My neighbours hate my wood burner.

[HollyBerryTree]

We are in a cul de sac of detached bungalows.
My wood burner was fitted last Autumn and at the moment we are using it a lot and we love it.

But the neighbours says it creating dust which lands on their cars.

Is this a possibility?

To the best of my knowledge it's all properly fitted, it came from a reputable local company. If it's dropping dust on my car I wouldn't notice. I've got an old Fiesta that's on its last legs. I work full time. The neighbours work at home and polish their lovely cars a lot.

Can you get filters?
Maybe it's just because it's been super windy?
Does your wood burner make dust?

They pollute the surroundings, and inside your home.

These will prove to have been a major health hazard affecting the middle classes in the future.

Thankfully we are too allergic to woodsmoke in my household to have been tempted - but they without a doubt have an impact on the immediate outside enviroment.

Where I live, people have periodic moans about the traveller site burning all kinds of detritus, but don't look to the top of their own chimney stacks

We live in a estate with off set houses, so the side of a house in the next street is next to our small back garden. Last year they installed a woodburner and erected a great, silver, ugly metal chimney on the side of the house 3 foot from our garden and about 1.5metres from our daughters bedroom window. Believe me despite them claiming otherwise....it stinks! The smoke blows directly at us and if we dare to leave windows open our whole house smells not to mention it has been proved how polluting they are, yet our family is constantly breathing in the dangerous smoke!
The sooner they ban the bloody things the better!

I cannot believe they're allowed in built up residential areas. Same goes for garden fire pits, chimineas and coal bbqs. You can always smell them, they're totally antisocial. I honestly think you've got to be truly selfish to have one unless you're out in the sticks not near other people.

You're burning stuff, likely is causing dust.

Terrible for the environment too.

Are you burning properly dried and seasoned wood?

I've had a wood burner for years and none of my neighbours have ever complained.

"Definitely no smell"

Hahaha, what?! They stink.

Even well dried and seasoned wood causes pollution and particulates both inside your home ( lung cancer and lung damage risk, also linked to strokes and heart attacks) and for people living near to your house.

@Gottalovesummer

They are extremely anti social.

Our neighbours have theirs on constantly and we can't hang out washing or even keep our windows open as it stinks.

Nice for you.

Awful for your neighbours.

Why would you have your windows open in winter (when people tend to use their wood burners?) Same question regarding hanging out washing.

Some of my neighbours have anti social garden bonfires in the summer, during the day. Far worse than me using my wood burner in a winter evening in my opinion.

Our neighbours in our old house had one and it smelt a lot. I don’t remember any ash though.

Why would you have your windows open in winter (when people tend to use their wood burners?)

what silly question is that? of course people open their windows even in winter to air their house to prevent mould/mildew.

Far worse than me using my wood burner in a winter evening in my opinion.

Well, of course you won't think there is a problem with your use of a wood burner otherwise you wouldn't have one.

Why? Due to having to keep our windows closed we have a black mould problem around the windows and walls.

Ours never deposits any dust anywhere and I’ve never noticed a smell when I’ve gone outside when it’s burning, we do have a very high roof though. Same for the neighbours fires.

Can you really blame them?

My ndn has a wood burner, and I certainly know when it’s been lit. The prevailing winds bring the smoke in my direction, which is annoying, especially if I have laundry on the line. However, it’s not an everyday issue, and spring is on the way!! I don’t get dust on my car as I keep it in my garage, but I can’t say I have noticed dust/ash anywhere else either.

Could be the Saharan dust storm we had recently?
Everyone has wood burners or open fires here and yes it smells a bit smoky sometimes but I haven't noticed huge amounts of soot falling on cars 😬

Bad for the environment and people's lungs, yet increasing in popularity like mad. I despair.

And they stink.

I feel for your neighours.

It may well be saharan dust, there was at least one decent plume recently.

Why would you have your windows open in winter (when people tend to use their wood burners?) Same question regarding hanging out washing.

Houses need airing all year round, and not everyone has a tumble dryer! I hang my washing out on dry days all year round - it doesn’t have to be sunny, wind helps it dry too. I only don’t do it if my neighbours are in the garden smoking.

OP, I’m not surprised your neighbours are upset. Regardless of dust, the particulate caused by wood burners is very bad for your health. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them banned at some point.

People open their windows all year round, not just in summer.

Wood burners are lovely but they stink. We had ours removed after reading the health concerns, we were worried about DC living in the house with it.

PradaBallbag I open my windows all year round.

And I hang out my washing when it's dry.

Don't you?

And most wood burners are on all day long
and not just evenings.

Do some people go the whole winter without opening their windows??
Your houses must stink.

Our neighbour behind us has one, he’s a supplier/installer of them, the bloody thing stinks and blows out thick smoke when they’ve just lit it. On more then one occasion we have come home to our house stinking of smoke after we’ve been out for the day, also have to run and shut windows regularly when he lights the bastard thing. They are so antisocial and bad for the environment they should be banned

@PradaBallbag there is probably some local bylaw stopping bonfires during the day so you could actually do something about that . For people like me who have emphysema / asthma even if I walk the dog and go past a house where a wood burner is lit if affects my breathing . I hope they get banned .

Every house in my terrace, and probably 95% of the houses in my village have wood burners. Honestly I have never noticed excess dust as a result! I like the smell of wood smoke. When you live in the countryside it's just a normal smell, like soil and rain and manure.

No one where I live would say that using a wood burning stove is antisocial! I also have a fire pit, a bbq and a pizza oven so presumably I am a terrible neighbour

I've had one for 9 years. So far I haven't noticed dust on my own car, never mind the neighbours.

And even if there is ash or dust, it would blow off when the car moves. It doesn't sound like much of a problem. Do they ban birds in case bird poo gets on their cars?