How to Remove a Stone Fireplace Facade

When it's time to remodel the fireplace, you can get rid of the stone facade to make way for something more modern, such as tiles or tumbled stone. When a stone facade is installed, masons anchor it with mortar. With enough force, mortar will chip and crumble, releasing its hold on the stones. Be prepared to make a big mess when you remove your stone fireplace facade, but doing so will lead to a more contemporary-looking fireplace.

Eye protection
Dust mask
Dropcloth
Cold chisel
3-pound mallet
Garbage can

Instructions

- 1
  Put a dropcloth down around the fireplace to catch dust and bits of brick and morter. Wear eye protection and a dust mask to keep yourself safe from pieces of debris. Set the garbage can within easy reach.
- 2
  Remove the wood mantelpiece if the fireplace has one. Place the chisel at the joint where the wood meets the brick and hit the end with the hammer forcefully. Pry up the mantel and set it aside.
- 3
  Look under the mantel area to see the mortar holding the stones in place. Starting at the top right, place the chisel onto the mortar just behind a stone. Hit it with the mallet until it cracks.
- 4
  Move the chisel to a new location a few inches to the left and hit it again. Work the mortar until it loosens around the stone. Pry the stone out, along with as much mortar as you can get loose.
- 5
  Move left to the next stone along the top and start chipping away at the mortar around it. Pry out the stone and move on. Work on each stone, moving from the top of the fireplace to the bottom. Clear away all the stone and mortar and haul it away in trash cans.

Special Mortars for Fireplace Repairs

How to Remove Bricks That Hold Up a Mantel

Fireplaces