How to Reopen a Cemented Fireplace

Put sheets or plastic over the furniture and floor in the room to protect them from debris and dust while you remove the cement.

Position two 5-gallon buckets near the fireplace for the debris. Put on a pair of eye goggles and leather work gloves.

Hold the chisel over the center of the cement covering the fireplace opening. Tap the chisel with a 4 lb. hand sledgehammer. Continue tapping the chisel with the sledgehammer until you have a small hole in the center of the cement.

Move the chisel 6 inches away from the hole and begin tapping with the sledgehammer again. Basically, you are enlarging the hole through the cement.

Continue moving away from the hole in 6-inch increments. Once you are able to reach into the firebox, remove the small chunks of cement and put them in the bucket. Empty the buckets outside in either a trash bin or in an area of your yard.

Put the end of the chisel between the cement and the edge of the firebrick when there is only a few inches of cement remaining. Tap the end of the chisel to separate the cement from the firebrick. Continue along the entire inside perimeter of the firebrick.