# I was told to never burn pine wood in the fireplace or wood stove



## happycamper (Dec 15, 2019)

i was told to never burn pine wood in the fireplace or wood stove
to much sap and  creasote i n the wood
even if its dry 

asking for truble  like a chimney or even your house could burn down  when burning pine wood


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## GadDummit (Dec 15, 2019)

I burn pine. If it's good and dry it makes great starter. Then I swap over to pecan and oak.


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## happycamper (Dec 15, 2019)

GadDummit said:


> I burn pine. If it's good and dry it makes great starter. Then I swap over to pecan and oak.


if i burn pine id probably get my ass beat


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## GadDummit (Dec 15, 2019)

happycamper said:


> if i burn pine id probably get my ass beat


Maybe you get your butt beat, but you stay warm either way haha


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## happycamper (Dec 15, 2019)

GadDummit said:


> Maybe you get your butt beat, but you stay warm either way haha


warm from the wood and a hot as hell ass fron the paddle


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## SpaceBus (Dec 15, 2019)

Old wives tale. So long as the firewood is under 20% moisture content you will not have any issues if your stove is operated properly and in good shape. I burn almost exclusively spruce and fir and have no issues.


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## SpaceBus (Dec 15, 2019)

I figure the myth started before it was easy to check moisture content or if anyone paid attention. Perhaps folks picked up pieces of green pine thinking it was dry oak or something and then caused loads of creosote in the chimney.


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## ABMax24 (Dec 15, 2019)

My parents burn almost exclusively pine, they have for 15 years, their house and chimney is still intact. I just started burning this year and over half of what I burn will be pine. Not much for choices here, Spruce, Pine, Poplar and the odd White Birch.

We have huge tracts of dry standing pine beetle killed pine. Makes for easy firewood.


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## HisTreeNut (Dec 15, 2019)

Creosote is caused by burning wood that is not properly seasoned (less than 20% moisture content) as well as improper stove use. Creosote does not naturally exist in wood. I burn pine all the time and I have only a cup or two of creosote each time I clean my chimney. It burns great, especially in the shoulder seasons. Do not succumb to Eastern Pineaphobia.






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## Woody Stover (Dec 15, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> I figure the myth started before it was easy to check moisture content


I like the theory that says, 'People burned wet Oak or whatever, creo built up in the chimney, they then threw in some Pine which was drier and burned hot, it lit the creo resulting in a chimney fire, and Pine was unjustly framed, based on circumstantial evidence.'


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## SpaceBus (Dec 15, 2019)

Woody Stover said:


> I like the theory that says, 'People burned wet Oak or whatever, creo built up in the chimney, they then threw in some Pine which was drier and burned hot, it lit the creo resulting in a chimney fire, and Pine was unjustly framed, based on circumstantial evidence.'



Could be that as well. Either way, I've met several local folks that will refuse free seasoned softwoods in fear they will die.


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## Jan Pijpelink (Dec 15, 2019)

I burn Pine for years. Doing it now. Since then, the walls came down, I got bald, all kind of diseases, my knees went backwards, yes, it is an old wives tale. Keep burning it and stay warm.


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## peakbagger (Dec 16, 2019)

Older stoves with poor air regulation didnt do so well with dry pine.  There is some Downeast Maine humor about a homemade woodstove with real good draft. There were some regionally famous story tellers, Bert and I, that did recordings but found an excerpt from a book of Maine stories. You can scroll up to get the beginning of the story. Note the reference to softwood.









						Bert and I
					

Marshall Dodge and Bob Bryan began swapping funny Down East stories when they were students at Yale in the 1950s. Their fascination and appreciation for Maine and its people triggered the production of several “Bert and I” records, from which 14 stories were selected for the first edition of...



					books.google.com
				




Since Spacebus lives downeast he needs to get familar with the local humor  Some of the Bert and I stories are on YouTube.  Here is link


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## WinterinWI (Dec 16, 2019)

happycamper said:


> warm from the wood and a hot as hell ass fron the paddle



Hi gunny100.


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## Grizzerbear (Dec 16, 2019)

I got your back. Ill burn that pine for ya and take the whoopin.


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## Dataman (Dec 16, 2019)

Pine is fine as long as it's aged 6 months in the Sun.    Only one type I hated to burn.  Bull Pine (Western Yellow Pine).    It seems to have lots of sap.   I liked White Pine the best.    After bucking up it drys really quick.    Load up the stove at 8m and it's good until 5am.   (BK King).    Alas switched to Pellet Stove last May (Harmon XXV).  Sure don't miss the mess and work.


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## KindredSpiritzz (Dec 16, 2019)

I love me a hunk of pine in the morning to get the fire blazing good. Only thing I don't like with pine is cutting off all the damn branches when I buck it.


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## SpaceBus (Dec 16, 2019)

peakbagger said:


> Older stoves with poor air regulation didnt do so well with dry pine.  There is some Downeast Maine humor about a homemade woodstove with real good draft. There were some regionally famous story tellers, Bert and I, that did recordings but found an excerpt from a book of Maine stories. You can scroll up to get the beginning of the story. Note the reference to softwood.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Yes, downeast humor requires one to be from here to get all the jokes. Usually someone has to explain them to me. A friend of mine born and raised here really thought I was nuts for burning soft woods almost full time. I really thought his eyebrows were going to fly off his face!


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## SpaceBus (Dec 16, 2019)

KindredSpiritzz said:


> I love me a hunk of pine in the morning to get the fire blazing good. Only thing I don't like with pine is cutting off all the damn branches when I buck it.



I hate trying to stack splits with a ton of 1-2" nubs all over it. A tiny limbing saw makes this much better.


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## trguitar (Dec 16, 2019)

White pine is all I burn when the temp is above 32. I have about 2 cord of it for this year. I love it. Seasons over the summer, easy to process.


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## Grizzerbear (Dec 16, 2019)

Where i live the woods are predominately oak and hickory. It doesnt leave you with many options in the shoulder season when trying to not overheat house. When i come across some pine i snatch it up like gold.


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## weatherguy (Dec 16, 2019)

I like the reaction I get from oldtimers  when I tell them I burn pine. I had two cords that's been seasoned 5 years, I use it for one off morning fires in shoulder season, have about 1 cord left.


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## Zack R (Dec 16, 2019)

Pine is great if you know how to use your stove correctly and use seasoned wood. Here in central Oregon its the most widely available firewood and it seasons quickly (cut/split in spring, ready by fall). I have both of my stoves fully loaded on pine at the moment keeping our house nice and warm.


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## Woody Stover (Dec 16, 2019)

Dataman said:


> one type I hated to burn.  Bull Pine (Western Yellow Pine).    It seems to have lots of sap.


Sounds like some good stuff to make starter kindling out of...'fat lighter,' as I think they call it down south..AKA fatwood.


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## weatherguy (Dec 16, 2019)

Zack R said:


> Pine is great if you know how to use your stove correctly and use seasoned wood. Here in central Oregon its the most widely available firewood and it seasons quickly (cut/split in spring, ready by fall). I have both of my stoves fully loaded on pine at the moment keeping our house nice and warm.
> 
> View attachment 253609
> 
> ...


Those are monster trees, what species pine?


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## happycamper (Dec 16, 2019)

Grizzerbear said:


> I got your back. Ill burn that pine for ya and take the whoopin.


you will burn the pine wood and take the severe ass paddling


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## WinterinWI (Dec 16, 2019)

happycamper said:


> you will burn the pine wood and take the severe ass paddling



If you don't want to burn the pine, then maybe use it to make new paddles?


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## Zack R (Dec 16, 2019)

weatherguy said:


> Those are monster trees, what species pine?



The big ones are Ponderosa. It's not the greatest firewood in terms of BTU/pound but its easily available around here. This was  a standing dead tree I cut down last summer about 10min from my house, the biggest tree I've cut down yet. Had to come at it on both sides since my chainsaw bar is only 20".

Not sure if this link will work but its a video of me cutting it down.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/j7XEDHG6U1akwNMx9


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## Seasoned Oak (Dec 16, 2019)

happycamper said:


> i was told to never burn pine wood in the fireplace or wood stove


Fake News! I burn 90% pine. Im saving my Seasoned Oak for a snowy day.  Never had a chimney fire. Most of the pine i burn has been drying for 50 to 100 years, so very dry.


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## AlbergSteve (Dec 16, 2019)

There are many here on these forums that would gladly take any pine you might have, you know, just to get it out of your way.


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## Jan Pijpelink (Dec 16, 2019)

AlbergSteve said:


> There are many here on these forums that would gladly take any pine you might have, you know, just to get it out of your way.


Don't you know that burning Pine gives you stomach spasms?


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## SpaceBus (Dec 16, 2019)

Jan Pijpelink said:


> Don't you know that burning Pine gives you stomach spasms?


I hear it causes botulism


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## weatherguy (Dec 16, 2019)

Zack R said:


> The big ones are Ponderosa. It's not the greatest firewood in terms of BTU/pound but its easily available around here. This was  a standing dead tree I cut down last summer about 10min from my house, the biggest tree I've cut down yet. Had to come at it on both sides since my chainsaw bar is only 20".
> 
> Not sure if this link will work but its a video of me cutting it down.
> 
> https://photos.app.goo.gl/j7XEDHG6U1akwNMx9


No video but a nice picture of that monster.


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## Grizzerbear (Dec 17, 2019)

happycamper said:


> you will burn the pine wood and take the severe ass paddling


Lmao


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## ohlongarm (Dec 17, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> Old wives tale. So long as the firewood is under 20% moisture content you will not have any issues if your stove is operated properly and in good shape. I burn almost exclusively spruce and fir and have no issues.


100% in agreement with you ,great shoulder wood in my BK.


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## Gearhead660 (Dec 17, 2019)

AlbergSteve said:


> There are many here on these forums that would gladly take any pine you might have, you know, just to get it out of your way.


In my area, people think of pine as junk and will take it to the dump rather than try to find a person who will burn it.  "Hardwood or nothing" is the thinking around here.  I will take pine anytime I see it for free!


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## Seasoned Oak (Dec 17, 2019)

weatherguy said:


> No video but a nice picture of that monster.


Shes a beauty


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## Woody Stover (Dec 17, 2019)

Seasoned Oak said:


> Shes a beauty


A one-in-a-million girl.


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## Riddlefiddle (Dec 17, 2019)

I use pine when starting the stove up. Then I burn hard wood and soft wood. Pine is fine plus it spits like an angry lamma which is an added bonus.


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## firefighterjake (Dec 18, 2019)

Burning pine will result in baldness and a fat gut . . . at least that's what I'm blaming the hair loss and stomach on.


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## nola mike (Dec 19, 2019)

I do nothing to dissuade that myth. Nobody will burn it near me at the river, so plenty available. I get no creosote in that stove. I'm amused when these same people throw in "seasoned" oak from the prior summer. Their chimneys look like a steam locomotive, and you can't tell I'm even burning once the stove is warm.


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## Cluttermagnet (Dec 22, 2019)

I received a small lot of pretty straight-grained Southern White Pine from
a tree removal crew in my neighborhood. Very easy to split and seasoned
fast in about 6 months. I burn occasional sticks of it mixed in with my
usual hardwood assortment. Catches easily and burns fast and hot.
Great for reviving a fire that has died down. I'll take Pine when offered it,
also the local Tulip (Yellow) Poplar which is much denigrated but is
nonetheless very good stove chow. One mans trash, another man's
treasure...

Clutter


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## johneh (Dec 22, 2019)

Do not burn pine !!
You must pack it on a large truck and deliver it to me 
as soon as possible. I will dispose of it for you


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## fvhowler (Dec 23, 2019)

Old Longleaf and Loblolly pine stumps are plentiful around here so I use light wood (fat wood) for starting fires. I don't burn pine otherwise because I have  plenty of oak and hickory to burn that produce much better heat.


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## firefighterjake (Dec 23, 2019)

It's all heat to me.

Doesn't really matter if it's softwood or hardwood . . . to every species there is a time and place.


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## St. Coemgen (Dec 23, 2019)

I think that the bad reputation for pine is due to the issue of the sap in the wood. Even really dry pine, the sap can "pop" and send embers fling. In an enclosed wood stove that is not a problem. But in old wood fire places, without a grate, flying burning embers were probably a very bad thing indeed. Especially with wood floors. So this story about pine may have real reasons, and may not be an old wives tale. But, again, in a modern stove, pine should not be much of a problem (even if I did have a mini-explosion yesterday using pine (15% moisture -- measured) which caused a "puff" of smoke out of the stove it was no big deal).

Personally, I only use some pine or other soft wood at startup. A great startup wood. But it burns too fast for me, and since I have plenty of hard wood trees, hard wood is my wood of choice. But that is just me. For those surrounded by pine or other soft woods -- what is local is usually the best wood to burn.


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## nrford (Dec 23, 2019)

What do you think they burn out in the Rockies, sure there are some hardwoods but most PINE...


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## fvhowler (Dec 24, 2019)

firefighterjake said:


> It's all heat to me.
> 
> Doesn't really matter if it's softwood or hardwood . . . to every species there is a time and place.


True. I cut and split all my wood. If given the choice, I want the best wood available and most btus for the time and effort it takes. Pine is way down on the list of desirable firewood but it obviously works well for others.  Everybody's happy ; )


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## Seasoned Oak (Dec 24, 2019)

I burn Seasoned Oak and a lot of pine. Sometimes you just cant wait 2 to 3 YRs for the oak to dry.  I burn the Pine during the day and the Oak for long overnight burns.


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## HisTreeNut (Dec 24, 2019)

Seasoned Oak said:


> I burn Seasoned Oak and a lot of pine. Sometimes you just cant wait 2 to 3 YRs for the oak to dry. I burn the Pine during the day and the Oak for long overnight burns.


You burn yourself...
How is that even possible???
You must be Groot...
[emoji23][emoji12][emoji3][emoji3][emoji12][emoji23]

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## Seasoned Oak (Dec 24, 2019)

HisTreeNut said:


> You burn yourself...
> How is that even possible???
> You must be Groot...
> [emoji23][emoji12][emoji3][emoji3][emoji12][emoji23]
> ...


Not since i started using welding gloves to reload a hot stove.


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