Can railroad ties be painted successfully?
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They are soaked in creosote and aren't successfully painted. That black, oily stuff always seeps to the surface.
If they are primed properly , I'm sure you can use an outdoor paint on them .
I wouldn't do it. They will end up being a pain to keep painted - if they will let paint adhere even with priming as they are soaked in creosote. Some things look better left natural. And sometimes there's a reason that you don't see painted railroad ties.
Be careful with this; as the old ones are treated with arsnic. You do not want to put them anywhere near anything you would grow to eat. Why would you want to paint them, they look nice not painted. You are better with the safer new one though.
are they the real railroad ties or the general ones used as retaining walls?
Go to your local recycle centre and pick uo a large pail of combination paints....nice colours....
Yes. Ignore the old biddies with so many questions, and way too much time.
Not a good idea. It would take tons of paint and probably end up looking worse than the original. Check end of season sales for landscape blocks. We found a great deal at Home depot last year.
The purists aren't going to like this, but here's how to do it.
creasote is toxic, so coat it with another toxic substance, lol.
Get some burnt motor oil and mop it on all sides. You can thin it with diesel fuel or kerosene if you wish. You'll have to do this about once a year, but it will blacken and preserve your posts.
I have had a railroad tie retaining wall for 35 years. It was built with used ties. By this time I see very little of the creosote oozing out. Over the years I have probably painted it 6 or 7 times with the only purpose to give it a fresher, uniform black look. I power wash and let dry prior to painting. I have used several products including foundation coating, and asphalt sealer. I have used both water base and oil base products and don't find oil lasts and longer. I think I like asphalt sealer the best. I use a large wallpaper paste brush to slop it on heavy. I generally get 4 to 6 years before I add another coat. I also use asphalt crack repair product to smooth irregularities and fill areas of decay. It improves the appearance and I think extends the life.
I used James Lang suggestion and painted w asphalt sealer/diesel great finish just a bit too black but will probably tone down a bit thanks James great advice- it’s quite a job but worth it. Thank you for opportunity to share!