How to Tear a Chimney Down From Inside the Attic

Chimney demolition can be a risky undertaking, particularly when you are dealing with knocking bricks out and standing on a roof at the same time. The taller your house is, the more likely it is that you're considering doing this work from inside the attic and avoiding risking your life to remove a chimney. This method involves somewhat more roof destruction and repair but is much safer.

Reciprocating saw
Small sledgehammer
Bucket
Rope

Instructions

- 1
  Evacuate the area around the house and put up signs and barriers. Any of the following steps have the potential to send bricks and other debris falling off the roof, creating a safety hazard.
- 2
  Clear away any insulation or other materials that obscure your view of the area where the chimney exits the attic through the roof.
- 3
  Enlarge the hole that the chimney goes through using a reciprocal saw. The hole that you make should be large enough for you to stand in. Two feet square is probably sufficient.
- 4
  Stand up in the hole you have made. Depending on the layout of your attic and roof, you should be able to stand on the attic floor with the surrounding roof at waist level or higher, acting as a safety barrier to prevent you from falling out.
- 5
  Loosen the top bricks of the chimney with a small sledgehammer. Store them in the attic or lower them off the roof in a bucket attached to a rope.
- 6
  Decrease the height of the chimney by removing the bricks one course at a time, being careful to maintain a controlled deconstruction.
- 7
  Repair the hole in the roof after you have removed all parts of the chimney that protrude above the roof line to prevent leaks and possible water damage.

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