Safe alternative to railway sleepers

Yorky

Having read previous posts re the carcinogens in railway sleepers, is there a safe alternative of the same dimensions that can be used in the vicinity of a vegetable patch?

inishindie

I once had the idea to import railway sleepers into Inishowen for use in landscape design. I would have had to go overseas, as most of the Irish sleepers have been used up. The Pesticide Control Service (PCS), have placed seizure orders on shipments of railway sleepers coming into the country. The reason for this is that the sleepers have been soaked in creosote. Creosote was banned in 2003 because of a risk of cancer and the EU concluded that even low levels of the substance cause rashes and irritations. The sleepers that are now sitting in the garden centres and DIY stores can only be sold to farmers. How this will be implemented I don’t know (and why is it OK for farmers to have them - are they more immune to the toxins?)

Sleepers do ooze creosote in hot weather and there are over 200 chemicals in creosote. Another worry is that if you have raised beds made from them, the chemicals could seep into the soil and be absorbed by the plants. A spokesperson for the Environmental Protection Agency claims that the “sleepers were being used for improper purposes, in domestic situations where there was a risk of contact with creosote” (I think they mean that they could be used as fireplaces in the home).

Don't despair though! You can get railway sleepers that haven't been soaked in the stuff. The garden centres stock them now at around 25 eure each

Cheers
Ian

http://inishindie.blogspot.com/

antoinolachtnai

I think the EPA is also referring to use in gardens. The issue as well is that there is a risk of contact by children.

A farm is an industrial setting. There are not supposed to be any children around and there are supposed to be material handling procedures in place.

The way they enforce this appears to be by putting a warning letter on every pallet of sleepers imported.

I do not think people take this seriously enough. In the UK, Network Rail forbids the sale of sleepers to garden centres.

The fake railway sleepers appear to be readily available now and seem like a good option. (I don't know if they are as strong though.)

inishindie

The other issue with the new sleepers is if they cam from sustainable forests. They are pretty substantial and would need a mature tree to make them.

Sonnenblumen

Yorky wrote: »

Having read previous posts re the carcinogens in railway sleepers, is there a safe alternative of the same dimensions that can be used in the vicinity of a vegetable patch?

There are several better alternatives and most cases cheaper too, eg, popular choices are Pressure treated versions of Pine, Oak and semi-hardwood. Dimensions 225mmx100mmx2400mm. Prices exoect to pay around € 30.00.

All timbers new and semi-planed and colours Dark Brown, Light Brown, and Green. Available from Landscape Depot , Killtipper (near Tallaght), Clonee Sawmills, near Clonee!

kamathm

Sonnenblumen wrote: »

There are several better alternatives and most cases cheaper too, eg, popular choices are Pressure treated versions of Pine, Oak and semi-hardwood. Dimensions 225mmx100mmx2400mm. Prices exoect to pay around € 30.00.

All timbers new and semi-planed and colours Dark Brown, Light Brown, and Green. Available from Landscape Depot , Killtipper (near Tallaght), Clonee Sawmills, near Clonee!

thank you for this bit of info!

slowburner

There is a lot of debate about this subject.
Some gardeners would prefer not to use pressure treated timber for raised vegetable beds. Pressure treatment is intended to make the timber durable for the purposes of building construction. There is the risk that the chemicals used (copper sulphate, chrome and arsenic) in the treatment process could leach down into the soil and potentially into the plants, with obvious health implications.
If you choose not to go down the p/t timber route, the alternatives would be planks of Oak, Spanish Chestnut, Western Red Cedar - these are all durable timbers and would last for many years but would be expensive. They are priced by the cube (cubic foot) and prices vary from merchant to merchant. Douglas fir is used for scaffolding planks and is semi-durable.
Used scaffolding planks could be a great way of building the beds but you might need to replace them a few years down the road.
Another alternative is to try to find timber which has been treated with Tanalith-e, this would be safe to use but I cannot advise on suppliers.
There is a sticky here on timber suppliers over in the woodcraft forum.

yoshytoshy

I've heard of large scaffolding companies selling off their planks ,people use them instead of sleepers.

paddy147

yoshytoshy wrote: »

I've heard of large scaffolding companies selling off their planks ,people use them instead of sleepers.

3 euro for an 8 foot long scaffold plank

2 euro for the 4 foot planks

2 of each size,a few outdoor wood screws and you have a lovely 8 x 4 foot rasied veg bed.:)

Thats what my girlfriend uses on the allotment for growing all her veg..

slowburner

paddy147 wrote: »

3 euro for an 8 foot long scaffold plank

2 euro for the 4 foot planks

2 of each size,a few outdoor wood screws and you have a lovely 8 x 4 foot rasied veg bed.:)

Thats what my girlfriend uses on the allotment for growing all her veg..

Do you get them straight from a scaffolding company, or some other seller?
Sounds like a cracking deal

paddy147

slowburner wrote: »

Do you get them straight from a scaffolding company, or some other seller?
Sounds like a cracking deal

Big scaffolding company out in Balymount Industrial Estate.The ar5e has fallen out of construction industry,so they have a found a new market for the scaffold boards.:)

My girlfriend bought a load of them for her allotment.

bambi eyes

Scaffolding planks wont last anytime if they come in contact with the ground , they are not treated

paddy147

bambi eyes wrote: »

Scaffolding planks wont last anytime if they come in contact with the ground , they are not treated

Thats why you can apply a preservitive to them.Then they will last and last and last.;)

bambi eyes

paddy147 wrote: »

Thats why you can apply a preservitive to them.Then they will last and last and last.;)

True , but they would need to be free of hard mortar in order for the preservative to soak in properly

paddy147

bambi eyes wrote: »

True , but they would need to be free of hard mortar in order for the preservative to soak in properly

Thats what a pressure washer,scraper bar and scrubbing brush is used for and thats why myself and my girlfriend clean therm down 1st too,before using them.;)