Roofing Tar and Gasoline......

gator gar · January 26, 2011, 05:24:46 PM

This is how I treat my post at the bottoms. I was told by a buddy of mine that buying that hard roofing tar and cutting it with some type of thinner and applying it to properly dried wood, that it would waterproof it. It takes awhile for the thinner to penetrate the hard roofing tar in a bucket. The first day you can use it and watch it penetrate in the wood and the thinner will evaporate. You leave it in the bucket two or three days and it gets like actual hot tar. The consistincy of it does, anyway. Pure melted rubber is what it looks like and spreads like. If it sticks to the wood, like it does your skin, then I think we are on to something. Make sure you wear gloves and a long sleeve shirt when painting it on.

gator gar · January 26, 2011, 05:28:47 PM

I guess I missed a step and forgot the pics. :D

beenthere · January 26, 2011, 05:45:43 PM

gator_gar
What species are the posts? (great pics)

And how do you get "properly dried wood" in those posts?

Tell us about your buddy and his experience.

gator gar · January 26, 2011, 06:21:49 PM

Pine

Air dried for over a year in this southeast Texas heat. Moisture content well below what is needed to take treatment.

Years of "Redneck innovations", passed down from generation to generation, back here in the woods.

Ironwood · January 26, 2011, 06:36:46 PM

Old timers used to char their postes in a fire before burying.

Ironwood

paul case · January 26, 2011, 06:53:07 PM

yup it works.

a neighbor of mine made some gates out of 1x4 oak and treated it with fibered roof coating thinned with gasoline. they have been up since before i was born. i did a few trailer floors like this. one is 20 years old now and still good. we never worried about ''drying'' the wood. it is crutial however to treat those out in the sun on a good drying day so it soaks in. pc

Jeff · January 26, 2011, 07:06:59 PM

I'd say it works depending on the species.

Back in the late 70's early 80's, I don't remember what years exactly, there was a big market for aspen landscape ties that were run through a dip tank with a similar mixture. I know there was tar and mineral spirits, and some other stuff. Nasty stuff. I remember one time our dip tank motor broke and we had to dip about a 10 bundles by hand.

Anyhow, we were not the innovators of this process, just one of many contractors sawing dipping and selling to the wholesalers. This market boomed for 2 years. Then it died. Why? By the third year it turns out, there were a whole bunch of hollow crumbling tar shells around the country. The aspen ties rotted quicker with the "Waterproofing" barrier then they would have if they had simply been plain old ties.

So will any species work with that process? Time will tell. ;)

We've tried roofing tar on Tamarack posts in the U.P. at the cabin for feeders, and they rot off faster then untreated.

laffs · January 26, 2011, 07:14:35 PM

we always did that too. only we cut it with diesel. used to cut pine tar the same way,then put the paste behind the oxen or horses ears so the flys wouldnt bite

gator gar · January 26, 2011, 07:16:23 PM

These pine post are going in the ground for my wifes horse barn. I've got some shorter 8-10 footers that I am going to do next. And yep.........Time will tell.

Troublermaker · January 26, 2011, 08:08:55 PM

Don't you have a treating plant close by that you could get them salt treated at? Most places will do it for a price around here. That would be better than taking a chance of the post rotting off in a few years.

gator gar · January 26, 2011, 08:30:38 PM

Quote from: Troublermaker on January 26, 2011, 08:08:55 PM
Don't you have a treating plant close by that you could get them salt treated at? Most places will do it for a price around here. That would be better than taking a chance of the post rotting off in a few years.

Yes, they are around. But, they want you to bring a tractor trailer load at a time. One guy said I could bring them last year, by the piece, I called back to confirm and they acted like they didn't know what I was talking about. Last I heard the place burned down a couple weks ago.

r.man · January 26, 2011, 08:39:35 PM

Does salt treatment give the wood a blue tinge? I recall hearing of a mineral preservative that was used in western Canada 70 yrs ago. A dissolved mineral in water that fence stakes were soaked in to make them last underground.

Woodwalker · January 26, 2011, 09:46:41 PM

Once the tar coated post are set, drill a 1/2" diameter hole into the post a couple of inches above ground line. Drill down at an angle a couple of inches deep. Fill the hole with oil. Doesn't matter what kind. Plug the hole. The wood fibers will slowly soak up the oil. In a year or so pull the plugs and reapply oil.

gator gar · January 26, 2011, 11:28:04 PM

Quote from: Woodwalker on January 26, 2011, 09:46:41 PM
Once the tar coated post are set, drill a 1/2" diameter hole into the post a couple of inches above ground line. Drill down at an angle a couple of inches deep. Fill the hole with oil. Doesn't matter what kind. Plug the hole. The wood fibers will slowly soak up the oil. In a year or so pull the plugs and reapply oil.

I like this idea, sure nuff.

boatman · January 27, 2011, 04:55:50 AM

Quote from: laffs on January 26, 2011, 07:14:35 PM
we always did that too. only we cut it with diesel. used to cut pine tar the same way,then put the paste behind the oxen or horses ears so the flys wouldnt bite

I'll try that. We live in the woods and the bugs just eat my mule up. Nothing they sell in the store helps, she comes in dripping with blood some days.

We are slowly clearing the woods for pasture so maybe it will dry the bugs out.

I like the Idea of the oil hole. Better than just pouring used engine oil at the base of each post a couple times a year.

Meadows Miller · January 27, 2011, 06:34:36 AM

Gday

thats not a bad Idea I have seen it done in the past with hardwoods with softwoods i would use nothing less than cca treated timber with some pole saver rods as an additional measure every few years for anything that will be a long term shed or shelter Myself ;)

Regards Chris

pa_of_6 · January 27, 2011, 10:58:45 AM

The blue color on the post that the one guy talked about was coppersulfate.

and it was used for fence posts.

Magicman · January 27, 2011, 02:28:36 PM

If roofing tar and gasoline was a good wood preservative, it would be used commercially. Yes, there is probably creosote in roofing tar, but when creosote is used, the wood goes into a container where a vacuum is pulled, and then pressurized. Killing and preventing rot is not a simple matter.

Woodchuck53 · January 28, 2011, 11:06:49 PM

I went one further and wrapped the bottom of the post with 2 layers roofing felt. Left about 6" exposed above ground and would fill this gap with burned engine oil from time to time. Just slowly pour it in. There still standing.

bandmiller2 · January 29, 2011, 06:11:38 AM

Is it possible to soak the creasoat you scrape from your wood burning chiminey with mineral spirits and use it as a preserver,thats pretty nasty stuff.??I saved a good supply of old black creasoat before the goody goodies banned it. Frank C.

gator gar · January 29, 2011, 06:23:57 AM

Quote from: bandmiller2 on January 29, 2011, 06:11:38 AM
Is it possible to soak the creasoat you scrape from your wood burning chiminey with mineral spirits and use it as a preserver,thats pretty nasty stuff.??I saved a good supply of old black creasoat before the goody goodies banned it. Frank C.

I'm sure all this stuff will work to a certain extent. It might not be 100% waterproof, but it will sure repell water to a certain degree. I went out yesterday, with my wife and poured water on the part I treated and it beaded up and ran right down the post. You can scrape the post with your fingernail and tar will build up underneath, so it is on there pretty good. We'll know more about it in 20-30 years.

bandmiller2 · January 29, 2011, 06:54:30 AM

Gator I hope I'am around in 30 years to hear your results.We have two things at play one is sealing the outher is toxicity twords the wood pathogens.Sometimes sealing holds the moisture.It always seems posts rot at the ground line,I like to fill the last 6" or so with crushed stone,does it help? don't really know but it makes me feel better.Frank C.

Meadows Miller · January 29, 2011, 07:44:21 AM

Gday

Frank what causes rot in the first 6 to 12" unter the ground line is the combination of air and moisture content levels and how they fluctuate in the soil which support the organisim's which cause rot Mate ;)

Regards Chris

weisyboy · January 29, 2011, 07:47:47 AM

blokes round here have all sorts of ways of trying to keep there posts alive.

some like to dip there posts in sump oil.

some pore sump oil in the hole before tehy put the post in.

people used to use creasote, before it was banned,

some buy that CCA stuf and paint that on.

im yet to see a post painted with anything last any longer than one not.

i mean really when a post is ggunna last 100 years whats the point of trying to add another couple.

weisyboy · January 29, 2011, 07:51:08 AM

yep i had a bloke up here today tp get soem rails to put on hi spotty gum split posts,

told him an a few years hell have a nice trap for a plow. they just cant hack the change in moisture content. and about 6" down tehy seam to get just the right mix of oxigen and watter.