Overheard a homeowner say 'just burn anything dry' and I had to bite my tongue

Guy I was working for in Austin said his last sweep told him that pine and cardboard were fine to burn. Had to explain that creosote buildup from that stuff will cost him way more than a few logs of seasoned hardwood.

2 comments

2 Comments

casey3933d agoMost Upvoted

Honestly, isn't it kinda overblown though? People have been burning whatever they can get their hands on for centuries. My grandpa burned pallets and scrap lumber in his fireplace his whole life and never had a problem. A little pine or cardboard now and then is not gonna turn your chimney into a fire hazard overnight. Creosote is a real thing, sure, but a good chimney fire once in a while actually cleans the flue out. Maybe these homeowners are just trying to save a buck on expensive seasoned wood, and that's their business.

wade_perez2d ago

A chimney fire is dangerous, it doesn't really clean anything.