Replies

1. 
   DavidxDoud | Mar 16, 2009 02:40am | #1

   make yourself a chute so you can toss the bricks and they will slide to a receptacle of your choosing -

   "there's enough for everyone"
1. 
   Francorosso | Mar 16, 2009 03:43am | #2

   I was thinking about dropping them down the chimney, any issues with that?

1. 
   Piffin | Mar 16, 2009 04:13am | #6

   "any issues with that?"your housekeeper will.Makes for a of of soot and dust.As for the overall - a gas log will produce CO killer gas and lots of water vapor. You need to plan some way to vent both of those from the interior living space. The moisture might go where you don't want it and cause mold or rot. 

    

   Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

2. 
   DanH | Mar 16, 2009 03:50am | #3

   Been several threads on this -- you can probably find one or two if you search. Mainly, if the chimney is old enough, it will come apart fairly easily (due to heat/flue acid action on the mortar), once you get past any part near the top that's been recently pointed or rebuilt. The main thing is controlling the debris (may not work to push everything down the flue in your case, though it does in some other cases) and carting away the loose bricks (a chute of some sort helps).

   The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith
3. 
   cargin | Mar 16, 2009 03:57am | #4

   Franco

   I took my chimney down years ago.

   I removed 6' above the roof and 12' in the attic before I used my hammer.

   If you have a wood truck bed, make sure it has a layer of debris to soften the blow.

   If you use a chute use a sacrificial bank board to protect the sides of the truck.

   Rich

1. 
   Francorosso | Mar 16, 2009 04:10am | #5

   I have a retaining wall in the back yard which needs fill, so I'm planning on either throwing the bricks down there or dropping them through the chimney and then throwing them the 30 feet or so to the retaining wall.  I'll check for old threads about this.  Thanks, everyone.

4. 
   cargin | Mar 16, 2009 04:31am | #7

   Franco

   I agree with Piffin. I don't see how a ventless gas fireplace is a good idea no matter what the manufacturer says.

   NG does have alot of water in it.

   My 90% furnace produces about 5 gal/day in the condensate pump resevior.

   And the CO2 can't be good for you.

   Rich

1. 
   Piffin | Mar 16, 2009 04:58am | #8

   CO is even worser;) 

    

   Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

1. 
   cargin | Mar 16, 2009 05:09am | #10

   Piffin

   Yeah, i guess we are talking about carbon monoxide.

   Not carbon dioxide.

   Rich

5. 
   ponytl | Mar 16, 2009 04:59am | #9

   buy a hammer drill... that will chisel only... get a good one even if it's used on ebay... i like hilti... but many are good...   with a good hammer drill you can be done in a day.... bricks will slide through  4" pvc... if  you want to let em slide... cut the top 18"  in half so you can start em on their way faster...

   sounds like fun :)

   P

6. 
   MSA1 | Mar 16, 2009 05:39am | #11

   There is NO WAY i'd put a vent free fireplace in any house that is going to be occupied be living people.

    

   Family.....They're always there when they need you.

7. 
   andyfew322 | Mar 16, 2009 07:54am | #12

   dropping them back down the chimney probably is not the best idea, too high of a chance for damage

   http://www.cocoboloboy.webs.com
8. 
   SquarePeg | Mar 16, 2009 08:03am | #13

   Gas that is not vented. you sure that's a good idea?

    

9. 
   theslateman | Mar 16, 2009 11:59am | #14

   I wouldn't drop them down thru the chimney so's not to do damage to the fireplace openings.

   I'll let others speak to whether the NG fireplaces are a good idea.

   For taking down the chimney I can offer some advice. Heres one I just did , boiler changed over to direct vent.

   Cars around this house  -apartment house - limited my normal method of removal and getting to the ground. If possible I like getting an old box spring mattress and placing it where I can toss the bricks onto it and have them bounce off nicely. If you want the bricks for landscaping they aren't ruined from the fall.

   This time I carried everything down in 5 gallon pails and lowered to the ground.

   I doubt you'll need anything heavier than a 2 lb. hand drilling hammer to knock it apart unless it's been re-topped in the last 20 years.

    

   http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8cbsmrhq2E4&emid=sharshar&linkid=link5&cid=EMsharshar

1. 
   seeyou | Mar 16, 2009 02:26pm | #15

   I can't ever get your Shutterfly albums to work properly. I guess it's my anti-virus - both my computers hang when I try to open them.

   To the OP -  if you use buckets to get the bricks down, cut a 10" piece of 2x4 and drill a hole in the center of it that your rope will fit thru. Put the rope thru it and knot it on the other side. Slide the 2x4 thru the bucket handle and put some tension on it while holding the 2x4 horizontally. Drop the bucket to the ground and let the rope slack. The 2x4 will drop loose and then you can pull the rope back up and drop more buckets with it before going down to empty them. http://www.quittintime.com/      View Image        

1. 
   theslateman | Mar 17, 2009 12:26am | #18

   Grant,

   Sorry about the albums. You're missing some of my best work <G>

   I'll have to try that 2x4 trick sometime  - if there's no warm body near by to help.

   Walter

2. 
   DanH | Mar 16, 2009 03:05pm | #16

   Yeah, I helped with one where most of it was carried down in 5 gallon pails. Not that hard, actually.
   The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith

3. 
   theslateman | Mar 17, 2009 12:24am | #17

   Heres a picture of the hammer I often use for the demo part.

    

   View Image

   
10. 
    barmil | Mar 19, 2009 05:37am | #19

    People call me "Mr. Safe," as I crack a window when I turn on my gas oven. So I'm paranoid, maybe. No way would I have an unvented gas fireplace. Sorry.

1. 
   Francorosso | Mar 19, 2009 12:52pm | #20

   OK, everyone, I get the message about unvented gas fireplace inserts....

1. 
   mikeroop | Mar 19, 2009 07:49pm | #23

   their are way more ventless gas fireplaces in use than their are opinions on here. we all do things that are not healthy for us( smoke, drink,eat,)just to name a few and all are guilty. I own a woodstove and fireplace shop and the majority of my sales are ventless so  make your own decisions and do what ever you want

11. 
    CJohn | Mar 19, 2009 06:18pm | #21

    A few years ago the wife and I decided to remodel the lake cabin and the chimney was located in the middle of our new kitchen. It had to go. We where also reroofing - doing a tear off - new sheeting - the works. Sat morning -time to go to work. Enter me and my ten pound sledge hammer. Up I go to the top of the roof as people are watching me from the ground, neighbors peeking out the windows. I wind up and swing and oh yes it was like hitting a brick wall, nothing happened. How can this be - a big strong he-man who pumps iron three times a week, with my 18 inch pythons and nothing happened. I swung again, same thing -nothing. After a few minutes of this and feelin  wussy and already wore out - I sat down on the peak and said out loud -"this is not working." I looked at that brick monster and thought what do I do now? The wife says -you got to do something this is the first day and we had planned on a week to get this chimney down and the roof done. Ahh the light of hope came to me as I thought if I put my feet against the chimney and push - it might loosen the chimney -and maybe if it tips over -it will side down and off the roof. Quick I said to the wife get a sheet of plywood and put over the window so when it slides off it doesn't break the new window we just put in.  (drum roll) Everything ready, every one watching, wife had her hands covering her mouth, I couldn't tell if she was laughing or thinking is this guy that dumb. I checked to make sure the neighbors were watching as you just don't see something like this every day. Yes the moment of truth was here. I put my feet on the chimney and started to push, and it moved! Man this is easy! Oh this is going to work after all!  One can make a lot of money doing it this way! 

    (This is the "wife"now).  So he pushes on the chimney... and sure enough it toppled over...slid about 6".....then went through the roof!  Right down to the attic floor.  (If it hadn't stop there - would have gone straight to the basement).  Anyway,  I could not stop laughing.  It is nine years later and it still makes me laugh.  Sure enough, he got that chimney down.  After that it was pretty easy...we both just threw the bricks off the roof and did a "little" patch job (6' x30")....and it was good as new.  We did get the roof done on time.

1. 
   DanH | Mar 19, 2009 06:34pm | #22

   How did you get that chunk of chimney out of the attic?
   The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith

1. 
   CJohn | Mar 19, 2009 08:37pm | #24

   The fall must have jarred the motar enough as it came apart fairly easy