Fixing sleepers in raised bed
Discussion
I'm creating a slightly raised bed for a herb garden, and am going to use oak sleepers (100x200 section). I've read on here that Timberlok screws are best, but I'm wondering how best to use them.
The bed will be in a square, so I could either screw the sleepers together from the outside. But I thought that it might look nicer to hammer a 2x2 post into the corner and to screw from the inside through the post into the sleeper. That way when I fill up the bed it will cover the screws (and the post) and there will be no visible fixings on the outside. Is this flawed? Obviously this approach will mean only being able to screw the sleepers to the post, and not fixing sleeper to sleeper.
The bed will be in a square, so I could either screw the sleepers together from the outside. But I thought that it might look nicer to hammer a 2x2 post into the corner and to screw from the inside through the post into the sleeper. That way when I fill up the bed it will cover the screws (and the post) and there will be no visible fixings on the outside. Is this flawed? Obviously this approach will mean only being able to screw the sleepers to the post, and not fixing sleeper to sleeper.
Other options would be to build the thing upside down then flip it and put it into its final position - heavy but fixings concealed.
Or even better use pins instead of screws; bore holes into the sleepers on the adjacent faces, drop a bit of rod into the lower sleeper then drop the top one over the top. Gravity will hold them together OK if the pins are there to stop them moving sideways. If in doubt add some suitable glue/epoxy to the pins and the touching faces. Stainless threaded rod is cheap and easy to get.
Or even better use pins instead of screws; bore holes into the sleepers on the adjacent faces, drop a bit of rod into the lower sleeper then drop the top one over the top. Gravity will hold them together OK if the pins are there to stop them moving sideways. If in doubt add some suitable glue/epoxy to the pins and the touching faces. Stainless threaded rod is cheap and easy to get.
I used Wickes own rand Timberlok screws in 200x100 oak.
I found that it was too much of a mission to use them without pilot hole, even though this is how they're advertised. So put a pilot hole through the first bit of wood if you're going to use these.
To make them look nice I used a 20mm forstner bit (cheap set available from Screwfix) to countersink the head around 20mm, top of the head ends up about 10mm below the surface. Then I cut off 8-10mm discs from a piece of 20mm hardwood dowel and knocked them into the hole to cover the screw. They go in perfectly flat fairly easily and IMO look really good.
Also I recommend running a belt sander down each corner of each side of your cut pieces of sleeper and putting a ~5mm chamfer all over. They are not precisely cut piece of wood and this hides the unevenness.
I found that it was too much of a mission to use them without pilot hole, even though this is how they're advertised. So put a pilot hole through the first bit of wood if you're going to use these.
To make them look nice I used a 20mm forstner bit (cheap set available from Screwfix) to countersink the head around 20mm, top of the head ends up about 10mm below the surface. Then I cut off 8-10mm discs from a piece of 20mm hardwood dowel and knocked them into the hole to cover the screw. They go in perfectly flat fairly easily and IMO look really good.
Also I recommend running a belt sander down each corner of each side of your cut pieces of sleeper and putting a ~5mm chamfer all over. They are not precisely cut piece of wood and this hides the unevenness.
EggsBenedict said:
I'd line the inside with something and the undersides of the sleepers too. With the best will in the world, wood in contact with soil will rot.
Surely any liner you put down will accumulate water, resulting in the same end result.I'm considering sitting them on shingle as there will be a shingle oath all around anyway. That should minimise persistent soil-sogginess.
They will rot but depends what you expect the lifetime to be?
I built 2 large raised beds for veg when we moved into the house. Green oak sleepers, untreated, not lined and they have rotted a bit in places but they still comfortably hold 2 cubic metres of soil each and are solid enough to walk on. Nearly 9 years they've been there.
They look rustic that's all
I built 2 large raised beds for veg when we moved into the house. Green oak sleepers, untreated, not lined and they have rotted a bit in places but they still comfortably hold 2 cubic metres of soil each and are solid enough to walk on. Nearly 9 years they've been there.
They look rustic that's all
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