 You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
We are making a flower bed in one of the sunniest spots in the garden and going to use sleepers to raise the level of it so it is more visible from the house. Unfortunately it's also the spot where a lot of builders rubble etc was dumped but I've cleared a strip roughly 17ft X 3ft wide and 1 ft deep. I'm looking at placing sleepers on their edge along the bed edge on top of of the existing lawn on a bed of sharp sand. Given I've dug out the bed already would I be best to drills hole at each end of the 3 sleepers required so I can hammer length of rebar to secure or should I hammer the rebar at the back of the sleeper and secure it to the sleeper with fence pins?
Would you line the sleepers with polythene to further protect them or not bother?
The bed backs on to a post and rail fence what backing board would people recommend to use?
You can get massive hex headed screws on ebay, thats what I used for a 1 metre retaining wall constructed from sleepers.
If they are new softwood sleepers you probably won't need a pilot hole either.
I would cut the turf away, and bed them on some of the rubble so the lawn can grow up to them, rather than sand on top of the grass.
However you pin it together, recess the heads and use some bits of broom handle to plug the holes after
Cheers spooky - have you got a link to those screws? Do they screw into the ground?
Various lengths - http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xsleeper+screws.TRS0&_nkw=sleeper+screws&_sacat=0
If you've already dug down a foot why build a raised bed? Just fill the hole with topsoil and plant taller plants. If you really want it raised then the 17ft run will likely move a bit unless it is pretty structural. You could use more sleepers laid flat rather than on edge or build three boxes with two extra sleepers running front to back at the joins in the long run. Use those screws above to fix the sleepers together. They are also available from toolstation or screwfix if you want them for the weekend.
We used rebar as you described for a raised veg patch (three sleepers in height). Been rock solid.
Would you line the sleepers with polythene to further protect them or not bother?
I didn't bother but they were heavily treated with something unpleasant. I've heard if they aren't they rot out pretty quickly, polythene or no.
i've used jigsaw sleepers in our garden. makes it easy to join them together securely. to keep them from moving i knocked some wooden posts in behind the sleepers and then secured the sleepers to the posts . the soil and decorative aggregate covers the posts so it looks tidy.
http://www.diy.com/departments/grange-timber-jigsaw-sleeper-h200mm-w12m/260642_BQ.prd?gclid=COz-q_rjs8wCFclsGwodYg4Khg&ppc_type=shopping&ecamp=SEAPLA260642_BQ&ef_id=VqdYkAAAAGonYbEg:20160429115020:s
You could use paving slabs set into the ground on edge to protect your fence / retain soil. Depending on aesthetics, masonry paint or an evergreen plant screen between slabs and fence.
Some types of treated sleepers leach tar in hot weather, watch where you sit