Working with garden sleepers

paulocon2

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone has any experience of working with Garden Sleepers?

Working with the smaller sleepers (2.4m x 200mm x 100mm). I am laying some steps on a sloped part of the garden. I have the area levelled and will put in a sand base under the steps.

Just wondering in terms of what is the best way to cut the sleepers and also what are the best brackets and screws to join them?

Gant21

Get out the chainsaw, screw fix have long screws. Make it happening.

paulocon2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119277404#Comment_119277404

Never thought of screwfix, I'll take a look there to see what they have.

Former Former Former

Just finished a job that involved cutting lots of sleepers.

Assuming these are new sleepers and not reclaimed from an actual rail line, you will get a much cleaner cut with a sharp hand saw than from a chainsaw.

If you have a circular saw, use that for a starter cut to guide the hand saw.

Don't forget to use a primer on any cut ends.

asdfg87

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058252666/working-with-garden-sleepers

Would they not be too slippery for steps.o think i would use briks for steps.

Sorry just my opinion.

The Continental Op

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119287444#Comment_119287444

Chicken wire stapled on the tread works well.

Daisy 55

They are slippy!

SouthWesterly

I did similar last year.

I cut out the steps and used treated 2x4 before placing slabs behind them as steps. Used sand and cement to bed the slabs. Didn't bother wetting it as it would rain and do the job.

paulocon2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119287444#Comment_119287444

I am actually just using the slabs as the edging, steps will be filled with clay then a weed suppressant and a covering of small pebble.

paulocon2

Sorry, just one more question.

Can anyone recommend screws for use on this job?

Sleepers are 2.4metres x 200mm x 100mm.

steamsey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119289381#Comment_119289381

Used these recently and was happy with them - https://www.screwfix.ie/p/timbascrew-flange-timber-screws-gold-6-7-x-150mm-50-pack/4613j

The Continental Op

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119289381#Comment_119289381

The shortest screw that makes any sense to me with that size timber is 180mm.

This is the sort of thing I'd consider https://www.screwfix.ie/p/spax-wirox-flange-wirox-coated-timber-screws-silver-8-x-180mm-50-pack/5141x

But I'd also seriously consider using coach bolts and washers.

You can also pin proper wooden railway ties to the ground with reinforcing rod. Drill through and hammer the reinforcing rod through, angle grind off the excess.

Giant home made staples can also be useful but you need some metal working skills to bend them.

coillsaille

I made a set of steps last year between two different levels of the garden, 5ft of a drop. I first made a slope of clay (had a digger on hire for other work so that made things a lot easier) and built stone walls to hold the sides. Then I got some of the steel rods (rebar) used in concrete foundations, available at any builders providers, which I cut into 2ft lengths. I hammered these into the slope to fix the sleepers to. I used galvinised steel band and 4x40mm screws to fix the steel rods to the inside of each sleeper. The sleepers are the risers (vertical parts of the steps) and I filled behind each one with clay, then membrane and a layer of gravel to form the treads (horizontal parts of the steps). Because the steel rods are fixed to the inside of each sleeper they are buried beneath the fill and not visible.

Don't know if that method is of any use to you with your project but worked well here, the sleepers will never budge.

The Continental Op

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119289415#Comment_119289415

I went looking on screwfix for those but couldn't spot them. I'd give them my vote and the 200mm ones if going into end grain.

Tow

The are slippy, but a regular doseing with moss remover and throwing a bit of fine sand on the steps will help a lot. From experience, when laid on a bed of concrete you will get about ~15 years out of them before they rot through.

paulocon2

Has anyone used this as a preservative on cut sleepers?

https://www.woodies.ie/evo-stik-creo-coat-golden-4l-1059236

Also, has anyone used any wood oil/varnish on the sleepers. I've seen some photos where there was a nice sheen/veneer off the finished sleepers.

The Continental Op

OP are these real old railway sleepers or are they pretend softwood sleepers?

If its the pretend softwood ones then treat it all with Protim 265 then treat it again, then give the end grain some more. After that you can finish them with whatever you like.

greasepalm

Fox ate his way under my sleeper as i had 1 on top of the other and a den under the garden.

Lumen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119289443#Comment_119289443

Spax Wirox coating is not suitable for outdoors IMO. I have seen corrosion after one year in treated battens.

Paddy McGinty

Screws and brackets etc for sleepers sounds like hard work to me...

I'd hammer in a bunch of 4" nails (maybe a dozen or more) on the underside of sleeper at random angles, and bed it ontop of 2-3" of concrete (not too wet). Agree with others that sleepers can become really slippy so they typically work better on a path mixed with stone/gravel or rough concrete. As steps alone they can look the part but too risky for me when wet.

GreeBo

I'd always advise keeping concrete away from wood, concrete is a sponge and will keep your wood wet.

If building a wall with sleepers then, as already advised above, pin them together with a couple of lengths of rebar right into the ground, you can fix the rebar into concrete if you really want, but ideally the "wall" would have some bends for stability (effectively piers)

Also chicken wire works well on the surface if using as steps.

paulocon2

Thanks for all the advice.

Job done, ended up sectioning off a 50x10metre part of the garden and surrounding with raised sleepers with access steps.

Lay pebble gravel on top of a double-layer of mypex.

Used 200mm screws to and landscaping to keep all in place.

Biggest challenge was cutting the sleepers straight! I used a handsaw and was given great advice.. 'let the saw do the work and cut on the downstroke only'!

Gant21

Use the same method for a hand saw as coitus and results can be achieved.

asdfg87

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119392828#Comment_119392828

Good stuff... BTW have you any plans for weekend...

paulocon2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119396407#Comment_119396407

Too many plans unfortunately. The rest of the garden ran wild while I was working on that particular project!!