I know a lot of people who do. There's just a question of what kind of wood it was originally. Something with a lot of sap might well put some creosote in the chimney, but unless you're burning it all the time I wouldn't worry too much about it.

It's the salt in the wood that helps create the neat colors.

Thank you, that is exactly the answer I was hoping to get!

WHOAAAA wait a minute. Salt corrodes metal. Corrosion is a chemical reaction. Chemical reactions happen faster with the presence of heat. Wood stoves produce a lot of heat. not a good combination. IMO.

Thanks Mountainguy, I am referring to a regular woodburning fireplace though...(ducking as I submit this)

is it metal? or masonry? if its masonry, i dont realy see a problem with it, if its a metal zero clearance, i would be carefull.

Well, to be perfectly honest, burning wood creates acidic byproducts that can also corrode metal.

I wouldn't be too worried about either one, really.

an additional reason not to burn wood containing lots of salt in any woodstove that has glass doors... it will etch the ceramic glass and cause it to haze badly.

Thanks everyone, I am still listening, just have nothing to add other than it is metal......

Stove guy, we're talking a fireplace, not a stove.

I wouldn't burn driftwood in a stove, either, but in a metal box fireplace it's not going to be that big of an issue.

Salt is corrosive to ferrous metals in the presence of moisture. There's not a lot of free moisture flying around inside a fireplace during the burning process.

Tannic acid in hardwoods such as oak is likely more of an issue during the actual burn time as heat does increase the chemical reaction rate.

Also, given that the post is asking about driftwood, it sounds as if the fireplace is located near the beach. Sea air can naturally be very corrosive due to the salt spray (the closer you are to the beach, the worse this problem is), but metal box woodburning fireplaces have, from what I can tell, perfectly normal lifespans.

Friends of mine own a 30 year old condo near Ocean City, Md., that is less than 100 feet from the high tide line. Their fireplace is used a number of times during the year (when I'm staying there I burn the hell out of it, including some driftwood to give the fire some color). The firebox is still in good shape.

A small amount of driftwood isn't going to pose a problem in a properly constructed fireplace.

But...

I'd be perfectly happy with saving the driftwood for a fire on the beach.

Im going to compile some links, if you google "can you burn driftwood in fireplaces" you will get lots of hits, not one supporting that you can burn driftwood in a open metal fireplace. The most intresting thing so far i have found is that the epa claims it releases toxic chemicals. Here is a clip from the epa site (http://www.epa.gov/woodstoves/healthier.html)

A Healthy Indoor Environment

Breathing smoke is not healthy. Wood smoke contains a mixture of gases and fine particles that can cause burning eyes, runny nose, and bronchitis. Fine particles can aggravate heart or respiratory problems, such as asthma, in people of all ages. Even limited exposure to smoke can be harmful to human health particularly to the health of children, the elderly, and those with chronic conditions.

To protect your health and that of everyone who shares your home:

* Use a properly installed, vented EPA certified woodstove
* Have the woodstove cleaned and inspected annually
* Use safe, efficient wood burning practices
* Follow the additional precautions below:

Never burn household garbage or cardboard. Plastics and the colored ink on magazines, boxes, and wrappers produce harmful chemicals when burned.

Never burn coated, painted, or pressure-treated wood because it releases toxic chemicals when burned.

Never burn ocean driftwood, plywood, particle board, or any wood with glue on or in it. They all release toxic chemicals when burned.

Never burn wet, rotted, diseased, or moldy wood.

Only bring into your home the amount of wood needed for a day to reduce the chance of allergy-causing mold spores circulating indoors.

Here is just a FAQ site quote:
http://www.chiefchimney.com/fireplace.htm
What Kind Of Wood Is Good To Burn?

Wood such as Oak, Cherry, Ash, Mulberry, Hackberry and other types of hardwoods are good to burn in your fireplace. All wood has the same Btu potential per pound. Hardwoods are more dense (they have less airspace in between the wood cells) than softwoods, therefore, there is more wood to burn in a piece of hardwood as opposed to a piece of softwood. A good rule of thumb is that if the tree produces a berry or a fruit, it is considered "hardwood". NEVER burn driftwood in a fireplace or a wood-burning stove as it has a high salt content that may cause damage and corrosion to your system!

www.woodheat.org asks you to:
Please dont burn:

· garbage of any kind

· treated, painted, or coated wood

· plywood and particle board

· salt water driftwood

· railroad ties

the list goes on and on, from the serria club, the epa, please google it and find me one site that SUPPORTS burning driftwood in ANY type of appliance, masonry or not, fireplace or stove. The biggest danger that i have see is that the cheap stainless liner that the fireplace us hooked up to will corrode, and with that goes its a VERY dangerous situation. You have the right idea, save it for the beach, but i learned somehting new, the epa says its toxic!

WOW. Thank you so much for the benefit of your research. I actually posted a few days ago, but I see it never showed up. I appreciate everyone's responses.

I think the point is burning driftwood in limited amounts on occasion is OK, but using it as your main source of wood supply could cause problems. Peace.

I guess occasionaly its ok to realease heavy metals found in seawater into your neighbors yard... yes. Me personally, i would not do anything anytime, that could corrode the interior liner of my metal chimney. When that goes you can burn your house down. I dont know how to define occasional. This thread is full of information, its your choice to use it how you see fit. Maybe im to consertive when it comes to saftey and the hearth industry. Take the information given and do what ever people want. You have to remember, that there are lots of readers here that look at this thread but never post in it, and you also have to realize that alot of people call stoves fireplaces, and fireplaces inserts, and gas logs gas fireplaces etc etc. The terminology in this industry is used very loosley. This thread had to be thourough to educate every one reading, just not the original poster. This practice can realy mess up a stove, even occasionally.