Garden decking for firewood

[AllanC]

I am re-landscaping my garden and am having to dispose of a bit of untreated decking. Would it be useful for burning in a multi fuel stove.? I also have some picnic benches that need disposing of too. They were treated with a general garden wood preserver over a year ago so have aged quite a bit since then. Would you use the benches for fuel or not?

[Paul C]

Really, the decking was untreated???? Never treated during manufacture????

 

I'd say no, based on their being treated - it will burn great, but raw stink out your neighbours. If the decking is genuinely untreated then it should be okay though.

[AllanC]

Well yes I suppose it was treated by the manufacturer, but as it was used for a sun deck on the side of my koi pond, I've never treated it with anything since I built it. It is nearly 20 years old now, so is well weathered.

 

edit to change font.

Edited September 15, 2016 by AllanC

[markgregoryuk2000]

Can be a good source of kindling, cut into ~6" lengths it is easy to split with a hand axe and the small amounts should not annoy the neighbours if it is treated.

[Alan de Enfield]

Well yes I suppose it was treated by the manufacturer, but as it was used for a sun deck on the side of my koi pond, I've never treated it with anything since I built it. It is nearly 20 years old now, so is well weathered.

 

edit to change font.

 

"Tanalith C" was still being used through the nineties as a 'decking' preservative so is likely to be the stuff you are proposing to burn has this in it.

 

Tanalith C is "Chromated Cupric Arsenate"

.

I'm sure I read somehwere 5 grams of the ash would be fatal.

 

[Mike Tee]

Why take a chance?

Recycle it at the tip.

[AllanC]

 

"Tanalith C" was still being used through the nineties as a 'decking' preservative so is likely to be the stuff you are proposing to burn has this in it.

 

Tanalith C is "Chromated Cupric Arsenate"

.

I'm sure I read somehwere 5 grams of the ash would be fatal.

 

Thanks for that Alan.....down to the local tip for this lot then. Have a little green lifesavers medal.

[Greylady2]

I burned a whole wooden patio made from treated wooden decking last year.

 

No problem at all, it was hard work chopping it up though.

[Chewbacka]

One thing to consider if burning treated wood is the direction of the wind as you wouldn't want to blow toxic smoke over the next boat.

If the wood is old and treated with an Arsenic containing preservative the ash can contain dangerous levels of toxic metals.

 

Best you don't burn treated wood, especially old stuff.

[stovepipe]

"Tanalith C" was still being used through the nineties as a 'decking' preservative so is likely to be the stuff you are proposing to burn has this in it.

 

Tanalith C is "Chromated Cupric Arsenate"

.

I'm sure I read somehwere 5 grams of the ash would be fatal.

 

Of wood treated with it, or the pure compound ?

Thanks for that Alan.....down to the local tip for this lot then. Have a little green lifesavers medal.

The reclaimed timber from the tip is quite possibly burnt in power station. You will see its all seperated, and set aside. Edited September 17, 2016 by stovepipe

[Chewbacka]

A quick google found some studies done about 10 years ago. The conclusion is that about 10% of the Arsenic goes up the chimney the rest staying in the ash. The ash can be as high as 1/3 heavy metal compounds. So in answer to your question above, the ash is toxic. I have no idea how much would be fatal, but if you burn a lot of CCA treated wood I will not be cleaning your chimney.

 

The conclusion regards the smoke is - "These results indicate that the open burning of CCA-treated wood can lead to significant air emissions of the more toxic trivalent form of As in particle sizes that are most respirable"

[AllanC]

As said, this lot will be going down to the local recycling centre. How they dispose of it is not my concern but I won't be burning it myself or offering it to anyone else for firewood.

[Guest]

Scarey thread. We had a woodburner in the house many years ago. We burned anything in it that would burn

[stovepipe]

As far as I know arsenic based preservatives were ended in 2003 or thereabouts.

[Chewbacka]

A lot of decking or fencing coming to the end of it's life will be from about that time or older.

Also how much preservative was in sheds and garages and used for a few years after that.

So it will be a few more years before I burned treated scrap wood.

[Gordon Munk]

Scarey thread. We had a woodburner in the house many years ago. We burned anything in it that would burn

 

Scarey? Or scaremongering?

 

Toxic ash? I must make a note to stop eating it.

 

Small amounts of treated wood as kindling are absolutely no problem.

[Alan de Enfield]

 

Scarey? Or scaremongering?

 

Toxic ash? I must make a note to stop eating it.

 

Small amounts of treated wood as kindling are absolutely no problem.

 

I would be very careful making such statements - It may be better to temper them with "some treated wood is completely safe"

 

"Tanilith C" which was used up until the very early 2000's is most definitely carcinogenic in very small quantities - its replacement "Tanilith E" is, however, 'arsenic-free'.

[stovepipe]

I miss the smell of freshly creosoted fences, a feature of my youth in the summer.

[Mac of Cygnet]

I miss the smell of freshly creosoted fences, a feature of my youth in the summer.

 

Ah, creosote! I was surprised to find that creosote is still widely available despite being supposedly banned for DIY use in 2003.

[Guest]

I miss the smell of freshly creosoted fences, a feature of my youth in the summer.

We used to mix used engine oil out of the car with creosote, then slap it on the fences.

[tree monkey]

We used to mix used engine oil out of the car with creosote, then slap it on the fences.

Used to do that all the time

[Mike Tee]

Scarey? Or scaremongering?

 

Toxic ash? I must make a note to stop eating it.

 

Small amounts of treated wood as kindling are absolutely no problem.

 

And in the building trade we used to give builders a free pint of milk a day when they were cutting and fixing asbestos. No doubt if they had complained it would have been classed as scaremongering.

 

Eta - actually they were paid an allowance for milk which probably went on beer instead, I know in those days that's where my pay went.

Edited September 18, 2016 by Mike Tee

[Machpoint005]

We used to mix used engine oil out of the car with creosote, then slap it on the fences.

 

I had a girlfriend more than 40 years ago who loved to get the smell of a freshly creosoted fence close up.

No idea if she is still alive!

Edited September 19, 2016 by Machpoint005

[QCat]

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=87339#entry1885681

 

New thread just started.... CO emissions were higher with chipboard.

[Machpoint005]

and higher with the stove door open