If you grew up with a wood stove or fireplace, you probably remember the sound of crackling logs and that unmistakable smell of a good fire. A lot of folks I talk to are chasing that same feeling today, but now we’ve got building codes and air-quality rules. Everybody who owns a wood burning stove should know what not to burn in one, so they don’t cause damage to their stove or introduce toxins into their living room.
The good news? You can absolutely enjoy safe, efficient wood heat with your Vermont Castings stove and keep your family, the neighbors, the inspector, and your chimney all happy. That’s what we help people do every day.
In this post I’ll walk through:
- What’s safe (and not safe) to burn
- How wood quality and draft affect your Vermont Castings stove
- Simple checks you can do at home to keep things running safely
- When it’s time to look at replacement parts or call in help
1. Start with the right fuel: “good wood” only
A Vermont Castings stove is designed around one thing: properly seasoned, natural wood. The better the fuel, the safer and more efficient the burn.
For best results:
- Use hardwood that’s been air-dried 12–18 months (oak, maple, ash, beech, etc.).
- Aim for wood under 20% moisture content. Too wet = smoky, creosote-heavy fires.
- Split logs to the size recommended for your model and keep them covered and off the ground.
Good wood makes your stove easier to light, reduces smoke and creosote, and helps your stove draft the way Vermont Castings designed it to.
2. Can I burn that old diseased elm tree?
This one comes up more often than you’d think.
If the forestry department has just told you that your elm has Dutch elm disease, you may be allowed to burn it: but with conditions. In many cities and counties, you’re required to:
- Remove and discard the bark before storing or burning the wood
- Dispose of bark and heavily infested material at an approved site
- Follow any local restrictions on transporting diseased wood
Because rules vary, always check with your local authorities before processing or burning diseased trees. The goal is to avoid spreading pests or disease while still getting some safe heat out of the wood.
If the wood is solid, dry, and not covered in mold or insects, it can usually be burned. If it crumbles in your hands, smells sour, or is visibly moldy, skip the stove and take it to a proper disposal site. Moldy or bug-infested wood belongs in the landfill, not in your Vermont Castings firebox.
3. Old stacks of wood: burn it or bin it?
Plenty of people have a forgotten pile of logs behind the shed. Before you bring any of that inside:
- Check for structural soundness
- If the log basically disintegrates when you pick it up, it’s compost, not firewood.
- Look for mold and fungal growth
- Heavy white, green, or black fuzz? Don’t burn it.
- Check for active insect infestations
- Carpenter ants, beetles, termites: those are all reasons to dispose, not burn.
If it’s old, but still solid, dry, and clean, you can usually mix it into your regular wood supply. If it’s punky, moldy, or crawling, do your stove and lungs a favor and throw it out.
4. Scrap lumber, cardboard, and “mystery” materials
I know it’s tempting: you just finished an addition or a remodel and there’s a big pile of “free fuel” sitting in the driveway.
Here’s the hard truth: most of that pile does not belong in your Vermont Castings stove.
Things you should not burn:
- Pressure-treated lumber
- Painted wood
- Plywood, OSB, MDF, particle board
- Construction plastics, vinyl, or foam insulation
- Cardboard and packing materials
- Anything you’re not 100% sure is untreated, natural wood
These materials are often full of glues, resins, heavy metals, and other chemicals. Burning them can:
- Damage or plug your catalytic combustor
- Permanently stain the glass
- Warp internal components from over-firing
- Create toxic fumes inside and outside the home
If you insist on burning scrap, limit yourself to small amounts of clean, untreated lumber, and mix it in with regular firewood. Never heap a load of construction scrap in the firebox and crank the air wide open—that’s how stoves get warped and chimneys get dangerously hot.
When in doubt: let the contractor haul off the debris and save your stove for real firewood.
5. Draft, chimneys, and why smoke sometimes comes back inside
Wood burning isn’t just “light it and forget it.” Your Vermont Castings stove relies on natural draft to pull air into the firebox and push smoke up and out through the chimney.
Here’s what’s going on:
- As smoke heats up, it becomes lighter than the cold outside air.
- The hotter that column of air in the chimney, the stronger the upward pull (draft).
- Strong draft = cleaner glass, less smoke roll-out, and more reliable heat.
A few things that affect draft:
- Chimney height & location: Short chimneys or those that terminate near rooflines or tall trees can struggle.
- Outdoor temperature: Colder outside air usually gives better draft (within reason).
- House pressure: Tight homes with big kitchen fans or bath fans running can go into negative pressure and “fight” the stove.
If you find you have to crack a window near the stove to get it to burn right, it may be a sign you’d benefit from an outside-air intake to supply combustion air directly to the stove.
What about “back-puffing”?
Some Vermont Castings users report an occasional “whoomp” sound and smoke puffing into the room. That’s usually back-puffing: combustion gases building up in the firebox faster than the chimney can exhaust them.
If this happens:
- Open the damper to give smoke a faster path to the flue
- Avoid loading huge piles of wood all at once
- Make sure your wood is dry and your chimney is clean
If back-puffing continues, it’s worth checking for plugged components or draft issues and sometimes, worn parts.
6. Simple safety checks you can do on your Vermont Castings stove
A few quick checks can tell you a lot about the health of your stove. These are ones I walk customers through all the time.
6.1. Door & ash pan gaskets (the “dollar bill test”)
An airtight seal is critical for controllable burns and long overnight fires. To test your gaskets:
- Close a dollar bill (or similar sturdy paper) in the door.
- Try to pull it out.
- If it pulls out easily with no resistance, the gasket is likely worn and should be replaced.
- If there’s resistance, the gasket is still doing its job.
Repeat this around the perimeter of the door and on the ash pan if your model has one.
You should also watch for smoke escaping from:
- Flue collar
- Griddle or top-loading lid
- Damper area
- Stovepipe seams
Leaks at joints can often be sealed with black stove cement; worn gaskets should be replaced.
We stock a full range of Vermont Castings door, glass, and ash door gaskets at Stove-Parts-Unlimited, and the replacement process is well within DIY territory for most homeowners.
6.2. Catalytic combustor condition (for catalytic models)
If your Vermont Castings stove has a catalytic combustor, it’s doing a ton of work behind the scenes—turning smoke and unburned gases into extra heat and cleaner exhaust.
Inspect it periodically for:
- Cracks or crumbling
- Cells plugged with creosote or ash
- Pieces flaking or falling apart
Catalysts are typically designed to last around 12,000 hours of use, but over-firing or burning the wrong materials can shorten that life significantly. If yours is broken up or heavily plugged, it’s time for a replacement combustor.
6.3. Convection blower health (if equipped)
Many Vermont Castings stoves use a convection (room air) blower to move heat into the room.
Warning signs include:
- Loud squealing or grinding (often a bad bearing)
- Excessive vibration (bent impeller or shaft)
- Failure to start or run consistently
Technicians will often “bench test” the blower outside the stove to confirm whether it’s the motor or something else. If the blower is squealing or vibrating badly, replacement is usually the safest route.
We carry OEM and compatible Vermont Castings blowers and can help you match the right unit to your model.
7. Should you cut your own firewood or buy it?
There’s a romantic picture of cutting your own wood: flannel shirt, wool cap, trusty pickup, and a perfectly stacked woodshed.
In reality, once you account for:
- Chainsaw purchase and maintenance
- Fuel, oil, bar chains, and safety gear
- Time spent cutting, splitting, hauling, and stacking
- Wear and tear on your truck
That “free” wood can easily end up costing you $30–$40 per cord or more in real-world terms. For some people, the exercise and satisfaction are worth every penny. For others, having seasoned wood delivered “ready to burn” looks better and better.
There’s no right answer here: just make sure that however you source your wood, it meets the safety standards we’ve talked about.
8. When you need help or replacement parts
If you’re seeing any of the following, don’t ignore it:
- Persistent smoke spillage or back-puffing
- Gaskets that fail the dollar bill test
- Cracked or plugged catalytic combustors
- Noisy, failing blowers
- Warped or damaged internal parts
That’s exactly where we come in.
I work with Vermont Castings owners every day to:
- Identify the right gaskets, combustors, glass, blowers, and internal parts
- Walk through basic troubleshooting over the phone or by email
- Help you keep a good stove running safely for many years
You can browse Vermont Castings replacement parts through our main store Stove-Parts-Unlimited.com for secure ordering and fast shipping.
Final thoughts
Safe wood burning is a mix of good fuel, proper draft, and a stove that’s mechanically sound. If you:
- Burn clean, seasoned hardwood
- Avoid questionable materials, construction scraps, and moldy wood
- Keep an eye on your gaskets, catalyst, and blower
- Stay on top of chimney maintenance
…your Vermont Castings stove can give you many seasons of warm, safe, nostalgic fires.
If you’re not sure what part you need, or you just want a second opinion, please reach out. Helping people keep their stoves safe and their families warm is literally what we do all day.