I'm trying to decide whether to use butane or propane for burning weeds in my block paved pathway. I've heard that propane burns hotter and works better in colder temps, which seems like it would do a better job at killing the weeds. However, it seems like all the weed burners available are mostly butane. Is there a benefit to using butane perhaps, like being safer for the paving or allowing for deeper heat penetration? I'm wondering if a slower burn might actually be more effective for the weeds too.
2 Answers
Propane does burn hotter at just over 2000°C compared to butane, which is just under. But honestly, for scorching weeds, I doubt you’ll notice much difference in practice. It’s more about the technique than just the temperature.
Honestly, it probably won’t make much of a difference between butane and propane for what you're trying to do. When you flame weed, you typically don’t actually burn the weeds to a crisp. Instead, you just need to heat them just enough to damage their cells, which causes them to wilt over time. Just a quick pass with the flame is usually enough to do the trick, so the paving shouldn’t really get warm at all.
That's actually a solid plan! Cutting them first can help reduce regrowth, so you should be good.
Thanks for the insight! Since grass isn’t a problem for me, I was planning to cut the weeds down first with a hoe and then burn them. Do you think that would work better, or should I just go straight to burning them?