My husband seems paranoid about what we burn in our fireplace.?

He is weird about burning any wood that he thinks might have a hint of creosote (sp?). He says leftover 2x4 scraps from a building project are not suitable for burning. I say he's overreacting. He wants to pick specific kinds of wood from the nearby wooded area. Is he being a little too selective?My husband seems paranoid about what we burn in our fireplace.?
ALL woods have some degree of creosote; it's a byproduct of combustion when the hot gasses cool on the stovepipe going through the chimney. Burning green wood straight from the forest is a great way to line your chimney with creosote.





Some woods have more creosote than others, like pine/fir and wet wood. Construction lumber scraps are both usually pine or fir and relatively green, so he's right about those being higher in creosote. Use those scraps for a bonfire outside instead.





Never burn treated lumber either. The preventative chemicals used to keep treated lumber (';wolmanized'; is an example) from being eaten by termites is very toxic and should not be burned.





If your husband wants to avoid most creosote, he should buy a rick or two of hardwood like oak, ash, cherry, maple or apple wood from a reputable wood seller. Stack it up (bark side up) after splitting it, then wait 6 months to a year for it to dry before burning it.





You should always have a chimney inspected and cleaned by a chimneysweep every year. They're in the phone book. If you can't find one, you can purchase a stiff wire brush shaped like the inside of your chimney. It takes two people to do this; one stands on the roof and lowers the brush down the chimney on a rope, the other pulls the brush down through the stovepipe and scrapes off the creosote. Works really well; we did it ourselves for years, and never had a chimney fire.My husband seems paranoid about what we burn in our fireplace.?
I burn left over 2 X 4's, unless they are pressure treated. They make great kindling. He seems to be more selective than I am.
creosote can gather inside your chimney walls and cause a fire. cleaning the chimney periodically will prevent/remove the build up.
No. Never burn treated wood....not good for the chimney and not good practice with the fumes it will emit in the smoke.
the only wood you dont use is pine -that has the most creosote
Sorry but your husband is absolutely correct. Wood treated with creosote (you did spell it correctly by the way) gives off very toxic fumes. Of course if you don't mind dying of cancer or having children with severe birth defects go right ahead. If you google creosote it comes up with many studies. You should give your husband something special for not letting you burn that (unless he was a jerk about it!)