So, assuming I can buy some (which I can) is creosote still the daddy when it comes to preserving wood outdoors? Ignoring all the blah blah about it killing a few insects and plants (there are plenty of both in the garden so I’ll not miss a few).

Is there something better, that smells as nice?

I’ve got a fence to do, and a few other bits of external wood that could do with being treated.

Can you still buy it?

Don’t think so. It was pretty toxic

Ime yes , but with the caveat that it has to be original creosote. The pish they sell now in the sheds under the name creosote has had the stuff that made it awesome removed.

Jambo , i never really found it toxic but then i wasnt in the habit of licking fences and sheds …

Cougar – Moderator

Can you still buy it?

Yes, but you may need to prove you’re “trade or professional” to buy it.

I certainly didn’t.! I bought some from homebase last week.

That would have been creosote substitute?

I believe we have some sort of special exemption at work which means we can still use proper creosote, so yea, it’s the best treatment, no, I don’t think just anyone can buy it.

This pretty much sums it up.

Agricultural suppliers still stock “proper” Creosote, I had no problem getting hold of it but we lived in a rural area and it was for the Chicken Shack to kill mites (truth)( and the garage, and the kennel and the fences and and and )(omitted from conversation)

Based on some of the women I work with, it’s very much available!

By coincidence (or devine youknowhat), I was sent this the other day

I found a 5 gallon drum of it in my MIL garage when I was helping her clear it out. My FIL must have got a hold of it when doing his deliveries at one time, he passed away a few years ago. It’ll keep me going for along time.

I have never used it, but I do love the smell of it!

When I was a kid I creosoted our fences in a moment of summer holiday enthusiasm. It was a hot day and I kept wiping the sweat from my brow and face with my gloved hands not realising that creosote and skin don’t mix so well. I told my mates at school I fallen into a fire and burnt my face.

It’s illegal to use it.
It’s nasty stuff, very ecotoxic like permethrin and the like.

Please don’t use it. Take whatever you have to a council dump where they can dispose of it correctly.

As part of my job I attended an incident where several thousand fish were killed as a result of a spill of a similar substance, you don’t need much of it in a watercourse for it to have a devestating effect.

robdob – Member

It’s illegal to use it.

Sorry Rob, but the advice on the HSE website contradicts that. It’s illegal to sell it to non trade or professional apparently. It’s still used by plenty of people.

If I do use it, obviously I’ll be very careful but on the basis of the comments above I see no reason to use something else that’s nowhere near as effective.

You’d better not mess with Mr Creosote

[video]http://youtu.be/FzuxLGjxDHo[/video]

I ran out of proper creosote when I was doing the back of my shed so I mixed some old engine oil with some diesel & finished it with that. Still looking good 5 years on.

It’s illegal to use it.

Then have me arrested!

Bit of an oversimplified statement there?

There are legal controls in place to help manage the potential health risks and environmental impacts; that’s not the same as “illegal”

I’ve got 50 ltrs of the good stuff. Bought it from an agricultural suppliers about 5 years ago (while buying some tractor bits) – still got plenty left and it’s wonderful 🙂

Oh yeah…. and certainly not illegal to use (or sell).

As part of my job I attended an incident where several thousand fish were killed as a result of a spill of a similar substance, you don’t need much of it in a watercourse for it to have a devestating effect.

That’s true of many things that are much more likely to find their way into a watercourse than a product that’s being painted onto fences and sheds. It’s far more effective than most of the shonky water-based stuff that’s supposed to replace it. About the only things that will suffer when a fence is being creosoted are the weeds that grow along it.

Best commercially available alternative is cuprinol these days, would still kill fish so it must be ok 🙂

Oh and I mean this Here

Not any of that ducksback or garden shades rubbish