Where to buy creosote ?

[chopsticks]

Is creosote (wood preservative) still sold in Thailand?
I know it was banned by the EU nannies a few years ago for being a slight cancer risk (discovered after covering mice in it every day) but it was an excellent wood preserver and insect deterrent.

[PAINTER V2]

Hi Chopsticks, banned by nannies? good riddance as a painter in the UK I’m glad we are not allowed to us it, any COSH assessment throws it out of the window and we use water based products, we can go home after work not dizzy nauseous or smelling of the damn stuff. Creosote although it was/is good I’d much rather use the modern products, although any DIYer can use it.
By the way also not allowed to use red lead primer, and not a big fan of bitumen paints either and also been banned from sending out apprentices up the chimney as well .
Try the water based stuff wet the fence the night before and apply it first thing.

[Big Boy]

I used to love the smell of creosote. The modern stuff just doesn't have the same character. I often buy Potters Catarrh Pastilles, purely for the creosote taste.

[PAINTER V2]

Big Boy, I,ve got some old cans in my paint store i,ll post them to you if you want and you can lick away to your hearts content!!!!

[Big Boy]

Thanks, but the Potters are more pocket-sized

[Khundon1975]

I used to love the smell of creosote. The modern stuff just doesn't have the same character. I often buy Potters Catarrh Pastilles, purely for the creosote taste.

I bet you like to suck a "Fishermans friend" as well BB.

[Big Boy]

Actually, I really hate them

Anyway, enough about my creosote fetish, please.

[PeteC]

I know what you mean BB. Every telephone pole in America used to be oozing the stuff on a hot summer day and the smell was fantastic! Same with railroad ties and as a kid the fragrance of that in a train station, mixed with coal fire from engines plus diesel had me smiling. To this day when behind a Bangkok bus I flashback to those days. I enjoy a good whiff of benzine at the filing station also, Strange lot we are, kids are too protected these days. Pete

[PeteC]

To contribute something constructive , if for a fence those preformed concrete tubes are available in a few sizes. They hold and completely seal the post below ground then all you have to worry about is a good coating of paint on the above ground parts to keep the termites out. Pete

[charlesh]

Benzine or benzene prcscct ?? See what inhalation does unless you are of course talking about PETROL??
The active ingredient of creosote (I also liked the smell) is PHENOL.
There are some local products reputed to do the same thing eg. Chaindrite 1 wood preservative. Can't read the Thai so not sure of the act. ing't.

AND a good coating of paint whether it is Alkyd or Acrylic will NOT keep the termites out except for a short time!!!!!!!

[chopsticks]

Thanks for all the suggestions, creosote addicts can read more here :
www.zyra.info/creosote.htm

The risks for the occasional user seem to have been exaggerated according to this article.

Another way of avoiding termite attack, so I 'm told, is to simply buy more expensive grades of hardwood that are much more resistant to attack than the cheaper wood. Teak being best ?

[PeteC]

Yes, teak is of course the best but expensive. I don't know anyone who has made a fence out of it. Below I swiped from elsewhere. We have a sala and two long trellis made I believe out of mai pradoo. In ground portions are in those bottom sealed concrete sleeves and none of the above ground portions have had any problems with termites at all.

We need someone more familiar with the Thai wood types to explain more as I can't. Pete



mai sak: best wood, light, good for furniture (teak) (most expensive, half inch, 8 inch wide, one meter long from 90 to 150 baht)

mai pradoo, mai teng, mai daeng: very good thai hardwood, nice for building

mai takaen: ok for walls, same size as teak above about 45 baht

mai makaa: famous, but heavy, hard to paint, I don't like so much