A wood fire or (pellet) stove releases harmful substances into the air. Especially in fog and windless weather, the smoke lingers around the house and in the neighborhood for a long time. That is not healthy for anyone. Therefore, rather leave the fire out more often. And if you burn, burn as cleanly as possible.
What do you need to know
- There are (as yet) no national rules or laws for the municipality to take proper action against the nuisance caused by wood burning
- There is as yet no legal basis for banning wood-burning stoves in private homes
- If you want to purchase a wood-burning stove, get information from a recognized company or trade association
- Smoke from a wood-burning stove or fireplace is the most common odor complaint in the neighborhood
Health
- Local residents may become short of breath and/or develop coughing complaints. People with (hyper) sensitive airways and lung disorders suffer a lot from low-hanging smoke
- Children have a greater risk of respiratory complaints. Think of colds, asthma, bronchitis and pneumonia
- In houses where heating is used regularly, there are also consequences for residents and their health
Smoke nuisance
In case of smoke nuisance, follow the following steps:
- Talk to your neighbors and tell them that you are bothered by the smoke. Usually the stoker himself does not even realize that he or she is causing a nuisance. We understand that it can be difficult to address your neighbours. If you don't know how to handle this or if you can't come to an agreement with your neighbours, you can ask for help from the neighborhood mediation of Versa Welfare. For more information, go to
- Note down the days, times, weather conditions, where you experience the nuisance (in your home or garden) and what the consequences are of the nuisance (for example, stench or soot)
- Give your experiences and signals to usso that we get a better picture of the nuisance
Tips for burning wood
By firing in the right way, you ensure much less harmful substances in the air and less nuisance.
- Have the chimney thoroughly swept at least once a year so that there is a free air supply
- Only burn dry wood. Moist wood does not burn well and that produces extra smoke and particulate matter
- Never use painted wood, impregnated wood or pressed boards (these contain a lot of adhesives). Combustion can release very harmful substances
- Do not burn paper and cardboard. It gives a lot of smoke and ash in the air
- Do not burn in windless or foggy weather. The smoke lingers and locally causes a lot of air pollution. On atlasleefambience.nl/stookwijzer see if there is enough wind to burn
- Op RIVM.nl see when there is one heating alert is. A fire alert indicates when it is wiser not to burn wood. You can sign up for a heating alert by email
- Use sustainable firewood with an FSC or PEFC quality mark. Wood with this quality mark comes from responsibly managed forests
- Do not close ('choke') the air supply valve completely. The wood then does not burn completely, which means that many more harmful substances are created
- Ventilate your home while heating. The fire then attracts oxygen. The chimney expels the smoke and helps complete combustion
- Check whether you are heating properly. A good fire has yellow, even flames. Orange flames and dark smoke indicate that the combustion is not good
Contact Us
Contact the Construction Supervisor at 14 035. Available from Monday to Friday between 8.30:17.00 am and XNUMX:XNUMX pm.
