Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 Sep 08, 2011 11:12 am Hi everyone... Late last year we bought a sandpit (treated pine). We painted it with a kind of sealer (meant to stop toxins leaking out of timber into the sand etc). I can't remember the name of it (could go to the shed and find out ) but it was a black stain type of stuff. Filled it with white sand and off we go. Later, we noticed DH's shorts were yellow on the backside and couldn't figure out what the hell it was. Then, after DD started playing in the sand pit, we noticed her clothes were turning yellow too. Something in the sand/sand pit was staining clothes a yellow/orange colour (and it doesn't wash out). So we called the landscape supplier to see if they knew anything about what it could be. He said that it sounded like potentially there could be iron in the sand that was causing rust stains... but he said that they supply to local schools and kindergartens etc etc and they have NEVER heard of such a thing or had any complaints with their sand. He said something about possibly getting mixed up with brick sand but if it was brick sand we would see 'yellow' in the sand. We were all a bit confused. When we dismantled the sandpit, we noticed some parts of the sand were quite yellow (should be white) but... ( ) that could possibly be where the cat found it 'useful' because once we deemed the sandpit unsuitable for playing, we got slack in putting the cover on it and the cat found it quite handy. The other interesting thing (why is my life so full of complications) is that outside the sandpit, along one edge in particular, we noticed the leaves and grass etc were all going brown/black and dying. Not just standard browning/dying, but a real dark suspicious colour. Also, in these same brown/dead areas, when it rained and water pooled, there was a silver/metallic slick that formed on top of the water puddles. So something suspicious was going on - not sure if it was something coming up from our soil (mind you we had thick black plastic lining the base of the sandpit). We do have drainage issues and one of our drains ends not far from the sand pit so that area may be sodden underneath and possibly have some kind of bacteria or chemical in the water/soil??????). Or whether it is simply run off from the stain that we used, or the pine timber itself...... and whether the same thing is causing the yellowing of the sand or whether we are dealing with two separate things?? We now want to rebuild the sandpit (or totally get a new one) but we don't want to repeat the same issue. Does anyone know what might have been causing the staining of clothes (beside the cat because the rust staining was happening before the cat got involved) - and the blackness of the leaves and grass along a couple of edges of the sand pit, and the silvery slick on the water?? Sorry it's so long, but I wanted to give all information that might help. Any input anyone?????? HHCIB Re: Anyone know what this might be...... 2Sep 09, 2011 12:49 pm Did you paint with a bitumen sealer?, water or oil based? Landscape Design & Construction http://cherub.squarespace.com/ Re: Anyone know what this might be...... 3Sep 12, 2011 7:54 am Hi cherub Yes, it was a bitumen sealer, and I think it was oil based (tin says to clean up with turps etc). Sorry DH did it and not around to ask but pretty sure oil based?????? HHCIB Re: Anyone know what this might be...... 4Sep 14, 2011 4:41 am Good chance that is the culprit, if you applied heavy it can soften up and will leach. Probably not the best product for a sand pit Landscape Design & Construction http://cherub.squarespace.com/ Re: Anyone know what this might be...... 5Sep 14, 2011 10:54 am Ok, will definitely take that on board... and it very well could be the cuprit... but... we watered it down (as instructions say you can do) so it wasn't on thick like actual bitumen. It was actually like a thin, watery coat. But... not to say that it still didn't leech out. I'm just surprised given it's meant to be a sealer to stop chemicals leeching out of timber, then that itself does the damage . And like I said, our friends used it to seal the timber for their veggie patches (will double-check with them, maybe we didn't use exactly the same thing... but I thought we did). Anyway, thanks Cherub... we might not actually stain it a all next time and see how that goes. HHCIB Re: Anyone know what this might be...... 6Sep 14, 2011 2:35 pm See if you can find the name of the product, you say you watered down but you need to use turps to clean up? Landscape Design & Construction http://cherub.squarespace.com/ Re: Anyone know what this might be...... 7Sep 14, 2011 10:42 pm I'm fairly sure I know the product you have there. Check the details. If it has a certification from BFA on it, contact them with this as well. http://www.bfa.com.au/ The stuff should not transfer to soil and it sure as hell isn't supposed to kill plants around it. http://www.recochem.com.au/index.php/pr ... r_protecta The most definitive answer to your question James is this taken from the James Hardie Axon Cladding Installation Guide - i just happen to have it… 5 3683 I had an old shower unit that broke on me and when I took it off, there were only 2 water pipes, instead of the normal 2 water pipes and a shower head pipe. S o I… 0 36944 Wish you all the best. Once you signed the contract, they will find millions excuses to charge you. And have seen their sites unfinished for a long time. 4 24833 |