pammyT wrote:

"Martin Brown" wrote in message
...

Broadback wrote:

I have a lot of sleepers forming retaining walls, with this hot weather
they are exuding a thick tar like substance, which I assume is creosote.
Any ideas of an economical way of either stopping this of covering the
sleepers? The damned stuff gets everywhere working or walking by them!
I am not concerned about the EEC directive, just the mess.

If you don't mind what it looks like diatomeous earth will absorb most
things to render them fairly inert (upto and including nerve agents). Do
not breathe the dust. It is one of the natural Organic(TM) remedies
capable of doing serious damage to your lungs. And effective on slugs
and snails too.

It doesn't do too bad a job with nitroglycerine either. Ask Nobel...

where do you get it from?

Garden centres in small amounts or even more expensively from
Organic(TM) dealers or alternatively this lot in Yorkshire appear to
sell it in bulk. They are fossil silica skeletons of former diatoms.

http://www.elementshydroponics.com/item/732

Regards,
Martin Brown