Can You Burn Hardwood Flooring: An Insight

Hardwood flooring boards come in various sizes, and often, homeowners or professionals have to cut them to the right dimensions for them to be placed in the proper arrangement and installed.

This sometimes results in leftover pieces of hardwood flooring, which many people tend to discard. While some might prefer throwing the extra pieces in the garbage, others prefer to burn them. However, burning hardwood flooring is a debatable topic, and people need clear views regarding this topic.

Burning hardwood floors is possible but not recommended, especially if the wood is prefinished or treated. Doing so can cause many health dangers and problems of other sorts, which can turn out to be turbulent in a matter of time.

However, some safe types of wood can be burned in a certain environment which we will discuss.

Can You Burn Hardwood Flooring Outside?

Burning any wood flooring should be done outside only. If you have a fire pit outside your house or an open area where you can burn your hardwood pieces, feel free to do so; however, burning treated wood might not be very safe, as the resin can turn toxic when burned.

Moreover, make sure there are no houses in the immediate vicinity, or your neighbors will not have a pleasant time breathing while you are burning your wood.

This is mainly because of the smoke and the possible toxic fumes from the wood. In addition, it is necessary to abide by the local laws; hence, if your local law does not allow burning any item, you must refrain from doing so.

Permits or other documentation are required before performing any such activity on your property. If you ignore these laws, you might face legal penalties or punishments from the district court for violations.

Also Read: Can You Glue Hardwood Flooring To Concrete?

How Do You Burn Hardwood Floors?

Burning hardwood floors is a fairly simple task, as all you need to do is pile up all the hardwood pieces and set them to fire.

However, there is another important step involved. The hardwood is made for domestic use, so it might not be as inflammable as it once was, making it difficult to catch fire.

A suitable solution is adding some leaves or hay to the wood pile. The reason is to keep the fire burning until the temperature reaches a certain point where the hardwood catches fire.

Once it starts burning, you don’t have to do much, and if it is in your fire pit, you can enjoy the flames and heat on cold nights.

However, it is necessary to ensure that the hardwood is purely natural and not treated with chemicals, as this can lead to many health risks immediately after burning.

Is It Safe To Burn Finished Wood?

Burning finished wood is not safe at all. Finished wood has been treated with various chemicals and has undergone many other tests and processes, which coat it with polyurethane and more.

These materials and substances are safe when dried, but they can be extremely dangerous and toxic in their liquid or gaseous form.

Burning finished wood can mean releasing toxic substances into the environment, which can make you subject to environmental laws violation resulting in serious penalties.

Apart from that, the emission of greenhouse gasses can prove to be extremely hazardous for your health.
There are many diseases that can occur by inhaling or coming into contact with the fumes of burning finished wood.

These include allergies, skin, eyes, throat, respiratory issues, asthma, increased toxic levels in the blood, and a lot more.

Moreover, if you have any pets around, they are at even greater risk if they are exposed to burning finished wood.

Wood finishes such as polyurethane can cause cancer in animals, and it does not require prolonged exposure for that to happen.

As we know, it is not recommended to sand a finished wood as it might release toxic vapors or sawdust, which can harm human health.

Accordingly, burning the finished wood is completely out of the question and can cause serious health damage to you or your family members.

Hence, burning finished wood is unsafe and should not be attempted under any circumstances.

If you have extra finished wood pieces or boards you want to get rid of, it is best to give them back to the seller as they would know what to do with them, or discard them in your garbage, where they can be treated properly in a safe environment.

See Also: How Can I Restore My Hardwood Floors Cheaply?

Can You Burn Hardwood Flooring In A Fireplace?

If the hardwood is green and does not feature chemical treatments or composite materials, you can burn it in your fireplace.

Greenwood is a type of wood that has not undergone any chemical treatment and is purely natural. Such woods can be burnt in your fireplace without any worries as you don’t have to be concerned about toxic emissions.

If you are concerned about any chemical content in your hardwood, it is best to contact and inquire from the manufacturer before attempting any such thing.

Doing so will keep you safe from any unwanted scenarios or dire emergencies.

Can You Burn Engineered Hardwood Flooring?

Engineered hardwood flooring is a composite material and should not be burned at any cost. Engineered hardwood comprises many materials such as wood, vinyl, PVC, plastics, veneer, and more.

Its high plasticity content is the major factor behind its durability and anti-rot/anti-decay properties. As we know, plastics are not usually biodegradable and can emit greenhouse gasses that are extremely dangerous to one’s health.

Moreover, not being biodegradable also means that even after burning the wood, you won’t be left with just ashes as there would still be remnants of plastics and other materials which are not degraded easily without chemical processing.

Hence, you would not only be destroying the area you are burning it on but will also put your health at stake along with that of your family members as well as your neighbors.

Therefore, it is not recommended to burn hardwood flooring even if you want to do it so badly.

Don’t Miss: Is It Worth It To Restore Hardwood Floors?

Can You Burn Unfinished Oak Flooring?

It is possible to burn unfinished oak flooring safely as it is pure wood and contains no artificial elements.

Not only can you burn the unfinished oak, but it is also safe to be in the presence of fire as it comes from natural elements, which makes it safe for humans and animals.

Unfinished oak flooring is a luxury, and it is a rare sight to find any of it burning, but if you have extra shavings or cut-out pieces that you want to burn, feel free to do so.

You can burn these in the open air, in your fire pit, or even in a stove if you want to. Make sure to check the user manual of the stove and the firepit before you do so to be on the safe side.

Another factor to remember is to burn wood only in an open or ventilated area. Toxic or not, there are going to be vapors and some smoke which might cause breathing inconveniences if not tackled on time.

Hence, if you are burning unfinished oak flooring in a fire pit, ensure there is a chimney, or the windows are open to let the smoke out and allow fresh air to fill the room.

This will make the process enjoyable and keep your health in check.

Can You Burn Old Wood Flooring?

Old wood flooring can be burnt if it has no finish and hasn’t been treated at any point in its life. However, getting old wood to burn is quite hard as its inflammable rating would have dropped.

Depending on how old the wood is, it can be quite a task before it catches fire, and once it does, it will burn pretty quickly as there are as many healthy fibers available inside, which would cause the wood to burn longer.

Moreover, you would have to keep the fire burning for some time before the old flooring can catch it.

You can try the hay and leaves method, but it is not guaranteed to work. Using a bot of kerosene oil might bring you some luck in getting the old flooring to catch fire.

However, if the old flooring is finished, you must not burn it as it will release toxic gasses that are harmful to the environment.

If you burn it in a non-ventilated room, there is a high chance that the smoke and the toxic gasses will suffocate you, and in worst-case scenarios, they can even cause death.

Related: Will Buckled Hardwood Floors Go Back To Normal?

Can You Burn Hardwood Flooring In A Wood Stove?

All types of unfinished wood can be burnt in a wood stove. However, you must check the maximum heat rating for your stove and fill in the wood accordingly.

Stuffing too much wood into the oven can cause the temperatures to rise above the recommended rating, resulting in malfunctions or even accidents.

It is preferred to check the manufacturer’s instructions before burning the wood in a wood stove.

If the wood you want to burn was treated with chemicals before, you could burn it in the wood stove if it has a separate chimney that leads the smoke out of the house.

It is still recommended to check the user manual before attempting anything. In addition, if you have successfully burnt treated wood in a wood stove, you must wear a gas mask, eyeglasses, and gloves if you want to clean it, as the residues of the toxic vapors would remain inside the stove and can still harm you.

Final Thoughts

Burning wood is not an advisable act regardless of any treatments that the wood has or has not gone through.

Burning wooden flooring is not an eco-friendly act and can cause disturbances in the environment and you must refrain from doing so.

However, if need be and you have to burn the wooden floorings, make sure to only burn the ones which were not finished.

Finished floorings can cause serious damage to your health and the environment and you might get seriously sick or can develop a disease afterwards.

Besides, if you want to burn finished floorings in an enclosed environment such as a wood stove, make sure there is ample ventilation and the duct leads outside the house. Even better, read the manual to know if it is safe to do so or not.