How to Build a Traditional Masonry Fireplace

On the chimney breast, roughly locate the center of the fireplace and, in the highest position that you are confident is new brick work and not the original, place the end of the chisel.

Start to gently tap away at the chisel with the hammer, increasing the force until the plaster starts to come away. When you can see brick, work away the mortar between the bricks with the hammer and chisel until you are able to remove the brick entirely.

Keep working, filling the bucket with the waste and emptying when needed.

As you near the edges of the fireplace, keep checking for signs of the original brick work, making sure you don't damage it with the chisel or accidentally remove an old brick.

Continue until you have removed all new brick and are left with just the original fireplace.

Inspect the state of the brick work you are left with. In most instances it will be good enough for you to restore. Using a trowel, work lime mortar into the gaps between the bricks, replacing any bricks that are badly damaged. Allow to dry before installing your wood burner or fire basket.

If the brick work is very badly damaged and you have a big enough fireplace you can simply build another layer of brick work to cover it. Using lime mortar, lay your new bricks up against the old brickwork in the same pattern. Build up high enough into the chimney breast so that the top of your new brickwork cannot be seen. Allow to dry before installing your wood burner or fire basket.