Can i stain railroad ties

The railroad ties will continuously leach creosote over the lifespan it takes to rot. If you are on well water, you may be drinking the leached creosote. Are old railroad ties toxic? If the railroad ties are old, creosote may ooze out, leeching the soil and killing plants, insects and small animals. The arsenic in the wood is toxic, making it a danger to plants and wildlife that have prolonged contact with it.

CCA- treated railroad ties should be disposed of through municipal means. How do you keep landscape timbers from rotting? How to Seal and Coat Pressure-Treated Landscape Timbers Wash the cut area on the pressure-treated landscape timbers with oil solvent, which you can buy at many drug stores. Sand the area around the cut area of the pressure-treated landscape timber with sandpaper to remove the remainder of the solvent.

Stain or paint the wood if you want to while the cut area is exposed. Is it illegal to use railroad ties for landscaping? Every EPA site said the same thing about the main preservative in old railroad ties: "Creosote is a possible human carcinogen and has no registered residential use.

There are no approved residential uses of creosote treated wood. How do you remove landscaping from railroad ties? Pick the soil away from the ends of the top railroad tie on the retaining wall, using a mattock, shovel or similar digging tools. The ends of the railroad ties should be set in the soil to help anchor the wall. Pull the end pieces off the wall after removing the soil.

What do you do with rotted railroad ties? Repair the damage. If there is surface splintering on the tie, sand or grind it off. If there is rot, sand it away or saw it off. You can use some deck wash additive if you wish. All the ones I have are creosote soaked and tar covered.

They are also much larger than landscaping ties. There's a few places that sell them used are us. I would not hestitate to pressure wash them, but that's just me. They likely are railroad cross ties, because that's what I see for sale around here. PT timbers are green to yellow and smaller than ties. I need a couple of low retaining walls and want to know the best way to cut the railroad ties. I had a retaining wall built out of landscape 6x6's.

They rotted out and the wall began to collapse. I now have a wall built from manufactured blocks. Its stout and not going anywhere. If you have good drainage the wood might be OK; I did not but I do now! Pressure wash with cool or cold water just to get the dirt and dust off. You don't need high pressure. Then coat with creosote if you can get it. Other wise look for coal tar pitch based wood preservative. It is a commercial product so you may have to do a bit of looking to find it.

Be very liberal in your application. I typically apply it to the point of refusal. Be carful to protect surrounding things as it is a sob to clean up and keep it off your skin it will burn.

Fumes can cause eye irritation so use appropriate precautions when applying. Very dark, and quite large by comparison. Maybe not true used railroad ties, but the same idea. Much more irregular surface than PT lumber also.

I do not want to coat with creosote What is a modern safer alternative? It is not illegal it is just not a happy homeowner product you can get at homedepo anymore.

It is only toxic if you bath in it. But thanks to the general public not having much common sense it is a restricted product. I think there are stains out there that are compatible with it. I would look at the Sherman Williams web site or stop in one of there stores and see if they have something. When we were building the new race track here, somebody, either the insurance company, or the municipality or whoever else has power was quite vocal about the use of railroad ties for our various outbuildings.

Do not use them or we will do something bad to you. I have seen the creation of RR Ties, the are not "coated" or "soaked" in creosote, they are more like infused with the stuff. Imagine steam and heat and pressure in a big pressure vessel. Nasty stuff, but man do the ties last! I have retaining walls made out of true RR ties and have replaced the top course.

Because of EPA you can only pressure treat stuff with creosote now, no more brushing or spraying. Plus, you aren't likley going to find it anywhere. Creosote is some interesting stuff and has had a lot of varied uses inclduing medicinal use. But that may be more coal tar. They closed it because the equipment was old and too expensive to update. That land is undergoing remediation and will probably never be sold.

Because of the build date. Because of the then existing federal ban on creosote timbers in residential construction. Because of the then existing cessation of sale of creosote to the public for beush on application.

Sand the railroad ties with grit sandpaper. A smooth wood surface ensures the new stain will absorb evenly into the wood. Wipe the surface of the railroad ties clean of dust with a tack cloth. Dust will create imperfections in your finish. Apply a coat of wood conditioner with a brush to ensure the wood absorbs the stain evenly.

Allow the wood conditioner to dry. Wipe on a coat of stain with a clean cloth. Allow several minutes for the initial coat to absorb into the wood, then wipe off any excess stain with another cloth.