Wood that you should not burn ?

BirnamBear

I am quite anal about what goes in my stove and have been able to source whiskey barrel lids from a cooperage which I cut up.They are either American Oak or European Oak and are so much better than logs in my opinion.

My friend has a small furniture business and has just given my three sacks of off cuts.Some is great hardwoods but some is MDF which is a no no for stoves.
What else wood wise should not be burnt ?
A question for Willie Woodburner is can I burn whiskey staves which have a water base paint on them ?

Williwoodburner

Hi BirnamBear
I personally wouldn't burn anything with thick paint on it.
A bit of paint, putty etc, I can't see doing much harm, best use a bit of common sense really.
Many years ago my father dismantled an acre of old wooden greenhouses, all went in the old stove, kept us warm for several years. They had a bit of paint (Mostly worn off as very old), putty and nails, and we're still here. :money:

Willie.

muckybutt

Anything tanalised - varnished - creosoted - wet - mdf - chipboard should not be burn on fires full stop.

A lot of people burn pallets - myself never have done, never will do down to the fact you don't know what if anything it has been treated with or had spilled on it.

Alder: Produces poor heat output and it does not last well. Poor.

Apple:A very good wood that bums slow and steady when dry, it has small flame size, and does not produce sparking or spitting. Good

Ash:Reckoned by many to be one of best woods for burning, it produces a steady flame and good heat output. It can be burnt when green but like all woods, it burns best when dry. Very good

Beech:Burns very much like ash, but does not burn well when green. Very good

Birch:Produces good heat output but it does burn quickly. It can be burnt unseasoned, however the sap can cause deposits to form in the flue with prolonged use. Good

Cedar :Is a good burning wood that produces a consistent and long heat output. It burns with a small flame, but does tend to crackle and spit and the sap can cause deposits to form in the flue with prolonged use.Good

Cherry:Is a slow to burn wood that produces a good heat output. Cherry needs to be seasoned well. Good

Chestnut:A poor burning wood that produces a small flame and poor heat output.Poor

Firs (Douglas etc) A poor burning wood that produces a small flame and poor heat output and the sap can cause deposits to form in the flue with prolonged use. Poor

Elm:Is a wood that can follow several burn patterns because of high moisture content, it should be dried for two years for best results. Elm is slow to get going and it may be necessary to use a better burning wood to start it off. Splitting of logs should be done early. Medium

Eucalyptus:Is a fast burning wood. The sap can cause deposits to form in the flue and can increase the risk of a chimney fire if burned unseasoned. Poor

Hawthorn:Is a good traditional firewood that has a slow burn with good heat output.Very good

Hazel:Is a good but fast burning wood and produces best results when allowed to season.Good

Holly:Is a fast burning wood that produces good flame but poor heat output. Holly will burn green, but best dried for a minimum of a year. Poor

Hornbeam:A good burning wood that burns similar to beech, slow burn with a good heat output. Good

Horse Chestnut:A good wood for burning in wood stoves but not for open fires as it does tend to spit a lot. It does however produce a good flame and heat output. Good (For stoves only)

Laburnum:A very smokey wood with a poor burn.Poor do not use

Larch:Produces a reasonable heat output, but it needs to be well seasoned. The sap can cause deposits to form in the flue with prolonged use. Medium

Laurel :Burns with a good flame but only reasonable heat output. It needs to be well seasoned. Medium

Lilac:Its smaller branches are good to use as kindling, the wood itself burns well with a good flame. Good

Maple :Is a good burning wood that produces good flame and heat output. Good

Oak:Because of its density, oak produces a small flame and very slow burn, it is best when seasoned for a minimum of two years as it is a wood that requires time to season well.Good

Pear:Burns well with good heat output, however it does need to be seasoned well. Good

Pine (Including Leylandii) Burns with a good flame, but the resin sap can cause deposits to form in the flue and can increase the risk of a chimney fire must be well seasoned. Good (with caution)

Plum:A good burning wood that produces good heat output. Good

Poplar:A very smokey wood with a poor burn. Very poor

Rowan:Is a good burning wood that has a slow burn with good heat output. Very good

Robinia (Acacia) :Is a good burning wood that has a slow burn with good heat output. It does produce an acrid and dense smoke but this is of course not a problem in a stove. Good (For Stoves only)

Spruce:Produces a poor heat output and it does not last well. Poor

Sycamore:Produces a good flame, but with only moderate heat output. Should only be used well-seasoned. Medium

Sweet Chestnut:The wood burns ok when well-seasoned but it does tend to spit a lot. This is of course not a problem in a stove. Medium (For Stoves only)

Thorn :Is one of the best woods for burning. It produces a steady flame and very good heat output, and produces very little smoke. Very good

Willow:A poor fire wood that does not burn well even when seasoned. Poor

Yew:A good burning wood as it has a slow burn, and produces a very good heat output. Very good

Gloomendoom

muckybutt wrote: »

Alder: Produces poor heat output and it does not last well. Poor.

This surprises me. I have a load of it and it is excellent.

Greenfires

Yep - there's nowt wrong with alder - (though it does need to be properly seasoned as it has a high moisture content when green.) Same goes for fir - massive chunks of North America burn little else. The list also contradicts itself, showing "Chestnut" as poor, and Horse chestnut and Sweet Chestnut as good and medium! Also wasn't sure what was meant by "pine, including Leylandii" Leylandii is a cypress.

I know several people who burn nothing but pallets which they get for free. The ones to avoid are ones that are obviously contaminated, and any marked "MB" on the corner blocks - though you're unlikely to find many of these knocking about these days. Any marked HT are fine - the only treatment they've had is heat treatment.

suisidevw

Gloomendoom wrote: »

This surprises me. I have a load of it and it is excellent.

Yup, exactly what I've read.... and glad to hear! I just 'swapped' a large amount of wood I've seasoned for a couple of years with FIL for twice as much fresh alder!

Basil74

I'd heard that some tantalising processes use Cyanide!

Don't know if it's true or not but it's certainly enough to put me off ever burning old fence posts or decking!!

Leon_W

I'd also question Alder.

I find it an excellent wood for burning. Long, hot and clean as a whistle. The thing is with Alder is the fact that it's usually very wet (usually found on river banks) with a high moisture content. The last one we felled was IN the river and it burned very well after 12 months.

As with any wood, dry it properly.

I think the Alder bad press is put about by people looking to pick it up on the cheap !

muckybutt

As for the wood, I have gone by several different sites and they all say Alder is grade 1 poor for burning !

alleycat`

I'm also puzzled by eucalyptus.

I had a 20+ footer in my garden that died a few years ago.

Cut it down, seasoned for 2 years, and it burned very well with good heat output.

It does burn slightly fast but it certainly didn't cause any sap issues.

I'd rate it perfectly ok so long as it's seasoned and you know what you are going to get from it.

I suspect most, if not all, of it is ok so long as it is properly seasoned and you are paying the right amount for the time it lasts.

I don't burn pallets as i find them too useful for construction of wood stores or down the lottie.

Greenfires

Basil74 wrote: »

I'd heard that some tantalising processes use Cyanide!

Don't know if it's true or not but it's certainly enough to put me off ever burning old fence posts or decking!!

The original formula for Tanalith wood preserver was based on a mixture of Chromium, Copper and Arsenic (CCA) When this originally came in, some wag had calculated that a horse would need to eat something like four miles of post and rail fencing to suffer from arsenic poisoning - but that's by the by. Part of the problem would be that the nasties in the preserver would tend to be concentrated in the ashes.

Nowadays, the Tanalith E formulation is a lot less toxic - but I still wouldn't burn it personally. I'm afraid that people who don't care what toxins they chuck out of their chimneys for the neighbours to breathe in tend to rate fairly low in my opinions.