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Your wood-burning fireplace is built for one thing: wood. It\u2019s in the name! However, many use their fireplace as an easy way to get rid of boxes, bottles or other trash. Not only is this bad for your fireplace, it can lead to long-term health issues for anyone that breathes in the byproducts. Read through these fireplace safety tips on what not to burn and protect yourself from dangerous chemicals and chimney fires!<\/p>\n
While it\u2019s easy to ignite and may seem like a good way to help get a fire started, burning cardboard can be dangerous. Because cardboard is treated with chemicals and often contains inks, it can release them into the air when burned. You don\u2019t want to breathe those in!<\/p>\n
Additionally, cardboard is very lightweight and prone to floating. If a burning piece of cardboard escapes your fireplace, it could quickly start a fire on nearby combustibles. Or, more commonly, they can float up into your chimney and cause a chimney fire. Ultimately, there are too many risks in burning cardboard.<\/p>\n
Despite being one of the most dangerous materials to burn, plastics are commonly burned in fireplaces and firepits. Whether for convenience or to save money, people all around the world burn plastics daily. While there are many types of plastics that can produce slightly different harmful byproducts, such as carbon monoxide<\/a>, they are all equally dangerous.<\/p>\n Dioxin is an emission that comes from burning plastics like PVC. This toxic chemical is not only carcinogenic, but it can have other serious impacts \u2013 and can even be transferred from mother to child during pregnancy. Immediate exposure to burning plastic can lead to headaches, weakness, fatigue, and damage to your eyes or respiratory system. Additionally, the emissions can settle on crops or in water sources. When this happens, the chemicals accumulate and can be ingested later.<\/p>\n Burning plastic is dangerous for you, your neighbors and your community. Make sure to recycle any plastics you can, and keep them away from your fireplace or firepits.<\/p>\n Chromated copper arsenate was one of the most common preservatives in older treated wood. Arsenate is a compound made of arsenic acid. You don\u2019t have to be a chemist to know arsenic is bad for you! When you burn older treated wood, you release this arsenic into the air, while some is also left behind in the ashes. Even modern treated wood contains harmful chemicals \u2013 though arsenate itself is less common. If that wasn\u2019t enough to convince you, it\u2019s also illegal to burn pressure-treated wood in every state.<\/p>\n Similarly, older painted woods contain other dangerous chemicals. Until the 1980s, paint often contained lead. Following that, paints began using mercury. While modern paints tend to be safer, they aren\u2019t safe. Not only will burning any painted wood release the paint chemicals into the air, the paint acts as an accelerant and can burn through too quickly.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not enough to stick to burning natural wood \u2013 you also need to make sure you\u2019re burning the right kinds of wood<\/a>. If you\u2019ve collected a pile of driftwood, don\u2019t use it in your fireplace! Because of its salt content, it can damage or corrode parts of your fireplace or your chimney liner<\/a>. At hot temperatures, burning driftwood can also release carcinogens into the air. Even if your driftwood has been thoroughly dried, it\u2019s not safe for use in a domestic fireplace.<\/p>\n If you were planning to add gasoline or grill fluid to your fireplace to kickstart your fires, you\u2019ll want to reconsider. While these fire accelerants have their place in other applications, your fireplace and chimney weren\u2019t designed to handle fires like that. Gasoline or kerosene can create flames that burn at an extremely high temperature and even flare up to burn high in your chimney. This can ignite creosote or other byproducts if you haven\u2019t kept up with annual chimney cleanings<\/a>.<\/p>\n Handling fire accelerants indoors can be extremely dangerous and put you at substantial risk for a fire from drips or misuse. They\u2019re designed to be used with outdoor grills \u2013 not in a controlled, tight indoor environment.<\/p>\n Like cardboard or painted wood, boxes and paper with colored print or other markings on them can come packed with chemicals. Here are a few examples of boxes you should never burn:<\/p>\n Another fireplace safety tip regarding these materials is to watch for dangerous fires. On top of the chemical risks, these materials tend to have a high surface-to-mass ratio. Unlike wood, which burns slowly over extended periods of time, paper and boxes will burn quickly. This can lead to tall flames that might ignite creosote in your chimney! If you still decide to burn paper in your fireplace, keep an eye out for a flame that\u2019s burning too high.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not an uncommon suggestion to use dryer lint as a fire-starter. It burns easily and can be obtained, essentially, for free. However, that doesn\u2019t make it a good option for starting your fires. Dryer lint contains all sorts of chemicals \u2013 from dirt and dust that it collects, to byproducts from fabric, detergents and fabric softeners.<\/p>\n Modern Styrofoam doesn\u2019t contain the chlorofluorocarbons that it used to. But that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s any safer to burn. Burning polystyrene releases a toxic styrene gas. It can have a significantly harmful effect on your nervous system if inhaled. The carbon black substance left behind from burned polystyrene can cause short-term irritation to your eyes and throat. If you frequently burn polystyrene, studies have shown an increase in lung scarring, bronchitis, and reduced lung capacity.<\/p>\n Just because the holidays end, doesn\u2019t mean cold weather goes with it. You may be tempted to take your Christmas tree down and quickly dispose of it in your fireplace. After all, it\u2019s a few feet of good firewood, right? Wrong! A fresh Christmas tree is full of sap. Not only will it burn poorly, as it hasn\u2019t been properly dried, the sap can leave hazardous resins in your chimney. In extreme cases, these resins will lead to a dangerous chimney fire.<\/p>\n Fireplaces, stoves and furnaces are built and tested for safety. But these safety precautions assume that you\u2019re using your wood-burning appliance as intended. When you burn a non-wood substance in your fireplace, you could be causing irreversible damage to you, your home and your fireplace. They can poison you, lead to corrosion and even dangerous chimney fires. Our most important fireplace safety tip: stick to burning dry, properly seasoned wood to enjoy a warm and safe fire.<\/p>\n If you burned something dangerous in your chimney, we can thoroughly clean and inspect your fireplace and chimney to identify any damage or safety concerns.\u00a0Contact us today<\/a>! We\u2019ll get you set up right away so you can have peace of mind.<\/p>\n Call Us: 1-800-438-3583<\/strong><\/p>\n Email Us:\u00a0office@drflue.com<\/a><\/p>\n Office Hours: Mon-Fri: 8am-4pm<\/p>\n Contact Us<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Request A Quote<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Connect with Doctor Flue on Social Media<\/strong><\/p>\n Facebook<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Google +<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Your wood-burning fireplace is built for one thing: wood. It\u2019s in the name! However, many use their fireplace as an easy way to get rid of boxes, bottles or other trash. Not only is this bad for your fireplace, it can lead to long-term health issues for anyone that breathes in the byproducts. Read through […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2634,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes","footnotes":""},"categories":[201],"tags":[235],"class_list":["post-2633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-tips-for-fireplace-safety-and-wood-burning","tag-fireplace-safety-tips"],"yoast_head":"\nTreated or Painted Wood<\/h3>\n
Driftwood<\/h3>\n
Fire Accelerants<\/h3>\n
Paper or Boxes with Colored Print<\/h3>\n
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Dryer Lint<\/h3>\n
Polystyrene Foam<\/h3>\n
Christmas Trees<\/h3>\n
Your Fireplace Is Not an Incinerator<\/h2>\n
![\"What](\"http:\/\/www.doctorflue.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/doctor-flue-chimney-cleaning-infographic-e1508863730386.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nNeed a Chimney Inspection? Call Doctor Flue!<\/h2>\n