Old railway sleepers in the garden?

Question

I have acquired two old used railway sleepers for my garden .As they are genuine sleepers they are covered in creosote and pitch (I think) does anybody know of a way to clean the pitch and creosote from the wood so they can be used as seating.I want to keep as much of the original timber as possible to keep the rough weathered look.I am not looking to remove it completely but to achieve a finish that does not come off the timber and stain skin and clothes.
Thanks in advance for any help.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

I agree with the other answers about the problems with creosote - additionally, it's unsuitable for use as the sides of raised beds as the poison can leak into the soil and poison your veg. Creosote is no longer sold in the UK because of its toxicity.

oil field trash · Answer

All of these I have ever seen have the creosote pressurized into the wood and it doesn't clean off.

We currently have two retaining walls made using rail road ties (sleepers). Some have more creosote than others but I would not want to sit on any of them.

The creosote is considered to be a cancer causing chemical so I would avoid prolonged contact with it.

Fred the Bookworm · Answer

My advice is get rid of them.  You will never get rid of the creosote/pitch so you can't use them to sit on!  If you want a similar type of woodwork in your garden, you can buy sleeper sized pieces of timber in Garden Centres and they will be much safer to use in a garden.
I would not have the real thing anywhere near my garden!!

Rebel1 · Answer

Don't think you can clean them as the creosote is a prerservative so have you thought of cladding them with another type of light timber that you can maybe paint or varnish them

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Old railway sleepers in the garden?

5 Answers