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I have an old chimney from a long-gone oil furnace. It does not go through the roof, just cut flat at the floor of the attic.

I was hoping I could remove it brick by brick, starting from the top however it seems to be made of concrete.

What tools can I use to break the chimney up in a slow and controlled manner for removal? Definitely no room for a jackhammer in here.

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  • I determined that the chimney is actually made up of chimney cmu blocks. Is there something I can use that's more powerful than a mallet and cold chisel without getting much larger or less precise?
    – tgrosinger
    Apr 15, 2015 at 16:56

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Is there at least room for a hammer drill that would allow you to drill smallish holes in the concrete, and then use stone-splitting wedges to break it up?

This would work if it's pure masonry, but not if there's any steel rebar in the concrete.

If it's reinforced (do you see any steel ends in the cut surface in the attic?), then I can't think of any easy way to get rid of it. A diamond saw would be slow, noisy and messy. Probably time to call a professional for advice.

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  • I don't think it is reinforced. Upon closer inspection it appears to be chimney cmu blocks. I am hoping I can break them apart with a chisel at the seams.
    – tgrosinger
    Apr 13, 2015 at 14:58
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If it's cinders , a short 5lb sledge and cold chisel . Brick by brick. Either throw debris down chimney and work down to it or bring it out as it's removed.

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