Victorian house, almost untouched, except that the two main receptions have 1950s (?) tiled fireplaces that look like shiny pink ziggurats (one has Tower Ballroom mirror tiles too). In the shed are a couple of cast iron inserts and a wooden overmantel.
So, what's the best way to extract one of these tiled fireplaces? I'm sure that if I hit it for long enough with a sledge it will eventually go away, but is there and easier and neater trick to it?
Thanks
If they are anything like mine then chip a bit of plaster off either side and you will reveal metal plates sticking out either side which are screwed to the wall. Unscrew these and you will be able to remove the fire surround without much difficulty.
Andrew
There's often not a lot holding them on. I would try inserting a cold chisel between wall and the fireplace and giving it a bash, it may come off in one piece (wear steelies though!).
We just removed one very similar to how you described - inside it was a crumbly screed-like material with a few bits of metal reinforcement that was easy to bash into manageable bits.
As others have said there will probably be a couple of steel brackets under the plaster at the top.
For goodness sake watch the weight - once it starts to fall it will be uncontrollable for one person. Last one I took out nearly went through the floor!
Took one out in Bristol many many years ago and had it propped by front gate for council guys to take away. Two people could just move it by "walking" it. When the council turned up, by chance someone was digging up the road with a pneumatic drill. So they dropped my thing on the pavement and said "Yur, mate, cut that up will yur" and he chopped it neatly into three bits (each of which was still a handful for two men to lift into their lorry). Most of them have a decent amount of reinforcing in them and you don't want to have to break them up with a sledge hammer!
Sounds hideous, but if you put a photo of it on Ebay there may be someone into kitch old crap who will come and remove it for you and pay you for the privilege. There are certainly a couple of upmarket junk shops on Holloway Rd in London who flog that sort of stuff at a premium ...
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