Creocote on fence not absorbing

Louloutulip

Hey! I bought my flat in December and wanted to creocote the garden fence ready for summer. However the creocote isn’t absorbing into the fence panels. I’ve no idea why. On further inspection it looks like there is a layer of ?paint on it.. not sure though. 

Help! 

Murmansk

I'm not sure whether when you say creocote you mean creosote or some other substance but I thought creosote was no longer available. Anyway, if it's been painted with some high tech modern fence treatment you might find that subsequent treatments will tend not to sink in too well because the previous treatment might be a bit like a Goretex jacket - designed to let the wood breathe but keep liquid out.

ThisIsWeird

'Creocote' is a supposed Creosote substitute, but a very pale imitation in terms of preserving timber.
Creosote was banned from public consumption a good few years back, for some trivial reason like it can kill you dead. Carcinogenic, I believe?
I think it's still used 'professionally', because it's so effective.
Creocote has that great smell, soaks in to rough timber, and gives it a good stain. It repels water, so helps to prolong the timber's life that way. But, it ain't a preservative like Creosote (unless that's changed).

Anyhoo, what's happening with your fence? I'm guessing the whitish finish is the 'paint' you suspect has been applied before? I suspect you are right, in which case your Creo just ain't going to soak in and do its job - the 'paint' is blocking it.
There are different types of fence treatment, from 'Garden Shades' type products which are like 'paints', to 'Fencelife' coatings which look a bit like a gel in the container, and also coat the timber surface. 
Both 'coat' and don't 'soak in' like Creo would. 
AfaIk, once 'coated', you really need to stick with that sort of product. 
But, which one do you have?! No idea

Albermarle

ThisIsWeird said:

'Creocote' is a supposed Creosote substitute, but a very pale imitation in terms of preserving timber.
Creosote was banned from public consumption a good few years back, for some trivial reason like it can kill you dead. Carcinogenic, I believe?
I think it's still used 'professionally', because it's so effective.
Creocote has that great smell, soaks in to rough timber, and gives it a good stain. It repels water, so helps to prolong the timber's life that way. But, it ain't a preservative like Creosote (unless that's changed).

Anyhoo, what's happening with your fence? I'm guessing the whitish finish is the 'paint' you suspect has been applied before? I suspect you are right, in which case your Creo just ain't going to soak in and do its job - the 'paint' is blocking it.
There are different types of fence treatment, from 'Garden Shades' type products which are like 'paints', to 'Fencelife' coatings which look a bit like a gel in the container, and also coat the timber surface. 
Both 'coat' and don't 'soak in' like Creo would. 
AfaIk, once 'coated', you really need to stick with that sort of product. 
But, which one do you have?! No idea

I would not argue with what you say, but often by the time a fence gets a new coating it has been seriously weathered since the last time it was done. The picture the OP posted would seem to confirm that, and no obvious signs of the previous coating to have survived.
So I am surprised that they are having trouble getting a new coating to absorb in.

ThisIsWeird

Albermarle said:

ThisIsWeird said:

'Creocote' is a supposed Creosote substitute, but a very pale imitation in terms of preserving timber.
Creosote was banned from public consumption a good few years back, for some trivial reason like it can kill you dead. Carcinogenic, I believe?
I think it's still used 'professionally', because it's so effective.
Creocote has that great smell, soaks in to rough timber, and gives it a good stain. It repels water, so helps to prolong the timber's life that way. But, it ain't a preservative like Creosote (unless that's changed).

Anyhoo, what's happening with your fence? I'm guessing the whitish finish is the 'paint' you suspect has been applied before? I suspect you are right, in which case your Creo just ain't going to soak in and do its job - the 'paint' is blocking it.
There are different types of fence treatment, from 'Garden Shades' type products which are like 'paints', to 'Fencelife' coatings which look a bit like a gel in the container, and also coat the timber surface. 
Both 'coat' and don't 'soak in' like Creo would. 
AfaIk, once 'coated', you really need to stick with that sort of product. 
But, which one do you have?! No idea

I would not argue with what you say, but often by the time a fence gets a new coating it has been seriously weathered since the last time it was done. The picture the OP posted would seem to confirm that, and no obvious signs of the previous coating to have survived.
So I am surprised that they are having trouble getting a new coating to absorb in.

I'm surprised too, but it does appear to be the case.

twopenny

Two things I've found were - the fence was done with Ducks Back so impossible to get anything to stick.
Also where the bare wood has weathered for years it sort of preserves itself.

Have a look at all the preserving stuff and colours. See if you can identify it and work from there.

But I like the colour of the fence. It will show of plants a treat and be bright in winter.

35har1old

twopenny said:

Two things I've found were - the fence was done with Ducks Back so impossible to get anything to stick.
Also where the bare wood has weathered for years it sort of preserves itself.

Have a look at all the preserving stuff and colours. See if you can identify it and work from there.

But I like the colour of the fence. It will show of plants a treat and be bright in winter.

Nothing sticks to Ducks Back ? Green algae does.
Ducks Back doesn't adhere well to smooth timber boards can be removed by pressure  washer.
The stated use is for rough sawn timber

ThisIsWeird

'Ducks Back' is another of the 'FenceLife' type coatings. It's the liquid-gel type stuff in the pot, and dries to leave a waxy, water-repellent finish.

Yes, it only adheres to rough timber - which this fence is - and annoyingly/usefully to some materials like concrete. :-)

Once applied and dried, I think the only thing that'll stick to it is more of the same.

LouLou, are you looking for a colour change?

Ronseal FenceLife has 'Warm Stone' as one of their colours - I wonder if that's what this is? Pure guess.

'Garden Shades' is different, and can also be applied to smooth timber. It has a few colours which are light/near-white like this.

I'm afraid I don't know how to tell the difference between these two products once applied, but if I had to guess, I'd suggest Fencelife Warm Stone, purely because it's a cheaper product to use on large areas of fencing. But this could easily be a GShades product too. Annoyingly, I doubt they are compatible.

LouLou, do you know if any of your friends or family or anyone is painting their fences at the moment, who you could ask for a capful of their FenceLife? Choose one of your boards that's not so visible, and brush this on not too thickly. Note how easily it applies - does it spread and coat well, or does it 'bead' in places, indicating that the new product doesn't really want to stick to the old? Let it dry fully, and then fire a water hose at it - does it come off?

If 'yes' and 'yes', then it would point more to a 'paint'-like coating such as 'Shades'.

henry24

Posters including one on this thread keep saying that creosote will kill users and that's why it was banned, how many people have died from using it

BarelySentientAI

henry24 said:

Posters including one on this thread keep saying that creosote will kill users and that's why it was banned, how many people have died from using it

It's a carcinogen.

How do you know how many extra cancers have been caused by any individual product?

henry24

BarelySentientAI said:

henry24 said:

Posters including one on this thread keep saying that creosote will kill users and that's why it was banned, how many people have died from using it

It's a carcinogen.

How do you know how many extra cancers have been caused by any individual product?

So it's possible that nobody has died from using creosote and it's been banned for no reason