Sleepers...how do you install yours

Kingdom34 · 30 May 2017 at 13:00

Hi All

Looking for some advice. I want to create a Sleeper border to my garden. Sleepers ive purchased are 2.4m by 20cm by 10cm.
I'm thinking dig down 10cm, level, place some concrete and sharp sand down into the trench and level off the sleepers on their side ie 10cm showing above the grass and 10cm in the trench.
Then between the side fencing and the sleeper I will place top soil.
I'm looking for some inspiration on this front so any pictures most welcome (of your garden layout of course).
Does anyone have any experience of installing sleepers? Angle brackets, mending plates etc a must or would the concrete be enough? I've seen people drill holes into the underside of the sleeper and install metal rods to then go into the ground.

Any experiences or guidance welcome

Many Thanks

Kingdom34 · 31 May 2017 at 09:25

Molep said:
I've got some bits from here: https://www.indooroutdoors.co.uk/collections/railway-sleeper-accessories which I think should do the job for a 30cm ish high retaining wall.

b0rn2sk8 said:
I have a sleeper boarder.

Mine are done with stakes at the joins and screwed to the wall at the end with L brackets. I just put them on compact soil, there not structural in any way so no need to go crazy.

Any links to the stakes youre talking about?

Kingdom34 · 31 May 2017 at 09:38

Molep said:
I've got some bits from here: https://www.indooroutdoors.co.uk/collections/railway-sleeper-accessories which I think should do the job for a 30cm ish high retaining wall.

Thank you. Tad pricey those parts compared to Screwfix or Wickes.

But thank you. I think I may purchase so brackets to connect the sleepers then galvanised stakes to support them. Perhaps I wont go near concrete as that should be enough really.

Kingdom34 · 1 Jun 2017 at 09:46

Paul11 said:
i just bought the metal spikes (but from ebay, much cheaper) and going to attempt to complete my install next week

Any links?

Kingdom34 · 1 Jun 2017 at 12:49

Many Thanks

Kingdom34 · 1 Jun 2017 at 16:15

GSXRMovistar said:
Alternative to brackets is to just use TimberLOK screws (or equivalents), with a decent impact driver they will go through the sleepers like butter.

Only trouble is I'm placing them on their side so 10cm deep and 10cm above the grass level, how would you connect the sleepers side by side here? Brackets are the only way
1 sleeper high by the way

Kingdom34 · 2 Jun 2017 at 08:31

GSXRMovistar said:
Screw through at an angle. I did the below a couple of years back and still rock solid now:-

Now that is nice, that's exactly how id want them except one high and not two. I take it you've screwed in at an angle on the top sleeper into the one below? Any close ups?

I'm going to dig down 10cm then have the other 10cm above the turf, so il use a string line level to make sure that I'm level.

Just not a DIYer so a little apprehensive.

Are your sleepers cemented in place?

Kingdom34 · 2 Jun 2017 at 10:10

GSXRMovistar said:
Don't think I have any close ups (if I remember I will grab something later). As for cementing, no I just levelled the area, threw down the weed sheet then placed the sleepers on top.

Despite the sleepers looking square and straight they weren't perfectly (may have also been down to some unevenness on the ground), however when screwing them together the screws pulled everything tight and straight.

Thank you.
Makes sense, that's what il be doing, levelling off the sides of the garden, down 10cm then placing the sleepers on sharp sand, perhaps cement as well and keeping them level.
WHat I meant with the scres is, are they countersunk then at an angle as I'm sure they would be due to kids being around :-)

Kingdom34 · 2 Jun 2017 at 15:28

pioneer2000 said:
Any reason why you want to submerge them 10cm? Seems like overkill / you'll surely have issues with so much of the sleeper being in constant contact with potentially damp soil.

Hmm you think that's too much then? Tanalised sleepers should be protected surely?

Kingdom34 · 5 Jun 2017 at 12:17

Right what a day. Roped in my fiancée's 17yr old cousin as labourer...didn't do much.

So weve dug and taken off one side.

Ive got my lines in place, both sides 90cm from the fence posts and straight.

The garden has a slight gradient...which is my problem. How do I make sure that the sleepers are level in the sense of, towards the house there is a clear slope down of about 3-5cm for the last metre or so.

Would I basically use 30cm rods that the strings attached to and mark off 10cm of "show" so I then know that this is the level I need to show of sleeper?
(Does that make sense??)