Soldato
- Joined
- 27 Mar 2013
- Posts
- 9,249
Raider sleeps do seem to be the in thing at the moment, interesting question though as i can't imagine they would be used on railways if they only lasted 6 months or so.
What "man jobs" have you done today?
- Thread starter jaybee
- Start date
Don
The ones on the railway used to be treated with some sort of nasty chemicals probably long since banned though
Hard to get proper sleepers as they a big, heavy and very rugged , the ones I used to deal with are heavily pregmated in creosote (coal tar) last a life time. Best ones are oak but good look with them prices
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I can get reclaimed sleepers 2.6m 150x250 for £53 ea inc VAT
Soft wood treated is 2.4m 100x200 for £22.74 ea inc VAT
Hard wood treated is 2.4m 100x200 for £41.99 ea inc VAT
I only need to create a border, maybe 2 high at most. I guess I can sit them on metal rods to stop them sitting in the ground and they should last forever?
Soft wood treated is 2.4m 100x200 for £22.74 ea inc VAT
Hard wood treated is 2.4m 100x200 for £41.99 ea inc VAT
I only need to create a border, maybe 2 high at most. I guess I can sit them on metal rods to stop them sitting in the ground and they should last forever?
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Just dig a shallow trench and fill with gravel then sit them on top, drill holes and knock some ReBar though them for more support
Proper lifted railway sleepers probably out live you.. those softwood sleepers last about 15-20years.
I used a bunch of old railway sleepers on a front garden, in the heavy sunlight they ooze black stuff, assuming creosote or something so in a garden with kids I wouldn't use them.
I need to build a fairly long retaining wall about a metre high that will be back filled to level the garden out and everywhere seems to suggest building with sleepers but I have had the same concerns about lifetime of the wood. Some place suggest they wont last more than a few years while other say decades. So not sure what to believe!
Its not a job I fancy doing more than once so have also looked into block or gabion baskets as alternatives.
Associate
They really do last decades. I revisited a garden to repoint some Yorkstone paving I had put down 20+ years ago. They had a small retaining wall made from hardwood sleepers that looked like it had aged very well. No rot on any face showing.
You will probably lay your sleepers on end to get your height quicker. Whack a few 6 inch nails in the base of the sleeper and lay 50-100mm deep in a concrete bed. Then brick bond and pin with 10mm rebar (a decent drill and an auger bit) or long timber screws as you build up. . Treat the cut ends with end grain sealer. Back fill with some free draining material or add some drainage. Leave a few weep holes in the lower course.
You will probably lay your sleepers on end to get your height quicker. Whack a few 6 inch nails in the base of the sleeper and lay 50-100mm deep in a concrete bed. Then brick bond and pin with 10mm rebar (a decent drill and an auger bit) or long timber screws as you build up. . Treat the cut ends with end grain sealer. Back fill with some free draining material or add some drainage. Leave a few weep holes in the lower course.
I'd lean towards this method also.Just dig a shallow trench and fill with gravel then sit them on top, drill holes and knock some ReBar though them for more support
A membrane to protect the bottom of them is likely to just to hold moisture against them.
Soldato
Anyone got any tips for cleaning black grout off tiles? (porcelain)
Some marks have been left and they're a textured effect tile. Mrs has let me know elbow grease alone isn't sorting it..
Some marks have been left and they're a textured effect tile. Mrs has let me know elbow grease alone isn't sorting it..
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You might get lucky with one of these; I used it on metro tiles:
www.toolstation.com
Vitrex Grout Finisher
Achieve a perfect finish with tiling work using this grout finishing tool from Vitrex. It's multi-functional, so it's a clever add-on to your toolkit – a scraper on one end helps you remove excess grout caused by using a float over large areas. Gap and corner cleaning is a breeze, thanks to this...
www.toolstation.com
Associate
- Joined
- 23 Dec 2008
- Posts
- 1,044
Restoration Couple have a number of videos for sleeper walls
Mine lasted about 5years before showing signs of rot.
After about 8 years they were not good, though a few weren't too bad.
Guess the pressure treatment in them was better.
Mine were sat on soil and back filled with soil. So quite wet all the time!
Should have sat on gravel and lined the inner side.
Fila first wash is great at getting rid of grout haze and residue.
Soldato
What size grinder? You'll prob want something that can handle wet cutting I'd have thought.
Day hire of a cutter? I thought you had a relative with one?
I only have a small handheld grinder - Milwaukee thing. Not big.
Just wanted to see if I needed a cutter or could get away with it; brother is 100 miles away. Will make the effort to get the cutter.
Pressures on as its the neighbors patio I have destroyed by reclaiming the boundary line
Thank you!
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Soldato
Yeah I don't think you'll have a lot of fun trying to cut thick slab with a small grinder, unless you're just trimming some corners or something. Good luck appeasing your neighbourI only have a small handheld grinder - Milwaukee thing. Not big.
Just wanted to see if I needed a cutter or could get away with it; brother is 100 miles away. Will make the effort to get the cutter.
Pressures on as its the neighbors patio I have destroyed by reclaiming the boundary line
Thank you!
Soldato
- Joined
- 27 Mar 2013
- Posts
- 9,249
I bought one from screwfix a couple of years ago, I'm sure it was only 50 quid or so for a 9 or 10 inch one (can't remember what's standard). Mine are concrete though and believe me when I say it gets everywhere, try and do it on a still day and wear a mask.