Does anyone have experience with demolishing fireplaces? I have a fireplace in my apartment in Greece that doesn't work. The chimney is blocked with bricks that I can see when I "peek from below and up into it". For 6 years I've tried to find a chimney sweep or something like that in Greece who could help me but it doesn't exist. So to my question. Is it possible to tear it down all the way up to the ceiling? Or could this be a load-bearing structure? Since it doesn't work, it's just taking up unnecessary space, and my idea is to have the sofa along that wall instead. Behind the wall to the left you can see where the dining table is also placed is our staircase to the street.
In general, they are built against the chimney breast and can just be taken down. But they can be integrated into the chimney breast, then they are NOT just to be taken down.