Railroad ties can be found when railroad tracks are moved and disassembled. Construct your home with the help of experienced builders. You will need help and heavy machinery to lift the heavy ties and stack them on top of each other. Place two-inch spacers in between each row of horizontally-laid ties.
Are railroad ties legal for home landscape use?
Railroad Ties are NOT Legal for Home Landscape Use. Railroad Ties are NOT Legal for Home Landscape Use Q: Pattie writes: "I recently bought a house just over the Pennsylvania border in Maryland. The previous owner had many garden beds, and the one he used for vegetables had old timbers surrounding it that looked questionable.
Can you use railroad ties for retaining walls?
I found one online seller who specializes in them, boasting on their website that "Used railroad ties are great for retaining walls and other applications around the house." …Which, since it's an unapproved use of a registered pesticide, can't be legal.
Are railroad ties harmful?
Railroad ties are treated with chemical preservatives, such as creosote and chromated copper arsenate. Both of these chemicals are banned for residential use, and they're potentially harmful to humans and plants.
Are railroad ties safe for raised beds?
Railroad ties seem like an inexpensive way to build raised beds or garden borders, but the dangers of treated railroad ties can outweigh the cost savings. The chemicals can seep into the ground and cause issues, especially if you see creosote leaking out of the wood. Contamination of the ground can cause the plants to die.
How long will a railroad tie wall last?
Treated railroad ties, crossties or wooden sleepers are made primarily from wood and then treated with a preservative so they can last 30 years or more. They're also great for the environment.
Is it safe to build with railroad ties?
Railroad ties are treated with chemical preservatives, such as creosote and chromated copper arsenate. Both of these chemicals are banned for residential use, and they're potentially harmful to humans and plants.
How long do railroad ties stay toxic?
Kohler and Kunniger (2003) determined creosote levels in ties following 2, 5, 10, and 32 years in service. Although the loss rate early in life was higher, the long term straight line average at 32 years was approximately 32 percent loss.
Are old railroad ties toxic?
Railroad ties are treated wood, steeped in a toxic stew of chemicals, chief of which is creosote. You can find old railroad ties for sale even at garden centers, which makes the question confusing. The EPA has denounced these repurposed barriers as toxic and not recommended for the garden.
How much does an 8 foot long railroad tie weigh?
They range from 100 to 300 pounds. Railroad ties can weigh as much as 200 pounds.
How do you seal railroad ties?
When cracks or splits are in your railway ties, use a wood filler product to seal those openings. As with all projects that involve wood treated with creosote -- as railway ties generally are, take extra precautions to protect your health.
Can I use railroad ties for a retaining wall?
A Deadman railroad tie is a railroad tie that runs perpendicular to the retaining wall and into the hill that you are building the retaining wall against. Deadman ties are great for ensuring the retaining wall is as solid as possible. We recommend using a deadman railroad tie every 20 feet of your retaining wall.
Is creosote still used in railroad ties?
The railroad industry has more than a century of experience using creosote- treated railroad ties. The vast majority of ties currently purchased are creosote and creosote/borate treated wood. Experience and testing continue to support the use of creosote preservation for wood ties.
What type of wood is used for railroad ties?
A variety of softwood and hardwood timbers are used as ties, oak, jarrah and karri being popular hardwoods, although increasingly difficult to obtain, especially from sustainable sources.
Why do railroad ties smell funny?
Jeff Degraff, spokesman for Union Pacific confirms confirms that what they're smelling is creosote. Material used to strenthen the wooden railroad ties.
How heavy is a railroad tie?
The weight of a railroad tie depends on their size and specifications. They can range anywhere from 100 to 300 pounds. The majority of railroad ties weigh close to 200 pounds.
Are railroad ties carcinogen?
The wood used for railroad ties iss treated with creosote. Creosote is a known carcinogen. However, the carcinogenic effect is from handling, inhaling or ingesting the creosote.
What are railroad ties treated with?
Railroad ties are treated with chemical preservatives, such as creosote and chromated copper arsenate . Both of these chemicals are banned for residential use, and they're potentially harmful to humans and plants. Make sure you understand the risks of using creosote railroad ties in your landscaping. Advertisement.
Can you throw away wood treated with creosote?
You should check on local and state regulations, though. Some areas may have restrictions on throwing away wood treated with creosote.
Can you burn railroad ties in a fireplace?
You should avoid inhaling creosote vapors, which can be released by heat. The vapors of creosote tars can build up, as in chimneys. Railroad ties should never be burned in fireplaces or outdoors. Advertisement.
Can railroad ties be used to build raised beds?
Railroad ties seem like an inexpensive way to build raised beds or garden borders , but the dangers of treated railroad ties can outweigh the cost savings. The chemicals can seep into the ground and cause issues, especially if you see creosote leaking out of the wood. Contamination of the ground can cause the plants to die.
Can railroad ties cause water contamination?
Water Contamination Dangers. The dangers of treated railroad ties aren't limited to you and your family. Railroad ties can leach creosote into soil and water systems. Eating food or drinking water with high levels of creosote may cause burning in the mouth and throat, stomach pains, severe skin irritation, convulsions, ...
Can you burn treated railroad ties?
Another one of the dangers of treated railroad ties is inhalation. If you have old railroad ties on your property that you want to get rid of, you should never burn them. Burning can release toxins in the air, which can be dangerous to respiratory health. You should also avoid inhaling sawdust from creosote treated wood.
Can railroad ties cause skin blisters?
Treated railroad ties can cause skin blistering with prolonged contact or respiratory damage when inhaled during burning or cutting. Chemicals can seep into soil and groundwater, contaminating local ecosystems.
What are railroad ties made of?
Railroad ties are made of tough oak and are soaked in tar and baked in. They're pretty tough. An auger bit will eat right through it and has the length to drill through more than one tie at a time when need be. Try not to hit the ground too much or your bit will go dull real fast.
How long should a pin be for a railroad tie?
Each of the pins should be about 2-2 1/2 feet long so that you get a good solid hold into the ground. If you cut one end at an angle, it will be a lot easier to drive the pin through the soil or through the railroad tie. Sometimes it can be near impossible to get a pin through a railroad tie without cutting a point on it.
What to use for railroad pins?
Especially if your pins are made out of rebar. The best thing to use is a long wood auger bit as opposed to one of those drill bit extender things. The drill bit extender will probably work, however, it will also probably come loose in one of the railroad ties at some point.
Can you drill holes in a pin?
Now you gotta drill some holes. You want the hole to be the same size or just slightly bigger than the pin you are going to drive through it. You can drill it smaller if you want, but it will make pounding the pin in a real pain. Especially if your pins are made out of rebar.
