Painted Wood as Kindling

[hillbilly rick]

Does anyone think there is an issue using painted wood as kindling? I have an old wood garage door that would make great kindling, but I do not know if there are any issues burning it because it is painted. I have no idea what kind of wood it is made of. It would make a bunch of kindling if there are no issues.

 

[ruren]

Biggest concern with old paint is if it is lead based paint. Burning lead painted wood makes lead fumes in smoke and ash with lead in it, neither of which is good to be around. I would vote against it.

 

[Deere Dude]

I would think as long as it's in a closed fireplace or stove and you just use a handful or two of fire starter to get the big stuff going it would be fine. I usually take small chunks like 1" square and 3-4 " long and put them in a 5 gallon bucket and then pour diesel fuel over them to dampen them. Whenever I want a fire I will take 4 or 5 pieces as starter for the fire and I have a good flame in a minute or two. Maybe the paint will help burn faster.

 

[Pete Judd]

I second Rurun. Lead is persistent, and will contaminate your ground from the ashes forever. If no lead in the paint, and oil based enamel, the fumes could be toxic. If latex, might not be to bad.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[crash325]

Use it. The amount of lead that "May Be" present is miniscule. You could put in your morning coffee with no ill effects.

Lead & Asbestos problems are so over blown. I did brakes for years when the linings were asbestos based. As a jeweler casting plaster had asbestos in it. Used asbestos gloves to pick up hot flasks, wore out many pair of them.

As a kid repainted our house several times. Restored several old structures, all painted with lead based paint.

Some how I have survived over 72 years with out lung cancer and my brain still works.

 

[Sutol]

Does anyone think there is an issue using painted wood as kindling? I have an old wood garage door that would make great kindling, but I do not know if there are any issues burning it because it is painted. I have no idea what kind of wood it is made of. It would make a bunch of kindling if there are no issues.

Split it, set fire to it...job done

unless you are a heath and safety rep that is then dont tell anybody:laughing:

 

[Tollster]

I wouldnot hesitate to use it in the wood stove, I think I have been exposed to far worse stuff in my years....gas fumes, oil with no gloves, I would rate the paint right up there with these items... Ohhh I have a third liver for processing chemicals..

 

[hillbilly rick]

Thanks everyone. I do have a wood stove, so I'm not worried about fumes in the house. I was just not sure if paint would create any extra chimney buildup.

I hear your lead concerns. To be honest, if I don't burn it in the fireplace, I would burn it outside. Allied Waste does not take anything this large, and my only other option is to haul it 20 miles away to the dump and pay to dump it there. My extension agent told me not to add ashes to the garden, so no lead ashes will make it into the food stream. He said that ashes are bad for the garden.

 

[seymojo536]

Hey Hill Bill,

I would love to know why your ext. agent thinks wood ash is bad for the garden. Was this before he said you need to lime it?

 

[jmurray01]

Use it. The amount of lead that "May Be" present is miniscule. You could put in your morning coffee with no ill effects.

Lead & Asbestos problems are so over blown. I did brakes for years when the linings were asbestos based. As a jeweler casting plaster had asbestos in it. Used asbestos gloves to pick up hot flasks, wore out many pair of them.

As a kid repainted our house several times. Restored several old structures, all painted with lead based paint.

Some how I have survived over 72 years with out lung cancer and my brain still works.

So you're not the one on a horse being ridden by a dog then ? :laughing:

 

[hillbilly rick]

Hey Hill Bill,

I would love to know why your ext. agent thinks wood ash is bad for the garden. Was this before he said you need to lime it?

My garden is almost too sweet. He told me not to lime it for a few years. I do not remember if ashes raise the pH or if there was some other reason to not add ashes.

 

[EE_Bota]

My garden is almost too sweet. He told me not to lime it for a few years. I do not remember if ashes raise the pH or if there was some other reason to not add ashes.

I think is raises the PH. Folks used to pour water through ashes to make lye, and mix fat renderings to make (sodium and potassium salts of fatty acids) lye soap.

 

[troutsqueezer]

I've been using painted and stained wood as kindling since '85. It hadn't not done anyting to my brian yet.....

 

[crash325]

So you're not the one on a horse being ridden by a dog then ? :laughing:

Dog is in complete charge, I'm just along for the RIDE. :laughing::thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[Stimw]

Where I used to work they would burn wood pallets that had been left in semi trailers. Normally in a fire barrel for heat.
One day they were cooking hotdogs over the fire! All I could think about is all the chemicals that are shipped on those pallets! I said something about it but got laughed at. Good thing I had packed a lunch!

 

[nickel plate]

Last early winter I worked in a fair amount of woodstove oak ash into my tomato beds and had the by far hugest crop ever, they grew several feet further out of the 4'x8' beds and onto the lawn as it became a jungle. Overall I lost about 10-15% of the fruit as I couldn't even find them until pulling up the plants in early December. So much fruit I took up drying them with great success, each drying flat would hold around four pounds times four drying flats times five sessions, mostly in the truck cab out in the hot sun so we are still enjoying the crop. The season before with no ash additive and with the same amount of plants (10), I barely got a few baskets full.