# Using Cardboard To Start The Fire



## fdegree (Aug 13, 2010)

This post by firefighterjake prompted a question within my head...
[quote author="firefighterjake" date="1281730498"]Although I may use large amounts of what I call The Arsonist's Secret Weapon -- cardboard -- on outside fires...[/quote]

The post can be found here if anyone is interested in it's context:
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/41005/P22/#654598

Since my question doesn't pertain to the topic of that thread, I thought it best to start a new one.


Anyway, is there a problem with using cardboard to start a fresh fire in a wood stove?


----------



## vvvv (Aug 13, 2010)

i love cardboard! be carefull that a flame remains present so gases dont build up & explode, probably unlikely in a cold stove.


----------



## Fsappo (Aug 13, 2010)

I use anything that will burn to start a fire.  Being that I burned 24/7 I only lit the fire once a month when I emptied the ashes.  Well, not anything, but cardboard, if its handy, sure.


----------



## EatenByLimestone (Aug 13, 2010)

There used to be a guy on the boards that pretty much only burned cardboard. 

I'm not that extreme, but I've used it plenty to start a fire.  

Matt


----------



## Battenkiller (Aug 13, 2010)

I've heard it's almost as bad as pine for creosote production.  :wow:


----------



## BrotherBart (Aug 13, 2010)

Cardboard burns good. If you don't mind having this happen in your chimney. That ain't a chimney fire. It is coming from the cardboard burning in the stove.


----------



## soupy1957 (Aug 13, 2010)

I don't burn cardboard, ............only because I was told that the glue in between the layers, is a significant contributor to creosote build up.  Don't know how factual that is, but decided to simply NOT burn it, to avoid any potential.

-Soupy1957


----------



## Fsappo (Aug 13, 2010)

Im pretty sure when I used cardboard to light my stove, the 3 or 4 pieces did not cause that effect on my chimley fluke


----------



## vvvv (Aug 13, 2010)

i burn 2 grocery carts of flattened cardboard per week & have a piece of al tape on the joint 2' above the stove on singlewall pipe. the glue has dried bbut the tape hasnt fallen off, verily!


----------



## Fsappo (Aug 13, 2010)

Blimp, does the cardboard hurt the Magic Heat?


----------



## BrotherBart (Aug 13, 2010)

Franks said:
			
		

> Blimp, does the cardboard hurt the Magic Heat?



He didn't say if he takes it out of the grocery cart first.  :coolsmirk:


----------



## fdegree (Aug 13, 2010)

Will the cardboard have any impact on the cat in a catalytic stove?

Some cardboard has printing on it...designs, logo, etc. -- will the print effect the cat?


----------



## Fsappo (Aug 13, 2010)

BrotherBart said:
			
		

> Franks said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



+1 for BB


----------



## vvvv (Aug 13, 2010)

fdegree said:
			
		

> Will the cardboard have any impact on the cat in a catalytic stove?
> 
> Some cardboard has printing on it...designs, logo, etc. -- will the print effect the cat?


http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_is_cardboard_manufactured   starch adhesive , ink is soybased  https://www.hearth.com/what/cat.html


----------



## vvvv (Aug 13, 2010)

Franks said:
			
		

> BrotherBart said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


sorry to confuse y'all but yes u have to take the cardboard out of the cart be4 u put it in the stove.


----------



## cmonSTART (Aug 13, 2010)

I use a little of it sometimes.  Works great!


----------



## PapaDave (Aug 13, 2010)

I've used it, without noticeable negative impact on the flue.


----------



## EatenByLimestone (Aug 13, 2010)

BrotherBart said:
			
		

> Cardboard burns good. If you don't mind having this happen in your chimney. That ain't a chimney fire. It is coming from the cardboard burning in the stove.



Looks like a nice way to clean the chimney.  :lol:   

Matt


----------



## allhandsworking (Aug 13, 2010)

waxed cardboard from produce works like a charm for firestarter!  I have a non cat epa stove.  Any draw backs to waxed cardboard?  I only use a few pieces 3"x3"


----------



## btuser (Aug 15, 2010)

I love it.  Couple layers to start a cold stove is a miracle worker.  I'd rather use something I was going to throw out than something I'd have to buy.   Firestarter and not primary fuel.  I'd think it would be so hard to control a large portion you'd have to almost shut the stove down, which could be why some complain about creasote.


----------



## BrotherBart (Aug 15, 2010)

EatenByLimestone said:
			
		

> BrotherBart said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Yeah it explains why I used to have chimney fires and such a clean flue when I burned that stuff in the old stove. The same stove sitting under the stack in the picture. Full baffle in that sucker.

No cardboard ever going in one of my stoves again.


----------



## SteveKG (Aug 15, 2010)

I worked in a small store that was located a couple doors down from a liquor store. The liqour store gave my boss all their beer boxes, and we heated the place for two years with nothing else. The only thing is, cardboard burns furiously and very, very hot, so you have to be careful. 

I use it at home to start fires. Just a couple of smaller pieces and a couple pc of crumpled newspaper and I'm in business. 

I keep a box of it next to the bin of my kindling, already cut up with a box cutter to a size I want.


----------



## gibson (Aug 15, 2010)

A empty 12 pack box stuffed with newspaper is a great fire starter.  Not that I've ever done that...


----------



## rwh442 (Aug 15, 2010)

I totally agree with BB, if you want to start a chimney fire go ahead and burn cardboard.  I had two chimney fires started with that stuff.  I keep it out of my boiler.


----------



## firefighterjake (Aug 16, 2010)

While the referenced comment was about starting brush piles on fire using cardboard . . . the truth of the matter is I use small amounts of cardboard when starting a fire along with a bit of newspaper . . . that said, we're not talking about wedging in a banana box into the firebox . . . and I avoid cardboard that is waxy or glossy for the most part . . . ditto for newspaper . . . a small amount and it is never glossy paper.

That said . . . two years in . . . no chimney fires . . . no excessive build up of creosote. 

And yeah . . . I stand by my original comment . . . cardboard is the secret tool of the arsonist . . .


----------



## fdegree (Aug 16, 2010)

Thanks for the clarification, jake.

As some seem to have eluded to, I was not necessarily asking about cramming the stove full of cardboard...rather using a couple of small pieces, about the dimensions of a piece of copy paper, to help get a cold stove started.

So, it sounds as if using a couple of small pieces to aid in starting the fire may not necessarily be a bad thing.  Or, have I misunderstood some of the posts?

Thanks for the feed back folks...as always, you are all very helpful.


----------



## SteveKG (Aug 16, 2010)

No, it's fine, and as I said in my previous post, I like to use a couple smaller pieces with a couple pieces newspaper to get mine going. The cardboard burns hot and fast and really gets the kindling going. I've been doing it for 35 yr. and neither my stoves nor my stovepipes has suffered a bit. 

I have no experience with catalytic stoves, don't know whether the fast heat of the cardboard early in the burn would be a problem.... I doubt it, but I cannot say with authority.

The fibers in fibrous sealing tape on the seams of some cardboard will not burn up and will be down there with the ashes on your grate. I cut that part of the cardboard off and don't put it in the stove.


----------



## fdegree (Aug 16, 2010)

SteveKG said:
			
		

> The fibers in fibrous sealing tape on the seams of some cardboard will not burn up and will be down there with the ashes on your grate. I cut that part of the cardboard off and don't put it in the stove.




Thanks...that's very useful information


----------



## StihlHead (Jan 24, 2011)

I have never had any problem burning cardboard in many types of wood burning devices, including my Central Boiler OWB, several fireplace inserts, and an Earth Stove WS. That being said, keep in mind that cardboard burns HOT (way hotter than paper) and it burns fast so you can get overfiring using it. I would guess  that is the reason for the statements here about creosote fires, flames out the flue, etc. I use smaller amounts of cardboard cut into strips about a foot long and 8 inches wide and typically only burn it to kick-start the store or boiler with when they are cold or need re-firing. I have never had creosote issues in any wood burning device, but I typically burn seasoned wood and keep the flues cleaned (except in my OWB, as they will burn wet, green, rotten and all around junk wood just fine, with less efficiency of course). 

Engineering note: Cardboard burns at 800 deg. F. vs. paper at 451 deg. F. Wood ignites at about 480 deg. F.


----------

