If your area does allow it, you should never use railroad ties near an edible garden or source of drinking water. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Labor is a large portion of the cost to build a railroad tie retaining wall. As a medicine, it can limit intestinal infections from a protozoa and thus promote weight gain. Why You Shouldn't Use Railroad Ties in Your Garden. However, it is registered with the Environmental Protection Agency to treat wood products that could be used in residential settings (shakes, shingles, and fence posts). If your railroad tie retaining wall is more than four feet tall, you'll also need to install footings to create a sturdy foundation. It can also be pretty dangerous. Untreated timber and railroad ties are the next step up, and start at $15 to $25 per square foot, respectively. Now I know that is not truly removing the creosote but sealing it might help lowering the chances of the substance getting into the soil. A Toxic Chemical Stew. How to Remove Creosote From Wooden Railroad Ties? Seriously Consider Replacing Creosote Treated Timber.
Basic bird feeder designs can dispense sunflower seeds that don't have shells, which are used by a number of desirable bird species. Where your crossties are treated matters. I tried scraping it up, but it was too sticky. The solution to this problem seems simple the manufacture and sale of 8foot lengths of hollow, cement "railroad ties. " Exposure to even low levels of creosote may result in several serious health problems. The working theory is that the animal associates the terrible taste of the chemical with the cedar oil and once it smells the oil again it will stay away.
Carpenter ants will tunnel behind the ties through the soil so they are very difficult to treat. Master of Science in Forestry (MS). ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom! We assume that the retaining wall had been there for about 30 years or so since our house was built in 1985. Local organizations such as Habitat for Humanity may also be able to utilize old railroad ties. Soak in it with gasoline to loosen the creosote until you remove it. When you build a retaining wall, you end up paying for more than just the physical wall.
Another possibility is to use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. You might be familiar with the oxidation process between iron and oxygen that creates rust. Examples of these types of situations are numerous, but we have picked three typical ones to illustrate our point. 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. " Inhalation of creosote vapor is also possible. Railroad Ties are NOT Legal for Home Landscape Use.
If you have access to a dump truck that can be very helpful because otherwise you'll have to unload the ties one by one at the dump. Generally, a railroad tie retaining wall should be between three and four feet tall—and it should never exceed six feet of height. Two weeks later, the same scene was repeated as the second indicated wall was removed. Your contractor will have to excavate the area and terrace the slope, which requires a significant amount of extra work. For this reason, it's hard to find and purchase railroad ties, even at big box stores.
Your family's health and safety, as well as your home's value, will benefit from the effort. Railroad Ties Can Damage Bare Skin. The third option would be available if you are in the possession of a bandsaw. Blistering/peeling of the skin. Also, it's good to learn more about this chemical so that you know what potential risks you may face when working with railroad ties treated with it.
The majority of crossties treated within the United States are preserved with creosote, but other preservatives are used, such as copper naphthenate, or ACZA. Because of this, U. S. EPA has published guidelines for homeowners on handling creosote-treated materials. Avoid inhaling dust from the ties and don't burn them. As hazardous pollutants, said Suzana Radivojevic, a consultant with the. Manufactured stone blocks for garden walls are made specifically for stacking. Washing it with straight vinegar will take care of the problem with a single washing. They were put in around 1995 or 1996. Depending on your wall's design, this could add a significant cost. Then the homeowner or a landscaper —wearing long sleeves, protective gloves and a heavy duty dust mask—can have soil brought in to level the area, lay cardboard over the soil, frame out raised beds, drop them on top of the cardboard and fill them with topsoil, compost and perlite (as discussed at length in our previous Questions of the week on raised beds—found under the letter R). Compared to the cost of retaining walls made from other materials, railroad ties are relatively affordable. Removing the railroad ties and replacing them with a handsome block retaining wall will not only make your home safer but will increase your curb appeal. Inquire at your local land grant institution for soil testing near you. Q Hello, I am writing for my mother. 3 Ways to Save on Railroad Tie Retaining Wall Costs.
Retaining walls and landscaping timbers often abut the house with no space between them. Of course, avoiding creosote contamination is the best defense. Read about research on naturally-occuring arsenic in soils here, and arsenic and other contaminants here. Our front yard is this year's project for us. The third option is to use a bandsaw to cut out all 6 faces of the railroad tie up to a couple of inches. Get answers from Ask an Expert, an online question-and-answer tool from Oregon State University's Extension Service. Lift the 12-inch sections of railroad tie up over the rebar; you should be able to move one section by yourself instead of needing helpers to move whole railroad ties. Her work has been published in the San Francisco Chronicle and on other websites. In addition, some of these methods (like sandblasting) can be dangerous for you! And maintenance of the track. By maria r. from Blue Ridge, GA. Add your voice! We can help you find an Authorized Hardscaping Contractor in your area click here. Pleased with the warning, he wishes the state had fined BNSF. Railroad ties work well for retaining walls and edging, but creosote, a black, tar-like wood preservative, can leach into ground water and kill plants.
Typically this will involve planing and perhaps sanding as well. Instead of risking your health with creosote railroad ties, you can replace the railroad ties landscape timbers, but you must first remove the old railroad ties. You might wish to use old railway sleepers in your garden. Growing vegetables in a creosote planting bed is particularly dangerous because the chemicals could make their way into the food you eat.
It can be sticky, and it can also be hard. On the ground, the discarded seed can grow into weeds and also ends up supporting non-native, invasive birds such as house sparrows and starlings, which actually compete with native birds and negatively impact their populations. Smiths CPES can be purchased on it's own, or with Epifanes spar varnish here. But the fact is that old railroad ties are dangerous. Trout, " and the last place you'd want to see junked railroad ties, Brown said.
If you suspect soil or water may be contaminated with creosote, you should contact your state health department for guidance. Q: My son has a sump and pump pumping basement floodwater onto the lawn. I don't use chemicals in my garden. Most of the time, contractors get them from dealers since they're reclaimed. Before your contractor can build a retaining wall, they'll need to prepare the land. If it is wet, dig out 6 or more inches of it, then put on the lime.