Nuisance wood burning, smoke

Many people are really bothered by the smoke produced when burning wood. This includes both odor nuisances and health issues. Be aware that burning wood affects people in the surrounding area. For example, neighbors may be bothered by the smell or experience irritation to their eyes and respiratory tract. They may even have to close their windows because of your fire. Talk to your neighbors and check out the tips on this page for safe and responsible fire-burning.

How harmful wood smoke is depends on the type of stove, the wood you use, and how you burn it. Use only dry wood; never use painted or treated wood. Have your chimney thoroughly swept at least once a year, and ensure proper ventilation while burning wood. This will also help prevent accidents. A good fire has yellow, even flames and produces almost no smoke from the chimney. Finally, you can also have a wood smoke filter installed on your chimney.

You can find more information about safe and responsible heating at:

• Reducing Nuisance from Wood Smoke – Rijksoverheid rijksoverheid
• Rules for Burning Wood in Homes and Gardens – IPLO https://iplo.nl/thema/lucht/regels-houtstook-vanuit-woningen-tuinen

You can also consult the heating guide (app): http://www.atlasleefomgeving.nl/stookwijzer. Based on current weather conditions, it provides advice on when it is safe to burn wood. In unfavorable weather conditions, such as light winds or fog, smoke lingers longer, increasing the risk of nuisance and air pollution. This advice applies to both indoor and outdoor wood burning.

Are you bothered by wood burning? Start by talking to each other. Not everyone is aware that a fireplace or wood stove emits harmful substances that pose health risks to both the surrounding area and the person burning the wood. Share the available tips and use the Stookwijzer to determine when it’s better to burn wood and when it’s not.

The municipality of Wassenaar has no additional policies regarding wood burning beyond the national policy. You can file a complaint, but the municipality cannot enforce regulations regarding smoke nuisance. Enforcement is only possible if the requirements of the Bbl regarding smoke venting are not met.

If residents are unable to resolve the issue among themselves and the nuisance persists, a report can be filed via the Stookwijzer at . This allows the RIVM and the municipality of Wassenaar to see how many and what types of complaints have been filed. If you would like the municipality to contact you, please indicate this in the comments section.

Location of the Smoke Exhaust
It is important that a smoke exhaust system, which causes smoke nuisance, complies with the requirements set forth in the Building and Living Environment Decree (BBL). If these requirements are not met, there is a valid reason to take enforcement action. Different rules apply to existing buildings than to new construction.

Existing Buildings
For existing buildings, the Bbl sets Requirements less specific Requirements the location of the flue gas outlet. Article 3.76 of the Bbl refers to NEN Standard 8757. This standard specifies Requirements the direction of airflow and also states that an outlet in the facade is not permitted for solid fuels, such as wood.

New Construction
For new construction and renovations, the following Requirements apply Requirements the exhaust of flue gases from solid fuels, such as wood: 

1. The drain outlet must be above the roof.
2. The drain outlet must be at least 1 meter from the neighbors (property line).

A wall-mounted flue is therefore not permitted for a wood-burning stove, pellet stove, or open fireplace. This is stipulated in Article 4.138, paragraphs 3 and 4, of the Bbl and Article 5.16 of the Bbl.                                                                                 

Flue Gas Discharge Height To determine the discharge height of flue gases, the Bbl refers to standards set by the Netherlands Standardization Institute (NEN 2757-1, new construction or renovation, and NEN 8757, existing buildings).
The required flue gas discharge height is at least 0.5 meters above the ridge height, depending on the roof pitch and the location of the chimney. For existing chimneys, flue gases may sometimes be discharged below the ridge height, again depending on the roof pitch and the location of the chimney.

Please note: Additional requirements apply to a new chimney on a low-rise extension because the existing facade of the house is considered an “obstacle” to the flow of flue gases. The chimney (flue) must therefore be high enough to allow the smoke to flow away. The required height depends on the specific situation and may be several meters above the roof surface. A rough rule of thumb is that the flue pipe must reach nearly to the ridge height of the adjacent building’s roof (the outlet may be positioned at a 10-degree downward angle).
An installer must apply these rules. A municipal building inspector can verify whether a chimney complies with the regulations.

You can report directly through the Stookwijzer. You can do so using the button below.
This allows the RIVM and municipality of Wassenaar to see how many and what kind of complaints there are. If you want the municipality to contact you, please indicate this in the explanation.

Report