As the weather gets gloomier, those lucky enough to have a log fire or woodburning stove might be tempted to enjoy their first fire of the season. With prices soaring, it may be tempting to use reclaimed wood at home. This isn’t always a good idea: here’s what you need to know about which woods not to burn.
Treated wood
Think twice before you burn old beams or fence panels! Wood that has been used for anything other than burning has normally been treated to help it to last longer. Depending on when the wood was first used and where and how it was used, some treated wood may be dangerous to burn. CCA (chromated copper arsenic) was used to make wood rot resistant from the 1930s up to the 2000s. As the name might suggest, CCA contains toxic substances and when wood treated with it is burnt, it releases arsenic and chromium into the atmosphere.
It is not just old wood that you need to worry about. Most wood has been treated in some way to preserve it, and when burnt it can cause a build-up of flammable sediment in your chimney and/ or produce toxic fumes. Wood pallets are one example of wood that is tempting to use but should never be burnt.
Manufactured wood
It can be tempting to treat it the same as natural wood right down to burning it. However, no matter how high quality manufactured wood such as plywood or particleboard is, you can guarantee that it contains more than just wood. There is a chance that the wood glue in your manufactured wood contains cancer-causing formaldehyde, which will be released when burnt.
Green wood or wet wood
Tempting as it may be to live your best self-sufficient life, using wood that has been freshly chopped in your garden or grabbing a load of logs on social media, it isn’t a great idea for your health, or your chimney. “Green” wood is wood that still contains sap, meaning that it still contains a high amount of moisture. This wood can take longer to burn and will cause creosote to build up in your chimney: one of the main causes of chimney fires.
This includes Christmas trees! If you are determined to burn your Christmas tree, store it for a year and burn it next Christmas.
Driftwood
Even dry driftwood isn’t OK to burn. This is because driftwood has been soaked in salt water, meaning that it is full of chloride. When this chloride is burnt, it releases dioxide, which is poisonous.
If you haven’t yet had your chimney swept, this is your annual reminder from Trust A Trader to contact your local chimney sweep and make sure that your fire is safe and ready for a winter of keeping you warm. For more tips, follow us on Facebook or X.