Timber that has been treated with preservative is the best choice in most cases – UC3 treated timber is best for use out of the ground, while UC4 treated is best for in-ground. Another type of timber available is green oak, which does not need treating as they are long-lasting naturally.
What are the disadvantages of wooden sleeper?
Disadvantages of Wooden Sleepers
- They are easily liable to attack by vermin and weather.
- They are susceptible to fire.
- It is difficult to maintain gauge in case of wooden sleepers.
- Scrap value is negligible.
- Their useful life is short about 12 to 15 years.
What do you put under sleepers in the garden?
You can either opt for concrete, sand or gravel foundations or lay the sleepers on the soil with no official foundation. For the latter option, make sure you put down a waterproof sheet under the sleepers to avoid them soaking up moisture from the soil.
How long will garden sleepers last?
As a rule, hardwood oak sleepers tend to last the longest naturally with an expected lifespan of around 100 years. An untreated softwood will last for between three and five years if it sits on the ground, whilst treated softwoods can last between 20 and 30 years if they are maintained correctly.
What is the best wood for garden sleepers? – Related Questions
How do you keep wooden sleepers from rotting?
To preserve the sleepers further, we would recommend treating them with an exterior wood oil or decking oil, ideally twice a year in Spring and Autumn. This will help to repel water and prevent water ingress, the main cause of wood rot.
Do wooden sleepers need to be treated?
Reclaimed railway sleepers can last for decades without being treated. However, to help nourish and protect the timber from decay it is a good idea to apply a wood preservative.
How long will a sleeper last in the ground?
How long do railway sleepers last? Railway sleepers will last for years, with our softwood treated sleepers typically lasting around 8 to 10 years due to the pressurised treatment, and UC4 treatments extending this to 15 years.
How long do timber sleepers last in the ground?
How long should my treated pine sleeper last? Good quality treated pine sleeper wall if installed correctly should last 15 to 20 years.
How long will untreated oak sleepers last?
Oak, for example, is highly resistant to decay and can last up to 30 or 40 years untreated.
How long will soft wood sleepers last?
Softwood sleepers comes from pine and it is known that they a less resistant to decay and have to be treated to ensure they last a long time, when treated and maintained after purchase you can expect softwoods sleepers to give you up to 20 years of use.
What are the disadvantages of soft wood?
Cons & Disadvatages of Softwood:
- Density: The lower density of softwood timber means it’s weaker and less durable, however there are some ‘hard’ softwood options with a higher density like Juniper and Yew.
- Longevity: Softwood is less suitable for high traffic areas as it does not wear as well as hardwood over time.
Do sleepers need to be treated?
Hardwood will weather well without treatment for many years, while softwood sleepers are best treated with a preservative for a longer lifespan. Whichever material you choose to work with, we recommend applying finishes to help protect against rot and decay.
Do sleepers need foundations?
Sleepers can be laid directly onto firm ground, however it’s recommended that at the very least a bed of sand or aggregate is used to assist drainage and provide a firm footing. Purists will always insist on a concrete bed, however if the wall is additionally supported by posts then this is not always necessary.
How do you anchor a sleeper to the ground?
Haunch at the back end of the sleeper and if possible, the front end too. This will help fix sleepers to the ground so they remain stable. If using sleepers for a low border or planter it may well be enough to fix a wooden post or spike behind the sleepers and fix this into the ground.
How do you keep garden sleepers in place?
Overlap the sleepers at the ends and then join them using a steel rod pin or landscaping screw. The alternative is to use metal corner plates and braces. These are quicker, easier, and form a strong bond that’ll hold your structure in position without the need to overlap the ends.
How do you join sleepers together?
With sleepers on a narrow edge, simply screw the sleepers together at the 90 degree corners, allowing at least 50mm (or 2″) of the screw to penetrate the adjoining sleeper. Two screws per corner is ideal.
How do you secure sleepers on top of each other?
If you are stacking the sleepers horizontally on their broadest side, e.g. on the 250mm width of a 250mm x 125mm sleeper, then all you need to do is to overlap the joints of the sleepers, from layer to layer, like building a brick wall, and fasten each layer to the layer below with timber lock screws or similar.
How do you screw a wooden sleeper together?
What saw for cutting sleepers?
Cut your sleepers with a circular saw or a chainsaw by slowly making clean, straight cuts. Use a square angle ruler to make sure your sleepers will fit perfectly. Alternatively you can ask for sleepers to be precut which The Luxury Wood Company is happy to do.
How do you join sleepers side by side?
3Join the sleepers together
Put the two side sleepers and the end sleeper together so they make a U-shape. Use the cordless drill to make a pilot hole near the end of one of the side sleepers. Then drill in a temporary screw. Repeat this process to join the other sleepers together.