... a word of caution
Creosoted posts, particularly freshly treated ones, may poison the soil with gases and make the plants around them sick or even kill them. Modern preservatives are also poisonous to a degree, although quite safe for plant life once they have dried into the wood and been exposed to the air. They should not be stored where children or animals can reach them or where they may be upset on plants. Remember that they are poisonous to human beings. Be sure to wash your hands well after using them and to wear clothing which can be laundered. Occasionally one of the preservatives may affect sensitive skins. You may buy a pair of cotton gloves to wear while painting, and if your hands or skin feel irritated, wash immediately with warm water and a mild soap.

. . . are preservatives really worth what they cost?
Don't be misled by the dollar sign on the cost of the preservative. If you have a sizeable job to do-the cost may mount up to a startling sum, it is true, but don't just discard wood preservatives because of their price. Think through the whole problem, and don't salve your conscience with the thought that you have also got rid of one more operation in building. Instead, figure up the cost of replacing the wood and estimate the hours of labor you expect to put into the building. Balance these costs against the added years of life the expenditure of the cost of wood preservative would assure you, and you will agree that it is worth while, we are sure.

According to reliable reports, even green wood posts when treated with Copper Sulfate will last up to ten years, with seasoned wood lasting from fifteen to twenty years. Untreated posts will last between half and two-thirds of this time, according to wood and to climatic conditions. Both softwood and hardwood can be treated with preservatives, the operation being the same. Although no reliable figures are available to us at this time, claims are made that some preservatives will double or triple the life of posts. Pressure-treated creosoted posts last from twenty- five to thirty-five years, again depending upon conditions of soil, etc. All treated posts last longer when set in concrete. Therefore we feel the case is good for using wood preservatives, particularly on posts.