Had no idea creosote buildup could actually catch fire after just 3 months of burning wet pine logs last winter.

Read a stat on the CSIA website that said creosote ignites at around 450 degrees F, and after I pulled 2 inches of it out of a flue in a house near Denver last Tuesday, I'm wondering how many of you actually check moisture content in the wood your customers burn?

3 comments

3 Comments

faithpatel4d ago

Oh man, yeah. I always check moisture content on any wood I bring in now after pulling a nasty glaze out of a chimney a few years back. That reading over 20% is a hard no in my book.

the_laura4d ago

Pulled a glaze out of a chimney? That sounds TERRIFYING.

garcia.wren4d ago

That glaze buildup is no joke. It's like a thick layer of tar and creosote that just cakes on, and if you let it get bad enough it can actually restrict the flue and cause a chimney fire. I started checking moisture content on every single log after I had to chip out a solid inch of that stuff from a friend's chimney. Anything over 20% is a hard pass for me too, it's just not worth the risk of dealing with that mess or a potential house fire. A cheap moisture meter is like 20 bucks, it's the best investment you can make for clean burning.