is Creosote banned?

if you use a drill powered mixer - maybe

If I have facts right Creosote is not banned .... but it is no longer licensed for public sale. You can buy it as a licensed contractor.

I think you merely have to say you are.

Last 20l drum I bought was for Mother about 5 years ago when she still had the farm and wanted some gates retreated,the supplier a local agricultural merchants asked for something just to indicate she actually had a farm ,some form from Defra was accepted. other merchants may just accept somebody's word.

If I actually needed some I could be tempted to complete an order on this site and see at what stage they ask for any confirmation that I am in an approved category to use it.

G.Harman

Interesting Canadian study on the (non-) deleterious effects of creosote:

That was a good read.

No it was originally applied in an hot bath, the type of timber for poles absorbed heated oils readily. Also the quality control was superb.

replying to dennis, Pete Thompson wrote: Sorry to blunt, but the concept.of pressure being necessary is bunk. My Dad and I built a bridge out of 2x dimensional lumber and 3/4 plywood, double brush coating all surfaces with creosote before and after construction. Mind you this bridge is over a river that's in a wooded Michigan flood plain that floods deep.enough to submerge the.bridge four times.a year on average. We built that bridge close to 50 years ago. It is still structurally sound. Even the 3/4 plywood panels that are laid flat to create the walking top surface are in great shape all the way to the edges. It's pretty incredible. In fact it was sitting here looking at that bridge that prompted me to.Google creosote, which led me to this thread lol. I'm still not sure if the "real" creosote is available or not, I'm concerned it's been banned and if I ever have to replace that bridge I'll be forced to use an inferior product.

Has this thread really been going on and off since 2011? Anyway, I think the recipe for it varies in different parts of the world, but i do believe in Europe its status is that its no longer made, and other substances are used instead. To my mind so called treated timber, Lumber for our Americans, is also inferior to what it used to be. I understand its not actually weathered first and only dipped in some kind of preservative, but I've recently had fence posts twist and warp shortly after being put in, resulting in gates with twisted locks or hinges. So I am not sure if its actually inferior, or whether its just not applied very well.

From this post, it sounds like you may need to make a somewhat taller bridge! Brian

Genuine original Creosote is still available, just not to the general public. It's use has been confined to professional application and banned from where regular contact would be likely ie benches, picnic tables etc . I use it extensively on my farm buildings and fences.

It's price has risen dramatically - the last two 25 litre drums that I bought (last one last week) were £58.30 each. Remember it was originally a by product of making 'Town Gas' from coal, whereas now a days I assume that's not being made anymore.

Andrew

Yes that is right, now you mention it, so it might also be made by a process which needs to be cleaned up afterwards. You end up with those blackened clinker stuff, which I note has been used to fill up numerous clay quarries around where I am and houses built on top,. I do hope the stuff is inert.

The thing I always recall about it was the smell, it was actually quite nice, but of course as it often never quite dried, you could easily get it on your clothing and it was the devils job to get it off again, and that is over and above any toxicity of long term exposure. Brian

on 10/05/2018, Brian Gaff supposed :

I loved the smell too - Back in the day, it was always suggested to be good for your lungs..

I thought I had a container of the creosote substitute in the shed, but when I had a clear out of old paint cans etc, turns out it's the real stuff.

But BT were given exemption, so the telephone poles next to the pavement that children can hug, rub or lick are still treated with proper creosote

Keep it. The EU police have made this illegal for homeowners to keep it in their sheds, but pay no attention to this.

I have a 2 litre plastic container of this but the sides are being sucked in so the solvent are slowly evaporating.

Not sure what I could use to thin it down, white spirit ?

I think the negligent and cack-handed way that the water supplies were contaminated with Lead, and rendered too dangerous to drink (for millions of people) is a far more serious problem to worry about than the carcinogenic properties of coal-tar (which might only affect few people).

white spirit for fast evaporation, paraffin for a slower more practical rate.

NT

Yes I like the smell and the smell of Jeyes Fluid. SWMBO can't stand either, WIN WIN.

We have a local yard who pressure treats telephone poles with Creosote and I can buy 25l easily

Conventionally Red Diesel. It's often cut 50:50 for less critical above ground uses. I recently had a fresh drum and wondered why my spray kept blocking up. When I poured it though a fine sieve it turned out to have masses of sawdust in it ! (My spray is the sort you see road crews sealing the edges of fresh tarmac with, with tar emulsion. Similar to a garden spray but built like a tank)

Andrew