Primed Kindling wood

new land owner · April 19, 2016, 07:08:38 PM

Tomorrow I am going to purchase the wood for a ceiling on my porch. It will be pine and I am planning to prime the wood before I put it up. I will end up with a lot of cut off pcs and wondering what every one thinks about using this as kindling in the wood stove or should I just use it to start the camp fire outside?

hpinson · April 19, 2016, 08:50:04 PM

Well, my wood stove is old and leaky. I know the one time that by mistake I put some painted pine 2x4's in, I regretted it right away. I guess it depends on what the primer is and if you want to risk breathing that.

April 19, 2016, 09:25:27 PM

Quote from: new land owner on April 19, 2016, 07:08:38 PM
Tomorrow I am going to purchase the wood for a ceiling on my porch. It will be pine and I am planning to prime the wood before I put it up. I will end up with a lot of cut off pcs and wondering what every one thinks about using this as kindling in the wood stove or should I just use it to start the camp fire outside?

Our stove is an air tight.... Dutch West and I use about any thing to get a fire started with in reason..... Kindling is such a small matter as far as a fire I think..... HOWEVER never use oily or something like old RR tie chunks.

MountainDon · April 19, 2016, 10:31:04 PM

Maybe I worry too much.

Burning paint, even the small amounts that would be present in using it as just kindling, is going to release gases, many of which may have toxic elements. So I don't like to do it at all. But that is me.

Don_P · April 20, 2016, 06:26:10 AM

A carpenter friend was relating the events of the previous week the other night. a jobsite neighbor came by and said he had been raiding their scrap pile for kindling and was asking permission to keep doing it. My friend said it was fine but that the pile was full of treated. The neighbor lightly argued and said he had already taken a good bit home. My friend sent him home asking him to look it up on the web. The neighbor came back wide eyed and asked if he could return the treated wood to the scrap pile. Just as a FYI on more off topic (and illegal) burning, if you see yellow on old painted wood that is burning, you're in lead.

April 20, 2016, 07:37:27 AM

Thanks for the responses, I didn't think it was a good idea but I thought I woulds check with the experts . Thanks

rick91351 · April 20, 2016, 08:42:35 AM

Maybe I am missing something MD. Any firewood you burn produces toxic gases from the wood itself... Part of nature. A few microns of primer from a hand full of wood.

I really doubt is going is show on any stack measurement. That coupled with how often do you start a fire? Kindling is such a small part of a fire, it is not near as important as good clean dry fire wood. During the winter time here and a high of say like 20 degrees F, it is like maybe three times a week does the fire ever go out. Right now we do not even run the stove because it gets too warm so we just let the heat pump catch it. Meaning if we are not going to run the stove all day we do not light it so no kindling is used for the day. BTW I am still burning the raw trims of the fir floor for kindling. I gave away pick up loads of them. But as far a tiny bit of paint on a handful if kindling - Wow Sorry I just do not see it..... WOW I mean WOW the fire departments are still burning houses for training here if they are lead-free paints. That is not just a tiny bit of paint primer on a hand full of kindling.

Don_P I have noticed on PT wood warning do not burn.... Nuff said there.... I mean it is there in black and white. Do not burn...... I don't even burn it in a burn pile.

new land owner - apparently doing so sort of bothered you - so don't. If something inside of you says do not do that then don't.

MountainDon · April 20, 2016, 09:04:57 AM

Rick, I am aware that burning trees and almost anything can produce toxic smoke or fumes. I know the annual wildfires produce prodigious amounts. However I take the view of it is better to not burn man made products in campfires or wood stoves. ... Very likely what we do will not have a noticeable effect on anything.

MTScott · April 21, 2016, 12:06:51 PM

I wouldn't mind using a few sticks in my wood stove. I might not put it in a campfire. That's just me. I've been around lot of other nastier stuff burned in open fires, and I'm sure it wasn't good for me, but the 0.03 ounces of prime on your scrap pieces isn't going to kill anyone, especially if your chimney carries it up and away nicely.