Railway Sleepers

Railway Sleepers have been used for centuries to provide a firm base for railway lines to fasten to.  Nowadays their popularity is with landscapers builders and furniture makers as something that is solid, long lasting and full of character.  You can expect many decades of use from them whether outside in the garden, or inside above your fireplace or windows.

It would be impossible to describe in detail all the things that you could create with railway sleepers.  Suffice it to say that they are versatile, easy to use, and blend in effectively.

 








Below we explain some of the species and their uses:-


Reclaimed Sleepers

Grade 1 Oak - These are very good quality with few defects.  Ideal for landscaping projects such as retaining walls, raised beds, steps, curbing and edging.  If the application is a major feature or central point of the garden or landscape then this sleeper is a very good choice.

Grade 2A Oak - A step down from the grade 1 with less regularity but none the less an extremely good sleeper and suitable for similar applications as the grade 1.

Grade 3 Oak - As one would expect these sleepers as extremely well used with significant defects and very little consitency.  Ideal for raised beds and retaining walls where the aim is to produce a rustic effect.  They are suitable also in applications where much of the sleeper may be hidden from the eye i.e. base to build sheds and garden buildings upon, edging or kerbing where part of the sleeper is embedded into the ground.

Untreated Tropical Azobe - A wonderful sleeper, tight grained with minimal splits and defects.  One of the attraction of this sleeper is that it has not been treated with creosote.  Azobe is such a dense and resilient hardwood that it will last an eternity without treatment.  This sleeper is ideal for projects in and around ponds and watercourses, vegetable beds/gardens, childrens play areas and furniture making where a range of contrasting colours may be achieved.

 

Internal
Green oak will develop natural splits and shakes giving a rustic appearance which makes these sleepers an ideal material for making rustic furniture from, constructing mantle pieces and fireplace surrounds.  In some circumastances subject to a structural engineers advice they may be suitable as lintels.

External
As with the various types of reclaimed sleepers these are also ideal for most landscaping projects, raised beds, retaining walls, edging, kerbing and even decking.  The benefit of using these sleepers is that they are free from creosote, uniform with few defects and very pleasing on the eye making them a central feature of any landscape or garde.  They are an ideal material also for making raised vegetable/flower beds from as they are durable, natural and environmentally friendly.  Please bear in mind that oak weathers naturally to a grey colour and will not maintain its original colour.

Treated Softwood - These sleepers are impregnated with either tanalith E green or tanatone brown preservative which has the advantage of not seeping out like creosote.  Excellent quality with good clean straight edges and easier to work with than oak as it is lighter, less dense and is cut/sawn with ease.  Ideal for most landscaping applications and inparticular raised beds, kerbing, edging, decking and pathways.

Cutting and Sawing

It is generally not advisable to cut or saw reclaimed sleepers due to the uncertainty of how clean the sleepers are inside.  Quite often they contain elements of metal and defect picked up from the tracks.  If they are to be cut then it is important that the correct machinery be used such as a chain saw and that it is done sop by a qualified person with the necessary protective equipment/clothing.

As regards to new oak and softwood sleepers these may be cut without too much difficulty and most well equipped saw mills and timber merchants will be happy to do so.  It is worth noting that once a softwood treated sleeper has been cutthe cut end is exposed and will require re-treating.  This may be done by applying some preservative that may be purchased from most timber merchants and DIY stores.


Creosoted Sleepers

Whilst reclaimed oak sleepers have many good uses they should not be used in those applications or areas where there may be frequent skin contact. For further details on this and other restrictions please refer to EU Commission Directive 2001/90/EC. In such cases consider either new or reclaimed untreated tropical azobe hardwood.


Fixings

The ideal fixings for securing sleepers are timberloks.  There is no need for pre-drilling - they just zip right in and are far easier to use then traditional coach bolts and screws.  They come ina  range of sizes from 65mm to 250mm in length and are all available online in our store.