Typical fireplace construction.
The wood mantel above the masonry is usually added as the last part of the esthetics of the fireplace. Wood cannot be used as a structural element in a fireplace. This could possibly be removed with reckless abandon.
The area of the firebox, not the brick beyond the face of the wall where your insert is, usually that's where the structure is, both above and below. Don't mess with it unless you really know what you are into.
The red brick that is in front of it all TYPICALLY is just a veneer. It is USUALLY never built with the fireplace, always after, it is only for looks. It just as well be tile, natural stone or hardened mud pies.
As you expect to do, after you pop the wood off, no need to support it temporarily, then start to remove the brick with chisel and hammer, protect the floor if you are going to repair it, no need to repair more than you have to.
The biggest problem you should have is the hearth. It will be no more difficult to remove the brick than the rest of it, but the slab that supports may be in the way still. Then again maybe not, since you have a tile floor and it all looks like it is laid starting at the same level. You will need to figure out what to do the bare spot where the tile is cut around the hearth that is no longer there.
Do get a pro to remove the gas line before you take anything apart..
I realize this post is "old" however I wanted to post the answers as the information is always relevant to future question askers! :)
I sold venting pipe professionally for 4 years, and have experience designing a variety of systems.
Just a few notes:
1. Always check your clearances to combustible materials. Zero-clearance fireplaces are only zero clearance to certain materials, like masonry, etc. Make sure you take care when addressing this.
Different stoves have different pipe diameters. If you're still debating which model to get, you could save yourself some money by going with 6" diameter versus 8", as the larger it is the more expensive.
Old masonry chimneys are dangerous and should be inspected, even if using a liner.
Onto the parts! Since you are going to be dealing with a freestanding stove as well as a chimney liner, you're likely going to need an adapter as you enter the masonry.
When you come off of your stove with the flue pipe, you would want double-walled black stovepipe. This has a twist-lock connection that will go on your stoves outlet, either top or rear vented. It is more expensive than single-walled pipe, has less clearance requirement of 8 inches versus (18-inch clearance of single-wall) but has longer life, and isn't burning hot to the touch.
Your question about bending the pipe: Definitely do not ever physically bend a pipe to create a curve, etc. Rather, use an angled piece, then a straight, and then another angled piece to complete the connection. This stove-pipe comes with "elbows" at various angles. 45/90 degree are the most common, so you should have no issue angling the pipe to penetrate the masonry at 90 degrees.
The easiest way to complete your system would be to adapt the standard stove-pipe to a masonry liner.
For a normal chimney-pipe to masonry-liner system, you will need a few pieces that aren't "standard" on most installations.
Masonry Thimble: This item installs into the 6-8" diameter hole you drill in your masonry chimney. It allows a length of straight pipe to pass through your masonry wall, into the chimney, and connect to the flexible stainless chimney liner.
Stove-pipe to Liner Adapter: This piece physically adapts the rigid interior stove pipe to flexible liner.
You asked if the chimney can be a fire-hazard even with a liner;
The short answer is yes. The reason being that if there is not enough clearance from the edge of the chimney interior to the outside edge of the chimney liner pipe; heat can be transferred to the brick, which can then catch wood aflame. If you have proper clearance, no fires should occur from the liner/masonry portion.
The only other fire-hazard that should exist is the chimney-cap itself. Make sure that the termination (last pieces) are done correctly. Is there a masonry chimney penetrating above the roofline a good bit? If so, you have it easy and can purchase a Turbo cap with a "spark arrestor" screen.. The cap spins as the heat exhausts out, cooling it, and the screen catches any flaming embers or sparks that might still exist from the burning wood.
Regarding your "Chimneys on exterior cause poor air flow" Statement: From my experience that is mostly false. Only in situations where there are EXTREME weather conditions does this ever occur. The reason this is never a problem with correct installations is that the Class A pipe required for exterior installations is either double wall or triple wall insulated. There are numerous layers of insulation that keep the flue gasses piping hot (ha) until they exit the chimney cap. Please keep in mind when designing a chimney system you want to achieve this: Most air flow. Least bends. Shortest run.
Numerous elbows/Angles cause the exhaust to cool. A rule of thumb is no more than 3 90 degree turns total from stove to cap.
I hope this helps!
Best Answer
You want something with close to the same thermal and moisture properties as the rest of the surround. Best wound be a piece of brick. You could bond it in with thin set since it is not really structural.
If none are handy, you could use pieces of tile layered using thin set to glue it in. Just make sure none of the pieces stick out more than the brick.
You might want to put a skim coat of the set over the whole brick face before tiling to give you a smoother base for a more even finished surface. This ski coat would cover any irregularities with a pieced tile patch.