Hi everyone
We've recently bought a ground floor & basement flat in 4 storey victorian terrace (built 1860s) and have decided to open up fireplace / chimney breast in ground floor lounge to add bit of character and ideally install a flueless gas fire. Stripping off the old plaster to expose brick was generally very easy, however we discovered that at some point the orginal fireplace was partially bricked up to reduce size. The original opening is about 1000mm (H) x 800mm (W) x 350mm (D), but the majority of that has been bricked up right to the back. Taking out single brick depth section under orginal arch (with metal lintel bar) was straightforward, but now faced with approx 650mm high section of solid brick and cement which seems solid to depth of 300mm, which is proving slightly beyond hammer and chisel approach. Any tips on how to get this out? Thinking masonary drill / angle grinder on mortar around bricks then smash out with bolster chisel? Have attached some (slightly blurry) photos, any tips massively appreciated.
We've recently bought a ground floor & basement flat in 4 storey victorian terrace (built 1860s) and have decided to open up fireplace / chimney breast in ground floor lounge to add bit of character and ideally install a flueless gas fire. Stripping off the old plaster to expose brick was generally very easy, however we discovered that at some point the orginal fireplace was partially bricked up to reduce size. The original opening is about 1000mm (H) x 800mm (W) x 350mm (D), but the majority of that has been bricked up right to the back. Taking out single brick depth section under orginal arch (with metal lintel bar) was straightforward, but now faced with approx 650mm high section of solid brick and cement which seems solid to depth of 300mm, which is proving slightly beyond hammer and chisel approach. Any tips on how to get this out? Thinking masonary drill / angle grinder on mortar around bricks then smash out with bolster chisel? Have attached some (slightly blurry) photos, any tips massively appreciated.
