Burning Pallets, Battens and More in Wood Burner?

twopenny

It's an interesting discussion. You see here we have an overdose of felled wood riddled with Ash dieback that is devastating the trees and we're restricted to where we can walk because of the danger of the disease.

In a fuel crisis it makes sense to burn it and destroy lingering disease. So a 2 for 1 bonus for the planet

But some committee in a city says it's bad.


Generalisation. But I wouldn't want to take the risk on manipulated wood these days.

A lot of woodland allows you to collect stuff from woodland floor or cut up fallen trees. I'd be keener to look into that.

subjecttocontract

I only use softwood pallets cut up for kindling. I would never use it as a main source of firewood.

sevenhills

FreeBear said:

Battens, old fencing, and a lot of pallets will have been treated with all sorts of chemicals - Some nasty, a few, toxic. Think twice about burning stuff like this.

That would assume that the smoke from burning the above is in the house and in the air outside, which would be the same for all wood?

Bendy_House

I suspect it's concern for others, and the environment, rather than the user. 

The user should be fine...

Woolsery

subjecttocontract said:

I only use softwood pallets cut up for kindling. I would never use it as a main source of firewood.

People who say they use them as a principle source of heat are either lying or not gainfully employed IMO. Half an hour and they're gone, leaving behind a bunch of nails to foul up the riddling grid I suppose if someone works in a yard where they're not returned they might collect a good amount over a year, but they don't do much for your car's interior and there's the problem of storage.

I use pallets mostly to provide a platform allowing air to circulate under my logs and to section off different batches in storage. They're good for that.

Plasticman

I burn pallets - only non-painted ones. They generally burn through quickly though so don't expect a few pallets to last the winter! I generally avoid burning any treated wood although I have occasionally used some scraps as kindling. I also found a local company who had lots of timber offcuts who were happy for me to take them away but they shut down a while ago so I've lost that source. I have a big storage area and a chainsaw so keep an eye out for people wanting to get rid of bits of tree! You need to store it until the moisture content is suitable to burn.

I haven't bought any logs for about 5 years.

paperclap

Thanks for your comments everyone!

I wholeheartedly care for the environment. Please educate me if I'm wrong, but where will these unused pallets go if I (or someone else) doesn't make use of them?

Won't be burning painted or treated wood knowing what I know now (though, always knew it was suspect!). Have cut up a handful of pallets the other day (only heat treated ones), denailed, cut to kindling size.

Again, won't be my primary source of fuel. I've got a load of "real" wood for that.

Ectophile

paperclap said:

Thanks for your comments everyone!

I wholeheartedly care for the environment. Please educate me if I'm wrong, but where will these unused pallets go if I (or someone else) doesn't make use of them?

Won't be burning painted or treated wood knowing what I know now (though, always knew it was suspect!). Have cut up a handful of pallets the other day (only heat treated ones), denailed, cut to kindling size.

Again, won't be my primary source of fuel. I've got a load of "real" wood for that.

There are things you can do with pallets other than burning them.  You can build things out of them, including compost bins and log stores.

paperclap

Ectophile said:

paperclap said:

Thanks for your comments everyone!

I wholeheartedly care for the environment. Please educate me if I'm wrong, but where will these unused pallets go if I (or someone else) doesn't make use of them?

Won't be burning painted or treated wood knowing what I know now (though, always knew it was suspect!). Have cut up a handful of pallets the other day (only heat treated ones), denailed, cut to kindling size.

Again, won't be my primary source of fuel. I've got a load of "real" wood for that.

There are things you can do with pallets other than burning them.  You can build things out of them, including compost bins and log stores.

Absolutely, 100%. In fact, I have/do use pallets for other things.

I use them to raise firewood off the ground. I’ve edged my vegetable patch with offcuts. Thinking of making a bedside table too, perhaps.

I was more thinking that they’d simply be crushed / go to waste, if taken to the tip or what have you

Longwalker

paperclap said:

Ectophile said:

paperclap said:

Thanks for your comments everyone!

I wholeheartedly care for the environment. Please educate me if I'm wrong, but where will these unused pallets go if I (or someone else) doesn't make use of them?

Won't be burning painted or treated wood knowing what I know now (though, always knew it was suspect!). Have cut up a handful of pallets the other day (only heat treated ones), denailed, cut to kindling size.

Again, won't be my primary source of fuel. I've got a load of "real" wood for that.

There are things you can do with pallets other than burning them.  You can build things out of them, including compost bins and log stores.

Absolutely, 100%. In fact, I have/do use pallets for other things.

I use them to raise firewood off the ground. I’ve edged my vegetable patch with offcuts. Thinking of making a bedside table too, perhaps.

I was more thinking that they’d simply be crushed / go to waste, if taken to the tip or what have you

They get sent to NI for the 11th Night bonfires

We get a lot of pallets though our respective jobs.. This year we made a raised decking area and a garden sofa. They also keep our logs raised as they are stacked so the air flows freely

Most pallets are reused again and again and again.  Take a delivery on a pallet, and you are charged for the pallet, you have to store them to return for a refund. We send pallets out one day, get them back two days later 

Do we burn any? Yes. Untreated softwood pallets. Mr L cuts them into kindling, the big thick supports we chuck on the stove 

They are great as kindling, for burning, theres not a lot of heat and they burn very quick

We have burned all sorts in our stove, skirtings, doors etc, but as kindling. Makes great kindling