Free MDF to use as firewood

demanufactured

Hi

Been offered free MDF cut offs no glue to use as firewood - would it be ok to burn in a stove or will it set the chimney on fire or soot up too much.

Any advise?

Cheers

Aeneas

demanufactured wrote: »

Hi

Been offered free MDF cut offs no glue to use as firewood - would it be ok to burn in a stove or will it set the chimney on fire or soot up too much.

Any advise?

Cheers

MDF is a composite board which consists of wood fibres aswell as various binders, waxes and resins, including formaldehyde. The latter is toxic and allergenic aswell as a possible carcinogenic. There are well know health hazards about working with MDF and fears about its use in domestic and mobile homes in the US. I would not use it in a fire or stove.

gsxr1

MDF is nasty stuff to burn .

It is advised by safety experts that respirators(not dust masks) be used in cutting. The fumes and dust given off by the cutting process can be carcinogenic.

blackbox

I wouldn't be too paranoid about it as long as you take sensible precautions to avoid inhaling the dust and don't sleep in the storage shed without ventilation. The main problem is that you will have loads of ash (from the binders I presume) compared to burning plain timber.

Aeneas

blackbox wrote: »

I wouldn't be too paranoid about it as long as you take sensible precautions to avoid inhaling the dust and don't sleep in the storage shed without ventilation. The main problem is that you will have loads of ash (from the binders I presume) compared to burning plain timber.

I would not be so sanguine. One can take sensible precautions against inhaling the dust but can one take sensible precautions against inhaling the gases emitted from combustion or the dust from the ash? MDF has the highest concentrations of formaldehyde of all composite timbers. Generally it is regarded as a "possible carcinogenic", but California has declared that is is a "known carcinogen in humans" and increasingly countries are regulating MDF use. Exposure to sunlight for example releases the formaldehyde into the air. For its dangers to human health look up "formaldehyde" in PharosWiki. In a study of how to dispose of MDF and other composite boards the US environmental protection agency has said that MDF is a source of hazardous air pollution. I personally would not burn it anywhere and in my view anyone contemplating burning it in a domestic situation would need to be very sure of what they were doing.

blackbox

I'm not recommending burning it - but mainly because of the ash as mentioned above.

What will happen to it if it is not burnt? - whatever happens, this will proably release more formaldehyde.

However formaldehyde has to be above a certain concentration before it is considered harmful - yes - these levels have been reached in temporary housing, but are unlikely to be reached in a ventilated woodshed.

I can't imagine that there are many homes that have no MDF in them, whether for shelves, furniture or skirtings etc.

As for the chimney gases, formaldehyde is actually PRODUCED when ANY timber is burned - forest fires being a major source. A proper woodburning stove with secondary combustion will minimise this.

Aeneas

blackbox wrote: »

I'm not recommending burning it - but mainly because of the ash as mentioned above.

What will happen to it if it is not burnt? - whatever happens, this will proably release more formaldehyde.

However formaldehyde has to be above a certain concentration before it is considered harmful - yes - these levels have been reached in temporary housing, but are unlikely to be reached in a ventilated woodshed.

I can't imagine that there are many homes that have no MDF in them, whether for shelves, furniture or skirtings etc.

As for the chimney gases, formaldehyde is actually PRODUCED when ANY timber is burned - forest fires being a major source. A proper woodburning stove with secondary combustion will minimise this.

There are three different issues. First, working with MDF iThis carries certain health risks, but the risks can be mimimised if precautions are taken, especially in relation to MDF dust. Personally I will only cut the board outside, and I wear a mask.
Second, the presence of MDF in standard or mobile homes. The issue here is the concentration of formaldehyde released in a closed environment. Like most people I have MDF in many rooms in my house - shelving, cabinets, built in wardrobes. The best advice is to seal or paint the boards before installation or as soon as possible afterwards to reduce the release of the gas into living areas. But opinion on safe levels varies with many countries tightening the regulations.
Third, disposal. It is true that all wood contains formaldehyde. So do our bodies. The issue raised in this thread is whether it is safe to burn material with high concentrations of the substance in a domestic setting. Given the views of bodies like the US Environment Protection Agency about the toxic nature of the board and the known cancer hazards related to formaldehyde why take the risk if it can be avoided?

Fingalian

it doesn't burn very well anyway.

kadman

Aeneas wrote: »

Personally I will only cut the board outside, and I wear a mask.
?

I am a bit confused, on one hand you are advising against burning it due to its safety impact on the person , and environment. On the other hand you yourself cut it outside , and possibly release it into the environment. If you were using a suitable extraction unit yourself outside, obviously you have some confidence issues with it.

sabre

Aeneas

kadman wrote: »

I am a bit confused, on one hand you are advising against burning it due to its safety impact on the person , and environment. On the other hand you yourself cut it outside , and possibly release it into the environment. If you were using a suitable extraction unit yourself outside, obviously you have some confidence issues with it.

sabre

I'm not entirely sure what the question is here. But I think there is a difference between 1) burning MDF in a domestic situation and potentially releasing carcinogens into an enclosed living space, and 2) taking precautions against inhaling the dust when working with the stuff. I'm not against MDF (although there are clearly issues about it). I'm just not in favour of taking avoidable risks.

kadman

Aeneas wrote: »

I'm not entirely sure what the question is here. But I think there is a difference between 1) burning MDF in a domestic situation and potentially releasing carcinogens into an enclosed living space, and 2) taking precautions against inhaling the dust when working with the stuff. I'm not against MDF (although there are clearly issues about it). I'm just not in favour of taking avoidable risks.

But are,nt you placing other people at health risk by cutting outside, and yet advise against burning it in a fire for health risk reasons.


kadman

gsxr1

very strange thread

galwaydude18

well I use it every single day in work for the manufacture of shops all over the country.. I have no proble using it and wear a dust mask when required (usually when routing the stuff) but most of our machinery is connected up to a dust extraction system!