advise on sleepers

Hi all. I've not been on here for quite some time but I hope to pick some brains again if you will let me?

I'm in the process of putting some changes in my garden. one of which is some railway sleepers as border for my lawn.

I got them off eBay cheap at £38 for 3x8' lengths and 2x4' lengths. BUT when I collected them in the dark I didn't realise that there was some rot in a couple of them. I've treated them with creocote which is supposed to me the substitute for creosote.

I would like to know how I should put these around my lawn? Should I dig a small trench around the lawn and insert them or will they be ok to just lay on the top of the edge where the lawn meets the beds? Also should I but some plastic under them to try and stop them sitting on the wet earth or will they be ok?

Thanks Dean

 

Advice on sleepers

Hi Under Par,

I have sleepers in my garden, mainly to hold back a two tier bed. Mine are directly onto the lawn and held together by posts. I wouldn't bother putting anything underneath, the wood is so solid it will take a good few years for it to rot. If you already have rot in them it would probably be better to try and cut it out as it could spread.

Mine have only been down two years and I hope to treat them this spring. Also need to get the bed properly developed.

 

Not sure if you have purcahased old reclaimed sleepers which will be full of preservative or like Sheal photo a modern day 'sleeper' which will much softer timber .
Either way I won't bother with a plastic underlay just take out a couple of inches to get ground level and lay in .You can secure with stakes nailed or screwed at th border side


Dave

 

Thanks for the feed back. My worry is that my garden can become very water logged in the winter due to the layer of clay it sits on. I've a foot of soil on top of what seems to be endless clay. I dug some holes and trenches and filled them with large pebbles to add some 'over flow' soak aways. I'm not sure if they will work though as I couldn't find the bottom of the clay.

I plan to have the sleepers around my lawn and then over time add free draining soil and sand to build the laws height and drainage. I'm just a little worried that this will mean the sleepers will be partly submerged in soil and there for could be sat in wet for months on end.

Any thoughts?

 

Thanks Dave.

There the old treated oak sleepers but were pressure washed some time ago and then left without any treatment so have rotted a bit. As mentioned I've creosealed them but I'm not sure how good that will me at keeping the water out.

 

I don't think you will be able to really do much about the fact that they will be sitting in moist/wet ground .Older real railway sleepers with last many years. If you sleepers are new timber treat well beforehand .
Only other alternative would be a wall retainer but again if you have very wet ground you would need to usse an engeneering brick or some type of landscape walling brick . Facing bricks would take up water and perish very quickly.
Dave

 

I'll take some photos when I'm finished which should be the weekend. I've made a start putting my bonsai bench in so have got to get it done soon.

 

Yea I thought that. Not going to go to those extremes as my tiny garden don't warrant it as I live very close to a clay lake so am guessing 4' won't be any where near the bottom. Thanks for the advise though shiney

 

Doubles up as a swimming pool in the summer?

 

You could always paint the sleepers with 'Blackjack' bitumen paint before placing them in the ground. I use it all the time, and have never once had any problems.

 

Thanks Eddie but they went down today. Hopefully the creoseal will do the job. I did think about that but was worried about when the sun gets on them the stuff will get all sticky.