pine wood in fireplace

[laktrash]

A friend brought a load of slats from the sawmill which looks to be mostly pine. I always heard that you shouldn't burn pine wood in a fireplace. I guess because it causes a buildup in the chimney I usually burn hardwood and still have plenty . Is it ok to burn this with the hardwood ? We usually have a fire daily not for heat so much as we just like having a fire. Plan on having the the chimney clean this spring

[Raoul]

That sounds like you'll be fine. A constant diet of pine is not a good idea, but a mix and a cleaning next spring and I think it'll be ok.

[mikegideon]

It will cause some pretty rapid creosote buildup. Won't hurt the chimney until it catches on fire. If it does, you got big problems. I don't know how much is too much, so I just don't do it. A chimney fire can burn through the flu, and then it will take the house.

[Mike.357]

a little pine is not gonna hurt anything. Steady diet of it is another story. Just mix it in with hardwood.

[laktrash]

It will cause some pretty rapid creosote buildup. Won't hurt the chimney until it catches on fire. If it does, you got big problems. I don't know how much is too much, so I just don't do it. A chimney fire can burn through the flu, and then it will take the house.

yeah thats what I thought I really didn't want it and it didn't cost anything Just don't know what to do with it.

[Guest BEARMAN]

It will cause some pretty rapid creosote buildup. Won't hurt the chimney until it catches on fire. If it does, you got big problems. I don't know how much is too much, so I just don't do it. A chimney fire can burn through the flu, and then it will take the house.

This ^^^^

Also use a CSL log (creosote sweeping log) to help with the buildup, till the spring chimney cleaning takes place...Lowes, Home Depot, and Wally World carries them.

Get you a Chimenex fire stopper stick. It will take the O2 out and smother a chimney fire. Also found at the aforementioned locations.

Be safe! -Bearman

[vontar]

I just don't do it for reasons already discussed.

I burn hard wood nearly all winter, ever winter. I like to get it cleaned every year whether it needs it or not, normally in the spring when I am done for the season.

[mikegideon]

We used to burn everything in the old brick fireplaces when I was a kid. The metal pipe in a wood frame worries me a little more.

[laktrash]

This is an all brick fireplace but I'm one of those

"When in doubt don't" guys with no sense of adventure

I put a chimney fire out with a water hose one time lucky I guess

[VERO1]

Sister-in-law bought house in Morristown with a nice fireplace. Had the local fireplace/chimmney cleaning pros come and clean it all out. It caught on fire the first time they lit it! 2 hours and 8 firetrucks later they had it out. Took them about a week of scrubbing to get the soot out of the room. Luckily they didn't loose the house.

[Guest Jcochran88]

Sister-in-law bought house in Morristown with a nice fireplace. Had the local fireplace/chimmney cleaning pros come and clean it all out. It caught on fire the first time they lit it! 2 hours and 8 firetrucks later they had it out. Took them about a week of scrubbing to get the soot out of the room. Luckily they didn't loose the house.

Should always get a chimney checked out by a W.E.T. certified tech, they are the only ones that can truly say whether it is in good shape or not and can be held liable.

[oldogy]

Up till this year I burned a bit of pine along with hardwoods in my fireplace. I have had the fireplace, chimney cleaned every year and it has never had a big creasote build up. This year I installed a Jotul clean burn stove and a stainless steel flue liner and continue to burn some pine along with hardwoods. With the stove I am burning a whole lot hotter than I ever could with the fireplace and I see no signs of build up. On a forum of another subject I talk with folks in some areas that burn nothing but pines.

oldogy

[Patrick Henry]

I have read they burn pine out west but they fully season it and burn the fire hot. This minimizes the creosote build up. If the pine is really dry and you have had your chimney cleaned regularly I would burn it.

[z90HD]

Its been a while since I have used the old wood stove, but have burned just pine for years 24/7 during the winter and never had any problems. The trick is to be sure it is dry. I will let my pine dry for 2 seasons before burning.

[56FordGuy]

If you burn dry wood, of any type, you will have less creosote build up then if you burn wet wood of any type. Here in Tennessee, we're fortunate to have a lot of good hardwoods like oak and hickory. As a result, and for lack of a better term, a lot of folks are 'spoiled' on it. Out west, hardwood is a lot harder to find and most people burn some variant of pine or fir.

The key is to let it dry. The stuff that was cut and split three weeks ago, pine or oak, ain't suitable to burn. Every type of wood, with the exception of some standing dead wood, needs to be cut, split, and stacked to dry for a minimum of six months down here, a year is better. Some type of hardwood need two or three years to really dry well. If the wood hisses or pops in the fire, it's not dry.

I'd burn pine. I have a stove full of oak and some locust going right now, but if I had a pine tree to take down I'd split it, stack it, and burn it in a year or two without any worries.

[Mike.357]

I believe if you clean the chimney annually you will be alright. I have burned a lot of wet wood and aside from the first year we were here the chimney sweep never thought the thing was particularly dirty.

I have not burned anything this season. I had a bird problem last summer and I am afraid of a nest in there now and cash has been short to get it swept.

Why do I think bullets are better to spend on than a chimney sweep?

[gregintenn]

What little pine I've seen burned went POOF! and left a pile of ashes and oozing, sticky resin behind.

[Guest cr25ovet]

i grew up in germany and all we had in my area was pine thats all we burned every year for 20 some years.... and we had a chimney fire once... wasnt that bad but the sound is a little scary sounds like a jet airplane. closed the flute and put water on the fire and the whole thing lasted maybe 25 minutes.