How to Remove a Single Brick From a Wall

A brick wall is one of the sturdiest, most durable construction elements there is, which can offer some challenges if you find it necessary to remove a single brick. Unlike removing the entire brick wall—which is usually completed via demolition—taking out an individual brick can be completed without damaging it.

For example, you may need to remove single bricks in order to install a vent cover for a kitchen or a bathroom vent fan. In other cases, a cracked or damaged brick in a fireplace or exterior wall may need to be removed in order to replace it.

Thankfully, removing bricks is a simple job that beginners can complete with a DIY project. This method can also be used to remove a brick wall one piece at a time if you plan to reuse the bricks. Below, learn how to take a single brick out of your wall.

Options for Brick Removal

Drilling Holes and Chiseling

There are a number of ways that bricks can be removed from a wall. One method involves drilling a series of holes in the relatively soft clay of the brick, then chiseling the brick out in pieces. However, this method leaves the harder cementitious mortar in place around the brick, which can be rather difficult to chisel away once the field brick is removed.

Using a Masonry Saw

Another method, most suitable for when you are removing a large area of brick such as when installing a new window or door opening, is to use a specialty masonry saw to carefully cut the outline of the opening through the brick and mortar, then using brute demolition to remove all the brick inside the cutout area. But this makes sense only when the opening includes a large number of bricks.

Removing Bricks Without Damaging Them

If you want to remove bricks to reuse them or avoid damage, you can drill holes in the mortar around the brick rather than drilling into the brick itself. Using a narrow masonry chisel, the mortar can then be chipped away until the brick is free to be extracted.

The project described below will use this method to remove individual bricks, intact. This can be an advantage if you want to reuse the bricks for other purposes. It also has the benefit of removing the mortar, leaving you with a relatively clean opening.

Safety Notes

Removing a brick is not complicated, but it requires patience and time. It is messy and the flying debris can be annoying and possibly dangerous. But as long as you wear safety glasses and a particle mask, it is perfectly safe.

There is no structural danger to removing a single brick. The whole wall or fireplace will not come crashing down, and you will not compromise the structural integrity, provided the wall or fireplace is in good shape. If you have serious cracks or bulging in the wall, call in a professional mason to evaluate the wall and make necessary repairs.

Special Tools

The chisel required for this project is a true masonry chisel, not a wood chisel (made only for shaping wood) or a cold chisel (designed for use on metal). Masonry chisels have hardened steel that will not chip, and some types of a rubber guard to shield your hand. Masonry chisels come in various sizes; a narrow chisel is best for this work.

Likewise, the drill bit you use should be a specialty masonry bit designed for drilling concrete.

The ideal hammer for this work is a ball-peen hammer or mason’s hammer, which are designed for striking metal chisels. If you don’t own one, an ordinary claw hammer or framing hammer works just fine.