We're having some old fencing replaced next week, and know somebody who might be able to make use of the wood for kindling for starting a coal fire but I severely doubt whether it's safe for this purpose as it's previously been coated with wood preservative, which I imagine would emit toxic fumes.
Can anybody confirm please.
Old fencing - firewood?
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gowerbass come gardener
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i moved into my grandparents bungalow 6 years or so ago ,and have since bought it .
Now , i replaced the old fence that he erected some 20-30 years ago maybe longer which apart from being rotten in one or two places was actually still in good nick (i no longer needed a picket style fence ,my Jack Russells were escaping),bearing in mind he worked in a steelworks all his life ,so the fence had a coat or two of something.
well, i burnt this in the garden and never before had felt such heat from a smallish fire ,God knows what was on this timber but my guesses was very toxic .
i would try a few sticks of it to see how it burns and smells for yourself primrose
Now , i replaced the old fence that he erected some 20-30 years ago maybe longer which apart from being rotten in one or two places was actually still in good nick (i no longer needed a picket style fence ,my Jack Russells were escaping),bearing in mind he worked in a steelworks all his life ,so the fence had a coat or two of something.
well, i burnt this in the garden and never before had felt such heat from a smallish fire ,God knows what was on this timber but my guesses was very toxic .
i would try a few sticks of it to see how it burns and smells for yourself primrose
a bad days fishing beats a good days work
i wouldnt burn treated fencing on an open fire, i either burn it on a bonfire or give it to someone with their boiler in an outhouse. ive got no proof just but it just doest seem sensible to take the risk of toxic fumes from the preservatives.
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Motherwoman
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I would guess that the modern water based fence treatments are probably OK but anything with creosote residues or other chemical preservatives is not a good idea. I think the advice to try lighting a bit and see what it's like is sound. Mind you if it's gone rotten enough to remove there's probably not any preservative left in it. Any commercial wood product less than about 10 /15years old will have been pressure treated with preservative.