cleaner burning and streamlined, new wood-burning stoves warm up the room

LIVING ROOMS How to Convert Your Wood-Burning Fireplace

By Laura Gaskill

Learn about inserts and other options for switching your fireplace from wood to gas or electric

FIREPLACES Updated Woodstoves Keep Home Fires Burning

By Eric Reinholdt, Architect

Better technology means more efficiency than ever for modern woodstoves

REMODELING GUIDES Clean-Burning Woodstoves Ignite a Greener Heating Trend

By Laura Gaskill

No need to rely on oil or gas to heat your home — new woodstove designs burn cleanly and are beautiful to boot

MORE ROOMS Deep Color Soothes in a Favorite Reading Room

By Becky Harris

A wood-burning fireplace, beloved collections and comfortable seating make this library a family favorite

KITCHEN DESIGN Kitchen Luxuries: The Wood-Fired Pizza Oven

By Sheridan Interiors, Kitchens and Baths

If you love homemade pizza and are (ahem) rolling in dough, a wood-burning oven may be just the right kitchen investment

FIREPLACES Design Workshop: Smart Ways to Store Wood Outdoors

By Eric Reinholdt, Architect

Consider size, location, protection, air circulation and, of course, style for storing your firewood

STORAGE Stylish Wood Storage for Contemporary Spaces

By Becky Harris

Go with a good-looking grain for your home by using wood logs indoors as an architectural or artistic feature

FIREPLACES Ribbons of Fire: 10 Artfully Minimalist Fireplaces

By Mary Jo Bowling

Long and lean and sleek to the core, these gas-burning fireplaces make a powerful contemporary statement

REMODELING GUIDES 'Yakisugi-ita' Is Setting the Siding World on Fire

By Ivon Street Studio

Exterior wood siding created by a Japanese burning technique is now alighting in the Western world

Sponsored

NME Builders LLC

2 Reviews

Industry Leading General Contractors in Franklin County, OH

More Discussions

I need help figuring out how to stop the draft

2

Help find brick from this photo?

3

Gas fireplace - is a hearth required?

1

Is this concrete?

2

what to do to modernize this old woodburning fireplace

1