lets talk pine

[spam]

I have access to tons of free pine, some dead, some green, some dry. Now I have been told by several people that burning pine is a big NONO, but as I read online some say "thats all I burn" . So whats the deal???????

 

[Elderthewelder]

I have access to tons of free pine, some dead, some green, some dry. Now I have been told by several people that burning pine is a big NONO, but as I read online some say "thats all I burn" . So whats the deal???????

That is the general consensus of alot of people on the East Coast where prime hardwood is readily available, Now if you talk with us here on the west coast you will hear a different story, as we all burn some type of pine species year round to heat our homes

Bottom line is pine is fine, just cut / stack / and season it as needed and enjoy, you will however burn a little more than the hardwood you are accustomed too,

 

[Kenster]

There is a very large pine trunk that has been downed in the front yard of a neighbor down the road for almost a year. Nothing but about a thirty foot trunk. Not a single limb. The trunk has blown its bark. Just laying there. I'm thinking I should go offer to get it out of the way for her. What do you think?

 

[EatenByLimestone]

It goes in my stove, and I'm on the east coast. If it's dry, it's good stuff. Where people get snobbish is the fact that is not as dense as some other hardwoods like oak. Per pound it has the same amount of energy. Only it takes 2 splits of pine to equal the weight of the one split of oak. If you are buying by volume, it pays to get the oak if the two are the same price. If it's free, get what is easy and safe to get to.

Matt

 

[EatenByLimestone]

There is a very large pine trunk that has been downed in the front yard of a neighbor down the road for almost a year. Nothing but about a thirty foot trunk. Not a single limb. The trunk has blown its bark. Just laying there. I'm thinking I should go offer to get it out of the way for her. What do you think?

That's a neighborly thing to do.

Matt

 

[CTYank]

There is a very large pine trunk that has been downed in the front yard of a neighbor down the road for almost a year. Nothing but about a thirty foot trunk. Not a single limb. The trunk has blown its bark. Just laying there. I'm thinking I should go offer to get it out of the way for her. What do you think?

Depends.

If you've got the space, and can make use of some shoulder-season wood, go for it.

Just be advised that the knots often go through to the center, and they cannot be splitl
They can be cut. Their resin/pitch has high energy content.

Works for me.

 

[Wingman]

People told me the same thing...don't burn pine. I listen to the folks on this website and burned a cord + last year. Had no issues. The whole winter, after cleaning the chimney twice I had about three cups of soot. No bad creosote buildup. I burned it mainly during the day and mulberry and oak overnight. I still have just under a cord left for 11-12

 

[smokinj]

Good hot quick fire for shoulder season and great recover wood in the very cold. It has its place would not want to be 100 percent pine, but up to 30 percent good.

 

[Beetle-Kill]

I have access to tons of free pine, some dead, some green, some dry. Now I have been told by several people that burning pine is a big NONO, but as I read online some say "thats all I burn" . So whats the deal???????

Have you ever felt like being a rebel? Have you ever felt like bucking conventional wisdom, being a maverick, going rogue? Here's your chance. Burn that Pine! Cut, split, and stack it! Let them sneer as you stack cord upon cord, you'll show 'em.
You can burn Pine, just like any other wood. Make your splits a little larger than your hardwood splits, and be prepared to load a little more frequently. Watch your flue temps., as Pine will outgas quicker and burn hotter. Shut your air down sooner, and no problems. Get all you can get, but leave room for hardwood when you get it.

 

[smokinj]

I have access to tons of free pine, some dead, some green, some dry. Now I have been told by several people that burning pine is a big NONO, but as I read online some say "thats all I burn" . So whats the deal???????

Have you ever felt like being a rebel? Have you ever felt like bucking conventional wisdom, being a maverick, going rogue? Here's your chance. Burn that Pine! Cut, split, and stack it! Let them sneer as you stack cord upon cord, you'll show 'em.
You can burn Pine, just like any other wood. Make your splits a little larger than your hardwood splits, and be prepared to load a little more frequently. Watch your flue temps., as Pine will outgas quicker and burn hotter. Shut your air down sooner, and no problems. Get all you can get, but leave room for hardwood when you get it.

Sure cant go wrong!

 

[spam]

what about the build up in the flue? is that a myth? do you run the stove differently ? do you clean more often when burning pine? My wife and baby are in the home so safety is job one! but money saving is also a priority.

 

[smokinj]

what about the build up in the flue? is that a myth? do you run the stove differently ? do you clean more often when burning pine? My wife and baby are in the home so safety is job one! but money saving is also a priority.

Needs to be seasoned like anything else. Maybe a little more so but other than that keep chimney inspected!

 

[Beetle-Kill]

what about the build up in the flue? is that a myth? do you run the stove differently ? do you clean more often when burning pine? My wife and baby are in the home so safety is job one! but money saving is also a priority.

Needs to be seasoned like anything else. Maybe a little more so but other than that keep chimney inspected!

First, what stove are you using? Second, if the wood is dry, you'll have no problems. Check your flue as often as you want to, or at least once a month. Once you know how the stove burns- with that type of wood,- you'll be set. Brushing a flue is easy,

 

[DexterDay]

Picked up a whole truckload of Pine "Rounds" yesterday after work... I to am a Newbie (I have had a fireplace and pellet stoves for years) to an Actual "Woodburner". I am just gonna make sure its all good and dry. Bought a moisture meter for this year. Afetr this year I will be far enough ahead to throw it out. But just want to "Play it Safe" this coming winter.. Grab that Pine...

 

[Wood Duck]

what about the build up in the flue? is that a myth? do you run the stove differently ? do you clean more often when burning pine? My wife and baby are in the home so safety is job one! but money saving is also a priority.

It is a myth that pine creates more buildup in the chimney than hardwoods if the two are burned under similar conditions. If you smoulder some wet pine you can get a buildup, and the same thing would happen with wet hardwood. Burn dry pine sufficiently hot and you'll be fine. Same goes for hardwood.

If you're nervous about burning pine, or any other wood, I suggest frequent visual inspections of the chimney. Burn for a week and have a look. Chimney buildup is visible and with a good look at a clean chimney and a little practice you should be able to recognize the difference between a light coating of ash and a buildup of dangerous creosote.

 

[joefrompa]

Pine burns plenty hot - hot fires burn clean.

Burn your pine nice and hot 600-650 stove top temps.

 

[zzr7ky]

There are people happily living in rural Canada. This alone is enough evidence that burning Pine is fine ; )

I've seen it with my own eyes, cut, split, stacked.

We preffered standing dead.


Bottom line:
Dry wood burns well. Lighter wood like Pine or Poplar requires more volume as it is less dense. i.e. less heat in a cord. But if cords are very low cost it's still a good deal.

 

[Intheswamp]

The negativity towards pine by many apparently comes from the "it will cause chimney fires that will burn down your house and cause shifting of the earth's magnetic poles and also cause your parakeet to be impotent" mentality...or something like that.

Someone will hopefully straighten me out if I'm wrong, but the first one of those problems (the house fire, not the bird problem) can often be attributed to folks burning un-seasoned oak or other harewoods in a smoldering fashion...and lack of chimney maintenance/sweeping. They get by for a while with the creosote building up with the low temps and wet wood. Then one day they decide to stick some dried pine in the stove. Man, that stove is cranking out the heat and they're sitting back smiling at their own genius...the stove's heating a lot better with that pine! Then they start hearing "rain falling" inside the flue pipe and smelling scorched wood and the next thing you know CHIMNEY FIRE! The problem was that the good burning pine that was burning at a decently hot temperature had just ignited all that gunky creosote. Not the pine's fault...but it usually gets the blame...actually you could say the pine was beginning to clean the flue out.

Burn the pine dry and experiment with it a little bit to see what draft you need, how much to load, etc.,...and check your chimney.

BTW, did anyone tell you to be sure the pine is DRY????....just like the oak, locust, hedge, elm, etc., needs to be?

Best wishes,
Ed

 

[SolarAndWood]

Have you ever felt like being a rebel? Have you ever felt like bucking conventional wisdom, being a maverick, going rogue?

Arrrgh, I burn the pine with pride. Silver Maple, Siberian Elm, and Tulip Poplar too. Probably 2/3 of my stock. Now, if people start giving away the good stuff like the lessers, I might get snobby. Now, they just throw me a bone every now and then to keep me hauling away the lessers for them.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

what about the build up in the flue? is that a myth? do you run the stove differently ? do you clean more often when burning pine? My wife and baby are in the home so safety is job one! but money saving is also a priority.

Spam, this is just another of those old wives tales. However, you really need to know the whole story.

Many moons ago, when I was a young lad, chimney fires were very common. That is because most farmers cut their wood only after all the corn was picked because then they had the time. So they would go cut their winter's wood supply. Depending upon the year, that meant cutting wood usually in December and sometimes close to Christmas time.

As you know, wood has moisture in it and it will have the greatest amount of moisture right when you cut it. For some folks, that meant nothing and for some others that meant it was a way to control the fire so it didn't burn too hot (duh...). Fortunately I grew up in a home where we also cut wood after corn picking time but the wood we cut then was for the following year. That meant we watched the neighbor's having chimney fires and never understood why except for the fact that they always burned green wood.

Now also imagine that a lot of folks also used wood in their cooking stoves. A lot of that wood very well may have been pine because pine worked really great for cooking. A hot fire but not a long lasting fire. Now imagine at some time some of that pine may have been too big to fit in the cooking stove. So, rather than throwing it out, it went into the heating stove. A hot burner, at times it very well may have started the chimney fire. The old folks put 2 and 2 together and decided it was the fault of the pine when in fact the fault was their faulty burning practices and the chimney was almost plugged so that most any wood would have started that chimney fire.

Little things like this (pine starting a chimney fire) gets passed down from generation to generation and after being told so many times by so many people it appeared to be hard fact. But nobody ever seemed to think burning pine in a fireplace caused anything more than sparks flying out and starting fires on the floors.

True fact is that pine burns as well as any other wood......as long as it had been allowed to dry.....which is how any wood needs to be treated. So if you are inclined to burn pine, you are not abnormal and you won't grow hair on your hands nor will you go blind by rubbing a stick of pine (or other wood).

That is the end of today's class students. We now take you back to your regular scheduled programming.

 

[spam]

ok THANKS EVERYONE I will take that pine! now what % should I be looking for on my moisture merer (cheapo) on the pine and hardwoods? I will sort my stacks with the dry stuff in the front so that what i will burn first of the season...

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Less than 20%

 

[firefighterjake]

Random thoughts . . .

Pine is fine . . . if it isn't I've been doing it all wrong these past few years since I routinely use pine for the shoulder seasons and to start my fires.

Some folks will tell you that burning pine will lead to the Rapture . . . I think these guys even have bought RVs and are driving across the country and buying up billboards telling folks that burning pine will lead to the Rapture . . . I don't have a RV and they don't allow billboards in Maine so you'll have to take my word on this . . .

Burning pine will . . .

a) lead to baldness . . . it's the only explanation as to why I am going bald
b) lead to you being fat, dumb and happy . . . or it could be all those pints of Ben and Jerrys I ate over the winter -- I'm still going with it being the pine's fault.
c) cause you to have hot flashes for hours on end . . . but only when you are sitting or standing next to your woodstove.
d) cause you to be drowsy and you may fall asleep in front of your warm woodstove while watching TV or just watching the flames.
e) cause your pets to suddenly have an unusual interest in getting so close to the woodstove that it seems as though if they get any closer they will spontaneously burst into flame.

As you can see, burning pine is dangerous . . . but it will not lead to you burning your house down, rousing the firefighters at 2 in the morning or cause you any acid reflux . . . providing you burn seasoned pine.

Now there are some true life drawbacks to burning pine.

a) It is often sappy or pitchy . . . best not to wear your Sunday Church going clothes when you handle the pine . . . in fact, best not to wear your nice work gloves either . . . but wear some gloves.
b) It burns fast and hot . . . which means only that it doesn't have a long burn time and is not great for sub-zero overnight fires, but perfect for taking the chill out of the Fall air.
c) It can be knotty . . . which can be a bugger if you are splitting with an ax or maul.
d) I don't really have a real good reason for d) but figured only having three choices was not enough . . . well maybe you could say it doesn't have a lot of long lived coals . . .

A few facts . . .

a) Many long time Easterners turn their noses up at pine . . . perhaps because we have access to lots of hardwoods which are generally considered better in terms of BTUs and longevity . . . but as noted many folks in the western part of the US burn a lot of softwoods and pine . . . and they are not all burning their houses down.

b) All pine is not the same . . . and in fact, many times folks call many other species of softwoods "pine." For example, here in Maine we have Eastern White pine . . . which reportedly burns quite different from say some of the pine or even softwoods found in the western half of the United States.

And a guess . . .

I think IntheSwamp's explanation as to why pine got a bad rap makes sense . . . as does Backwoods Savage's opinion . . . or maybe it's just that folks picking up a split of pine which tends to be light even when fresh cut assumed that lighter weight wood meant it would be good to burn (i.e. seasoned hardwood tends to be lighter than fresh cut hardwood of the same size and species.) In any case, rest assured many of us burn pine and even sleep well at night . . . unless their spouse snores.

Keeping you, your wife and children safe . . .

a) Install your stove to the manufacturer's specifications. Do not cut corners. Make sure it meets and even exceeds clearances, hearth requirements, etc.
b) Learn how to start your fire correctly -- i.e. no flammable fuels and learning how to get a fire going quickly and efficiently.
c) Learn how your woodstove works and runs . . . how the controls work . . . this is something that has to be experienced and learned in time.
d) Dry, seasoned wood . . . if you put unseasoned wood into your stove you will be unhappy with the results and will gunk up your chimney and glass . . . and not be happy with the lack of heat.
e) Check and sweep your chimney frequently . . . especially in the first few months. I would recommend a newbie at least inspect their chimney once a month . . .
f) I have seen more fires caused by the improper disposal of wood ash -- put the ash in a metal, covered container outside on a non-combustible surface away from the home, garage, deck, porch, etc.

 

[mecreature]

I burned a good bunch of pine this year cause it was all I had that was seasoned.

It does burn hot. It likes to burn hot.

I started with a clean flu.. I will be checking it before next season

I have 2 pine trees that need cut down now. along with about 2/3 of a cord already stacked since last year.

it will get burned..

My buddys still say pine caused chimney fires, even as they watch me burn it right in front of them.
They have a story just like was mentioned above.

 

[joefrompa]

My favorite aspect of pine is that I have a neighbor who have given me ~5 cords worth for free. I burned the first 2 cords last winter in semi-seasoned fashion. What's interesting is that unseasoned pine WILL NOT BURN. I would throw heavy (8 pound) splits on a 450 degree stove-top thick coal bed, and they'd sit there and blacken over 30 minutes. I could have the door cracked and it'd barely sizzle or flame.

You gotta have it at least partially seasoned.