Are these safe to remove? Fireplace

[Paulcarine]

20160420_124307

• Paulcarine
• 20 Apr 2016

20160420_124320

• Paulcarine
• 20 Apr 2016

Hi all. Just opening up fireplace for a woodburner to be fitted at a later point. But found there lbc phorpres holed and ridged fire surround bricks. - are these safe to remove? (Asbestos?)

 

[JohnD]

Phorpress are just bricks. The ridges are to make plaster or render stick better.

 

[vinn]

You've got quite a variety of masonry on show. Its perfectly safe to remove any of the brickwork & the fireback.
Depending on the opening dimensions for your new woodburner it might be necessary to use an Acrow Strongboy.
There's been much advice in the Building Forum recent posts about exactly what you propose.
SS liners are often best replaced with new SS liners.
The elec. cable might be redundant but after isolating at the CU remove the cable from the chimney breast.

 

[Paulcarine]

Thanks for the input. The whole chimney seems to be made from the air brick tyre ones. I plan to lintel below the current one and widen a little.