Help with my Garden Sleeper Border
Discussion
I did a two-high sleeper retaining wall (so about 18" high), and i removed the turf, dug a trench about 6" deep and filled it with 20mm gravel then laid the sleepers on top. Hopefully the gravel will help with drainage and slow any rotting of the sleepers from underneath.
So they stayed in place i drilled through the both layers and hammered lengths of iron re bar through the holes and a couple of feet into the ground.
So they stayed in place i drilled through the both layers and hammered lengths of iron re bar through the holes and a couple of feet into the ground.
Just for context, at our last place we lined the small lawn with fairly hefty pressure treated sleepers (the sort you get from Wickes/B&Q). Just removed the turf, levelled off and placed on top of the ground. After about 6 years we redid the garden, I was hoping to salvage some of the sleepers for the allotment as visually the bits I could see looked fine, but as I started to dig them out I quickly realised anything in contact with the ground/soil was pretty rotten and they'd start to disintegrate when I tried to lift them.
I reckon they only had a couple of years life in them. Unlike the proper railway sleepers my dad got hold of for his rockery, which still seem to be holding well after 30+ years!
I reckon they only had a couple of years life in them. Unlike the proper railway sleepers my dad got hold of for his rockery, which still seem to be holding well after 30+ years!
Zetec-S said:
I reckon they only had a couple of years life in them. Unlike the proper railway sleepers my dad got hold of for his rockery, which still seem to be holding well after 30+ years!
Proper sleepers were likely Jarrah or Karri (both lovely types of wood wasted as sleepers, and very robust) and likely soaked in creosote too so pretty much bombproof.Newer ones for gardens are like soft cheese by comparison. A soak in decent wood preserver might help. Especially creosote if available; unfriendly stuff but it works!
If you want drainage (and soil separation) that works then geotex/weed barrier fabric/cut up old bulk bags is necessary to let moisture through & block any soil from clogging it.
Have a look at railwaysleepers.com
No affiliation, just a happy customer of quite a few of their Jarrah tropical hardwood sleepers. They are VERY heavy and will blunt drills and chainsaws, but they are very strong and rot-resistant - they’ll see me out…
Also, I’m biased, but they look a lot better than ‘fake’ sleepers. My recent project:
No affiliation, just a happy customer of quite a few of their Jarrah tropical hardwood sleepers. They are VERY heavy and will blunt drills and chainsaws, but they are very strong and rot-resistant - they’ll see me out…
Also, I’m biased, but they look a lot better than ‘fake’ sleepers. My recent project:
JoshSm said:
You'd think an enterprising sort would take the Jarrah sleepers & plane the faces off & oil them; it's really nice looking solid hardwood when not weathered & covered in grime.
I had to plane a couple to get them level when building the railings and I realised how good they look. I’m considering getting one or two more, planing them smooth and making a simple garden benchNigel_O said:
Have a look at railwaysleepers.com
No affiliation, just a happy customer of quite a few of their Jarrah tropical hardwood sleepers. They are VERY heavy and will blunt drills and chainsaws, but they are very strong and rot-resistant - they’ll see me out…
Also, I’m biased, but they look a lot better than ‘fake’ sleepers. My recent project:
That’s really smart. No affiliation, just a happy customer of quite a few of their Jarrah tropical hardwood sleepers. They are VERY heavy and will blunt drills and chainsaws, but they are very strong and rot-resistant - they’ll see me out…
Also, I’m biased, but they look a lot better than ‘fake’ sleepers. My recent project:
Zetec-S said:
Just for context, at our last place we lined the small lawn with fairly hefty pressure treated sleepers (the sort you get from Wickes/B&Q). Just removed the turf, levelled off and placed on top of the ground. After about 6 years we redid the garden, I was hoping to salvage some of the sleepers for the allotment as visually the bits I could see looked fine, but as I started to dig them out I quickly realised anything in contact with the ground/soil was pretty rotten and they'd start to disintegrate when I tried to lift them.
I reckon they only had a couple of years life in them. Unlike the proper railway sleepers my dad got hold of for his rockery, which still seem to be holding well after 30+ years!
Our modern sleepers are 10 years old and I suspect only have a couple of years live left in them. Definitely rotting now.I reckon they only had a couple of years life in them. Unlike the proper railway sleepers my dad got hold of for his rockery, which still seem to be holding well after 30+ years!
moved to present house 19yrs ago they had stairs made from sleepers never had to replace any so far but had to replace the bolts holding them down so imagine they are old railway sleepers
few years ago electricity pole snapped at top so was replaced and kept pole cut up into small steps again well creosoted so should last long time
few years ago electricity pole snapped at top so was replaced and kept pole cut up into small steps again well creosoted so should last long time
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