Brick fireplace - what in the world?

[akeyes]

See the pics below...

Want to rip out crazy curved brick fireplace, and replace with a normal, in-the-wall style fireplace. I'm not sure if the curvy fireplace was original to the house or added on. Outside of house shows the bricks stick out where the chimney seems to come straight down. As I ripped off the first batch of bricks, I noticed a LOT of loose bricks inside the wall just piled up...no mortar, no nothing. So, is this normal for a brick mason to just dump a ton of bricks in the wall? Does this mean that it's 100% that this was an add-on and whoever did it just threw their crap bricks inside the wall?

 

[Snoonyb]

You are starting on the wrong end, you need to start at the top and save enough of the brick to match the dwellings architecture.

 

[akeyes]

I'm not replacing entire chimney...just the inside curvy part. My main question is about the pile of bricks sitting inside the wall and whether that's normal or not. Thanks.

 

[Snoonyb]

And you are unaware that the lower portion, supports the upper portion?

With all the cement brick work done and the minuscule value of parts and pieces, and the cost of waste disposal charged by the weight, it's a common practice.

 

[bud16415]

I would be opening the ceiling first to get a look at how the brickwork transitions into what you see outside.


As mentioned above by @Snoonyb taking any fireplace down from the bottom can lead to a big surprise.


The loose brick can simply be that’s how they got rid of the scrap sometimes they get dumped in along the foundation before back filling. They also could be thermal mass. There are fireplaces designed called Russian fireplaces around here where they are intended to heat the masonry up with burning a hot fire for several hours and then the brick or stone stores the heat and slow releases it over the rest of the day.


I know you don’t care for the design of the curve. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder as they say. I find that is a nice mid-century modern touch (no idea when house was built) and a focal point in the room. It could have been updated in many ways depending on the look you were going for.


The brick in the void anyway are just more to put in the dumpster.


Be safe.

 

[mabloodhound]

That brick facing may be just decorative with the actual rectangle chimney behind it. But I would only open up a portion at the top center to see if the actual chimney is in fact separate and behind the facing.

 

[akeyes]

Thanks Bud and mabloodhound,

I did indeed go into the attic first to see that these interior bricks completely stop at the ceiling, they don't tie into the chimney vertically (obviously they do horizontally, but not as they go up). I have now removed quite a bit and found more and more loose bricks inside, like, a LOT of stacked bricks with no mortar. Seems funny but what you guys said makes sense. BTW, house is from the 70's, guess someone just wanted to design a humongous curvy fireplace.

Thanks!

 

[Mastercarpenty]

Here in SC it's common practice to drop masonry scrap into the nearest hole if that doesn't compromise anything else. It's not a good practice as it simply adds weight on the foundation. Masons being paid piecework wages always generate lots of 'scrap' which may be why whole bricks were stacked in there. As long as the stuff isn't supporting anything or intentionally mortared into place it's OK to remove it.

Phil