Has anyone build raised border using (new) oak sleepers

[AC43]

Thinking of getting some raised border build using oak sleepers - new rather that reclaimed (or at least not old railway sleepers that weep creosote. The idea is to have them running round the borders.

Anyone done it? Any tips?

[V8RX7]

Yes - the only issue is to consider how you join them.

Straps at the back, drill a hole and spike through the middle, huge screw type fixings etc

[AC43]

V8RX7 said:

Yes - the only issue is to consider how you join them.

Straps at the back, drill a hole and spike through the middle, huge screw type fixings etc

Have you done some? Just trying to work out rough costs for, say, a 10 run three deep.

I've seen for example, oak sleepers that are 2.4m x 100mm x 200mm for £20-ish.

For a 10m buy run I'd need 18 or them - so £360 for the timber.

Not sure how much prep is advisable bit if they were just laid on the ground it might take 2 x blokes 1 day.

Them I suppose I'd have to get a builders bag of topoil delivered and barrowed in?

Just trying to work out some ballpark figures before getting quotes.

[tuffer]

I did this a few years back, will dig out some pictures later. You can buy special screws about 10 inches long that hold them together but you need a serious drill. Looked great for about two years and then started to rot, eventually ripped them all out again after about 5 years.

[tuffer]

[tuffer]

Oh yeah, one more point, they are F'in heavy and I laid all these on my own, not recommended. As an alternative there is some South African redwood that is also used for sleepers, they are about twice as heavy as Oak and hard as nails but look stunning.

[dickymint]

Did these about 5 years ago using new Green Oak...........



Timberlock Screws are your friend........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POEUHxT9hdE

[33q]

6 years ago I had my garden landscaped using new sleepers. After 2 years there was evidence of rot and I have just had the whole lot ripped out. The amount if rot was unbelievable.

What a waste of £12k!

Just had the whole garden redone in natural stone.

I think the motto is buy cheap, buy twice.

[V8RX7]

Those experiencing rot after two years - are you sure you purchased Oak rather than softwood ?

IME 4x1 treated softwood lasts around 5yrs as a border so I can't believe thick oak lasts half as long.

[tuffer]

V8RX7 said:

Those experiencing rot after two years - are you sure you purchased Oak rather than softwood ?

IME 4x1 treated softwood lasts around 5yrs as a border so I can't believe thick oak lasts half as long.

See my pictures above, that's new French Oak, 80kg each. Was advised not to treat them and just let them weather naturally. Big mistake.

[anonymous-user]

Oak is classified as durable (although at the lower end of that band) and in ground contact would normally be expected to last around 15 years. However if considered moderately durable, 5 to 10 years would be more like it.

To those with decay, I wonder if your sleepers had some sapwood on the edges, which rotted quickly (as sapwood does). Did the decay only affect the corners or was it through the whole section?

[mikeiow]

33q said:

6 years ago I had my garden landscaped using new sleepers. After 2 years there was evidence of rot and I have just had the whole lot ripped out. The amount if rot was unbelievable.

What a waste of £12k!

Just had the whole garden redone in natural stone.

I think the motto is buy cheap, buy twice.

Hang on: £12K was buying cheap?
My garden budget is clearly in a tiny league of it's own!

[33q]

Perhaps I should have been clearer. I wasted £12k on sleepers and should have upped my budget and had stone then.

Sleepers do not last. Perhaps decent oak ones do but my supposed oak didn't.

[SilverSpur]

tuffer said:

I did this a few years back, will dig out some pictures later. You can buy special screws about 10 inches long that hold them together but you need a serious drill. Looked great for about two years and then started to rot, eventually ripped them all out again after about 5 years.

Did you put a moisture barrier between the sleepers and the soil?

[RowntreesCabana]

SilverSpur said:

Did you put a moisture barrier between the sleepers and the soil?

For £12k I hope the landscaping was performed by an army of swedish blondes wearing nothing but moisturiser!

[dickymint]

33q said:

Perhaps I should have been clearer. I wasted £12k on sleepers and should have upped my budget and had stone then.

Sleepers do not last. Perhaps decent oak ones do but my supposed oak didn't.

There's a reason why British Rail treated their sleepers and they've lasted for decades

[RobDickinson]

Drainage helps too. BR dont have them sat in muddy ground soaking up water.

[HappyMidget]

Plastidip the wet sides of the sleepers

[dickymint]

RobDickinson said:

Drainage helps too. BR dont have them sat in muddy ground soaking up water.

Very true. Also a couple of mine have some fairly bad rot in them where fungi had taken up residence! Not bothered really as I quite like the "aged look".

[Chrisgr31]

I put some in around 10 years ago, treated them well before they went in, they have weed membrane then pea shingle between them and the earth. The parts I can see now need re-treating, no idea what the back is like! If I was putting them in now I would be terating the unseen parts with bitumen paint as all the approved treatments are useless!

Depending on where they are going and how high I would be tempted to use gravel boards or scaffold boards and just replace in 5 years or so.