Fireplace, hearth and bricks?

[One]

Hi experts - I have a house that was built in the 1950s and I would like remove the hearth off of the floor so that my couch can go in it's place.

I took the top slab of concrete off of the hearth with no problem :

However underneath the top slab is a layer of mortar, and then another layer of brick : I do not care about the condition of the floor since the couch will be there anyway. So my questions is : If I remove the top layer of mortar from the top of the bricks, will the bricks simply be able to be picked right up and removed off of the floor ? OR, will each individual brick be mortared to the floor as well ?

Any adivce, etc is welcome - this is not my area, and the wife is worried! lol

Thanks.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

I cannot tell from the photos, but are you sure there are bricks under that mortar? It may be a poured slab of concrete with a brick trim on the edge. It may be jackhammer time.

It this a slab house? If so, I'd lean more towards the concrete pad. If it is over a basement, it may be brick.

I'd move the sofa.

[John Grabowski]

*I doubt in a 1950's house that the bricks are just lying there waiting to be plucked up. Rent a chipping hammer and do a little light demolition.

Is this on a slab or can you see from underneath what is supporting the hearth?

[One]

at mortar? =A0

No ..... not positive. I made an assumption since there are "holes" the same size that bricks have. You can see two of them in this picture :

Yikes.

It is not a slab house.

You sound like my wife! ;-) lol

[One]

It's not a slab house. In the basement, there is a huge peice of concrete "attached from the wall to the basement ceiling at a minor angle" It's hard to explain .....................

KIND OF like this angled red beam here - except in concrete :

[John Grabowski]

*The bricks will be mortared to that concrete base. Use the chipping hammer from the side instead of downward so that you don't damage the base unless of course you want that out as well.

[Van Chocstraw]

Another nice fireplace destroyed.

[cshenk]

"One" wrote

Congrats. Your house is no longer codespec and your changes will make it worse. Very expensive repair if you ever decide to sell.

Next time, just put the sofa someplace else.

[aemeijers]

My thought exactly. Put the hearth back, and get a different couch, more suited to a 1950s-sized living room. I do understand where OP is coming from- it took me several months to find one suited for my 1960 living room- all most stores had were monsters designed for the huge living rooms in McMansions.

-- aem sends...