Allergy to alder - does this mean I shouldn't use as firewood

[rgsccr]

My wife is allergic to alder - I assume the pollen - does this mean we shouldn't use alder as firewood? Thanks.

 

[begreen]

I don't think they are the same issue. Lots of folks around here are allergic to alder pollen that are not affected by burning it. If you are burning cleanly and the stove has good draft, there should be virtually no issue.

But to be sure, take a fresh split of alder and have her smell it, maybe rub a little on her skin? If there is no reaction, I think you should be fine.

 

[RedRanger]

My wife is allergic to alder - I assume the pollen - does this mean we shouldn't use alder as firewood? Thanks.

Only if you are still using an old smoke dragon. If you are burning in a new epa stove or insert, backpuffing should be minimal.specially if you follow the usual rules-- turn the air wide open, and open door slowly before refueling.

The previous shoud be stated quite clearly in your manual. Oh, and you want nothing, but nothing, but nice dry and seasoned firewood. Moisture content should be 20% or less.

 

[rgsccr]

Thanks. We will be using a new Jotul Castine when it is installed next week so it sounds like it should be okay.

 

[smokinj]

Thanks. We will be using a new Jotul Castine when it is installed next week so it sounds like it should be okay.

if not iam sure she will let you know,but should be fine

 

[begreen]

If the stove is not enameled, be sure to send her out when it is first fired up and open up all the windows. The painted stoves can smoke a lot for the first few burns.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

I don't think that it should be a problem. I guess that you have a lot of Alder up there to use, or else this wouldn't even be an issue. Worse case scenario is she can always get allergy desensitizing shots of Alder which would take a little while to work but would stop her body to over-reacting to it.

 

[Dix]

I'm allergic to oak (and own 1+ acres of it). The pollen is the bad time, and when the leaves fall. I'm working on that issue ;-)

I asked the Doc about burning in an EPA stove, and he said no problem.

If I had a dither, I'd not be here for the burning in, but's it's me, the 13 YO dog, and some cats. Guess who gets to do it? :snake:

 

[Elderthewelder]

My wife is allergic to alder - I assume the pollen - does this mean we shouldn't use alder as firewood? Thanks.

Yes, that is correct / do not use the alder. Send me a PM with your address and I will come down and collect it all out of your wood pile and take it to my place to burn

 

[Highbeam]

I am also allergic to alder, cottonwood, and I think red cedar. I found this out after getting one of the blood tests done when I had major problems with grass pollen while mowing pastures. I am taking the weekly shots which take YEARS to work so the short term solution will always be antihistamines like benadryl, zyrtec, allegra, etc.

In my case and according to my allergy doctor, your wife is allergic to the pollen and not the tree. Especially not the burning of the tree. Touching and rubbing the cut firewood might expose her to some pollen on the bark but its not like she is touching the actual pollen heads. So how do you know she is allergic? How does she score on the 1-10 scale that allergy docs use?

Chances are that if the doc actually knows that she is allergic and did NOT put her on shots then it is only a mild allergy and you're fine to burn it.

 

[fossil]

So long as she doesn't routinely sleep on the roof in the leeward direction from the stove chimney, I don't see where there's much of a threat to her health, comfort, & wellbeing. Rick