Cuprinol, creosote, or ? For post/timber protection

[RWD3M]

.... it stinks and gives you a bad head from the fumes

Which is annoying, but I do love the smell!

 

[DAPPH]

That never happens on the electricity poles on our farm.
They do come and inspect them very occasionally, and annually cut back foliage, and once actually replaced four poles but never any maintenance as you described.

Interesting .
Do your power poles have the alloy 15 inch high or so sleeve round the base ?
I know there is a newish ultrasound test being done on tress to determine if they are sound , maybe it's being used by power companies and perhaps BT as it might negate the need for old fashioned pole hammering tests and dew point
maintenance .

 

[DAPPH]

never happens on the streets either you can smell the creosote and see it leeching out of the wood pole leaves a nice stain at bottom of it though

That's the poles sweating it's normal , old ones used to be pickled in tanks of creosote on " Pickling Farms " for between 6 & 12 weeks , there's one just north of Tytton lane by the A16 near to Boston Lincs , think it was done on final weight after a few days draining off as to how well the poles were impregnated .
In the late 80's & into the 90's we were getting Sicilian pine poles rotten in the middle that had been vacuum processed by the Italians to get them preserved , instead of it reaching the core of the poles it only went in about 2 inches . Seem to remember BT had to replace close on 1,000, 000 of these faulty poles .

One pole I was often required to climb in BT was in on Mill Lane Stamford Lincs , so bad in sweating out the tars in summer that we used to wrap the pole in the 14 inch wide blue paper towels stuff till it was eventually replaced with a less sweaty one .
The wealthy retiree incomers didn't like to see a blue & dark brown telegraph pole outside their very very expensive riverside apartments .

 

[awemawson]

Interesting .
Do your power poles have the alloy 15 inch high or so sleeve round the base ?
I know there is a newish ultrasound test being done on tress to determine if they are sound , maybe it's being used by power companies and perhaps BT as it might negate the need for old fashioned pole hammering tests and dew point
maintenance .

No, just treated poles straight in the ground. It's an 11KV three phase line.

 

[brightspark]

leccy board and bt just go round tapping the poles before they climb if there solid you get a thump if hollow they ring a bit

 

[plantlife]

I'll get some ordered then!

If it leaks, is there anything to seal it. Or is the leaking normal. I know the wife's painted garden shades Cuprinol on some chairs. After two coats the rain would run off it or pool on top of it.

Plus, one of the posts will be against a wall so I'll not be able to paint behind it :/ not sure what to do with maintenance.

We've a small shed in the garden, the bottom two ship lap panels get the most abuse because of the splash back from rain on the floor.
I've already had to dig a couple of posts out (previous owner) must of been a barrow load of cement on the post. The two posts were rotting in the splash zone area but their surroundings was concrete paving slabs.

 

[gaz1]

fit guttering on shed as that will stop the rain bouncing on the ground as much

as goes for splash back you can use a fence concrete panel installed outside of it but allow air behind it

and use alcanflash to push the water away from the bottem of the shed panels

 

[DAPPH]

leccy board and bt just go round tapping the poles before they climb if there solid you get a thump if hollow they ring a bit

It's the other way round sound gives sound a dud gives a thud .

Next time you see a BT pole with a white band bearing the red capital letter D on it it's a dangerous pole Has ben tested /found faulty & is programmed to be replaced . Don't believe me ? Get out your truck etc and give the pole a sound tap with a 1.5 pound hammer about 500 mm from the floor whilst your ear is pressed to the pole about a 1200 mm up the pole . Then compare it / check it with a good pole.

 

[Mikey D]

Got some posts soaking tonight ,there already pressure treated but seeing as that's not so good theses days there getting a soak in a cut off 25 litre drum ex milking parlour cleaner , I scrounged off a farmer . Posts are for retaining soil in my garden between levels .

 

[Turbo]

If you're setting them in concrete make sure there is no concrete below the end of the post. That allows any water that gets into the post to drain into the soil instead of being sealed in by cement!

 

[Mikey D]

Thanks turbo I was considering setting them on gravel , you've just confirmed it's the best way to do it .

 

[Turbo]

I was considering setting them on gravel

I was going to suggest that!

 

[Islander71]

Someone I knew said he put posts in a 45gallon drum half filled with creosote and would light a fire under it - it boiled out the sap and moisture, then as the very thin creosote cooled down it penetrated deep into the posts. Reckoned it was very effective. Probably best not to try it near anything combustible! Haven't tried this myself

 

[RWD3M]

....Probably best not to try it near anything combustible!...

Like creosote for example?!!!

 

[gaz1]

its easy enough to make a 3mm metal container with angle iron support sealed with creosote in it with a pressure release valve of 3mm use a rocket stove along under its length for cheapness to heat it ref roman underfloor heating

the rocket stove part is sealed so flames arnt near it and the unit will depresurise itself

 

[Screwdriver]

its easy enough to make a 3mm metal container with angle iron support sealed with creosote in it with a pressure release valve of 3mm use a rocket stove along under its length for cheapness to heat it ref roman underfloor heating

the rocket stove part is sealed so flames arnt near it and the unit will depresurise itself

Anyone daft enough to try that should look up auto-ignition and top up their insurance first.


(Interestingly the answer for creosote is Fahrenheit 451, a mere 232 degrees C)

(I couldn't resist the Ray Bradbury reference)

 

[plantlife]

My order is on the way.

 

[brightspark]

creosote has benzine in it and highly flammable cant say id be exited it being next to a flame or the fumes off it

 

[addjunkie]

creosote has benzine in it and highly flammable cant say id be exited it being next to a flame or the fumes off it

Or in your lungs either benzine is carcinogenic I believe.

 

[Screwdriver]

Or in your lungs either benzine is carcinogenic I believe.

I believe so too…

Creosote is carcinogenic, does smell nice tho.

It is quite interesting stuff, a fair few different flavours, astonishing list of potential uses and a smorgasbord of chemical content. I quite fancy a pint now after all this. Is it true you can’t get it in sensible amounts now?

Might have to get myself a megapint.