Q&A

Is creosote legal to use?

Is creosote legal to use?

Therefore, creosote is often applied to wood fencing in order to preserve its lifespan. However, the EPA currently restricts the use of creosote to commercial uses only, limited to railroad ties and utility poles. Residential use of creosote is prohibited, including its use in landscaping and gardening.

Why can you not buy creosote?

In 2003 the EU took the decision to ban the amateur use of creosote as a precautionary measure, because of concerns around the impacts of creosote on human health and the environment. Approvals for professional and industrial use of creosote products were allowed to continue.

How long do creosote fence posts last?

As a whole, the post and lumber specimens indicate an expected durability of over 50 years for creosote-treated wood and over 60 years for wood treated with pentachlorophenol, copper naph- thenate, ACZA, or CCA.

How can you tell if wood is treated with creosote?

Creosote is made out of the distillation of tar from wood/coal and it has a dark color, so the simplest way to tell if the railroad tie has been previously treated with creosote is by the color of it.

How do you avoid creosote when smoking meat?

To eliminate creosote you need to start with a clean smoker. A dirty, crusted smoker will help produce creosote. Then you need to make sure that you have proper airflow. If you have a small water smoker there probably isn’t a lot you can do to hold in smoke or control how much gets away.

What is the best way to dispose of creosote?

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, creosote-treated wood “can be disposed of by ordinary trash collection.” Creosote, made from coal, is used to treat wood to prevent the wood from rotting.

Is creosote safe when dry?

In the wet state harmful to animals and plants but once dry (48 hours) product is not considered unsafe. Splashes on leaves of plants will cause burns but long term systemic damage is unlikely. May be toxic to bats and bees.

When did they stop using creosote?

Creosote, derived from coal tar, is widely used on utility poles, railroad ties and marine bulkheads. It is considered carcinogenic in high quantities, according to the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. The ban on the sale, manufacture or use of creosote would begin on Jan. 1, 2005.

How do you stop wooden fence posts from rotting?

Fill the first three inches up with gravel so the end of the post doesn’t come into contact with the dirt. Gravel allows water to drain quickly away from the post and into the soil. Be sure to place the post in the center of the hole. Finally, fill the entire hole up with cement to the top.

How do you keep fence posts from rotting at the ground level?

Place your fence post on top of the gravel drainage layer and fill the rest of the hole in with soil, ensuring it stands firm and steady. As an alternative, Postsaver sleeves are a cost-effective, simple way to keep wood rot at bay.

Do railroad ties still have creosote?

Railroad ties are treated wood, steeped in a toxic stew of chemicals, chief of which is creosote. You can find old railroad ties for sale even at garden centers, which makes the question confusing. The EPA has denounced these repurposed barriers as toxic and not recommended for the garden.

Are railroad ties still treated with creosote?

Railroad ties are treated with chemical preservatives, such as creosote and chromated copper arsenate. Both of these chemicals are banned for residential use, and they’re potentially harmful to humans and plants. Make sure you understand the risks of using creosote railroad ties in your landscaping.

What kind of creosote is used for railroad timbers?

Creosote Lumber Bayou Forest Products is a leading supplier of creosote-treated wood products. Creosote is a treatment that is appropriate for many industrial applications, including railroads, bridges, and marine use. We treat our large Southern Yellow Pine timbers to retention as high as 25 PCF, appropriate for even saltwater submersion.

How are southern pine trees treated for creosote?

After the Cypress posts were no longer available Southern Pine trees were debarked and treated by dipping them into a barrel filled with creosote oil made from coal tar. More modern mills were built which used a machine to peel these small trees and pressure treat them in a cylinder or retort under pressure.

What kind of wood do you cut with creosote?

Cedar may be our specialty but creosote comes in a close second. As with the Cedar we can cut your creosote to your dimensions. Creosote is used most commonly in trailer decks and horse barns; however, we have seen it used in very many other ways from driveway runners to shutters.

How much did B and M creosote make?

B&M had sales of $400,000.00 at the time and employed 8 people. In 1978 another retort was installed to treat with CCA as the Creosote product was becoming more expensive.