Small Garden Border Railway Sleeper Project

Installing new railway sleepers into a small garden as edging, and creating a gravel stone area using 20mm gravel.

[@knighty6988]

Looks great but Looks even better sat by the Fire having a beer. 👀🔥👍🏻

[@Tableturn]

Nicely done!

[@leeaustin8347]

Thank you!

[@jimmykvlogs2483]

Very nice mate well done 👍

[@leeaustin8347]

Thanks Jimmy

[@robbie73vespa]

Crackin job lad although i can't believe some folk don't lay drainage first 🤷

[@mariosavva999]

Isn't the gravel he laid drainage? Genuine question as considering the same project myself.

[@nfmt84]

Really nice job, looking to do the same same to my garden. Could I ask where you bought the sleepers from? Also, my garden slopes low on the left and high on the right. Any advice on making the sleepers level? Thanks again for the video 👍

[@leeaustin8347]

Thanks for taking the time to comment. I bought the sleepers from a local garden centre - i think they were around £18 each and also pre-treated. In terms of your garden sloping I'd dig out level and use the gravel for fine adjustment. If it's really steep I'd recommend using vertical posts on the upside of the soil to take the weight. Good Luck.

[@johnosullivan7743]

Looks really good mate , also doing something similar, will it be ok to put sleepers on the edge of a patio fo you think as i have to raise on end. Will make it look neater I think.

[@leeaustin8347]

Thanks John, I'd be interested to see how you would secure the sleepers on the patio end. Good luck with yours.

[@paolomenna1527]

Hi, how did you connect them?

[@dacrinus1]

Good effort mate. 👍🏻. Maybe next time try shooting your video in landscape 😜

[@leeaustin8347]

Will do.

[@faisala3270]

Amazing. How long are you're sleepers? I have the option of picking up some 1m ones from B&Q or ordering really long ones online but then I guess i'd need help moving them around?

[@leeaustin8347]

Thanks 🙏 Sleepers were 2.4m and delivered to my drive by a local gardening company. I found them heavy but easy enough to move through to the back garden myself. Good luck 🤞

[@BarriosGroupie]

Looks good, but why did you add the hardcore base? Personally I don't think there's any need for wooden borders which can't be done with a half-moon spade. But it does give the impression that the garden and hence general house has been maintained by someone house-proud which will be attractive to buyers.

[@leeaustin8347]

It helps with drainage, easier to level the sleeper and slows down the rotting process as the sleepers are not in direct contact with the soil. Thanks for commenting.

[@stecraig6]

Hi. Great work, looks really good. Quick question on the decorative stone you laid. I see you just raked the top soil for levelling and put a weed barrier down and then the stone on top. Did you find there has been any sinking? I'm going to be doing something similar and I'm thinking I may have to lay a sub-base layer of hardcore or something similar before putting the gravel down or do you think straight on top of the soil worked ok for you? Thanks

[@leeaustin8347]

It’s a good point you make. I suppose it depends on what you are using the area for, and how boggy the ground is in the first place. As I used mine just for the stone with not much weight to go on then that was sufficient for me. I’d suggest for anything heavy or ground susceptible to hold water that you add a sub base of hardcore at at least 50mm. Check out my other video Hot Tub Base UK which shows this process. Hope it helps and good luck.

[@leeaustin8347]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYC9m2x6aMqHeLc

[@joelkaziro6765]

Great stuff. I'm doing something similar

[@leeaustin8347]

Good luck!

[@sahinahmod8384]

I can’t seem to align where the joins meet :(

[@heinzyl6726]

Hi brilliant job. can I ask when you up the sleepers on the hardcore what do you put cement down also to secure them. I'm guna do the same in my garden

[@leeaustin8347]

Thanks for your comment - using a small amount of cement is a pretty good idea. I was going to use stakes to secure them but after I put the soil back around they are secure enough in the ground for what I need. Good luck with yours.

[@heinzyl6726]

@@leeaustin8347 thank you Lee for your reply

[@skahashmi]

Hi I am doind something similar. I have few questions 1- Did you also treat sleepers with something? 2- How did you join two sleepers together?

[@leeaustin8347]

Hi - The sleepers are already treated, but you will notice where I cut some sleepers I then added a wood treatment to the exposed ends. In terms of joining the sleepers together, I didn't because I found that after I fitted them and moved the soil back around them they seemed sturdy enough. I was looking at using stakes through the inside which fasten to the sleeper and secure them. You could also look to use metal connector brackets to join them if you need to. Good luck with the project.

[@Davidnumber23]

piece of angle iron set in concrete each back brace.

[@vanessahodge7361]

hi just wanted to know , did you protect the fence , I've got sleepers to go as a boarder but I'm not sure at the fence what to do ? what did you use before filling in with soli and plants

[@leeaustin8347]

Hi Vanessa - you should be fine against the fence, i didn't use anything and i have since had my fence replaced with concrete gravel boards, these will definitely help with the soil border. It really depends how deep the bottom of your fence goes, and how deep your border will be. Good luck with your project and thanks for taking the time to comment.

[@stephgriffiths3118]

may i ask why did you put gravel under the sleepers

[@1Morriz]

Aids drainage to prevent rotting of the sleeper, plus a more stable base.

[@leeaustin8347]

Spot on response, thanks Scott. Also helps with fine adjustment when levelling.

[@outoftownr3906]

Hello - how did you fix the sleepers please

[@leeaustin8347]

I didn't because I found that after I fitted them and moved the soil back around them they seemed sturdy enough. I was looking at using stakes through the inside which fasten to the sleeper and secure them. You could also look to use metal connector brackets to join them if you need to.

[@daveregan8410]

How do you mow the grass close to sleepers? Do you strim it??.

[@leeaustin8347]

Hi Dave - Yes just use a strimmer.

[@onthedry8386]

a strip of 6 inch concrate with a good finish for your lawnmore wheels plus treat inside your sleepers again, then put strips of corrieboard against the inside .... wait for the next election plenty of posters around made from corrieboard blown down by the wind etc

[@rodikaya5692]

Hello, what size are the sleepers? Thanks nice job

[@leeaustin8347]

2400mm x 100mm x 200mm

[@Bob-ed3qi]

Are they just resting on the ground, or have you staked them ?,

[@leeaustin8347]

Resting on the gravel I laid. The was going to then join them together and stake them to the ground but realised that I didn’t really need to do that.

[@inderdhak7604]

Do you not need to cement the sleepers in ?

[@leeaustin8347]

not really neccessary in my opinion.

[@jayhorsley8282]

Do you want to come do mine 😂😂 so I need some gravel I’ve not got a clue

[@leeaustin8347]

🤣

[@sahinahmod8384]

Hi what size timbers did ü use

[@leeaustin8347]

2400mm x 100mm x 200mm

[@DramaticallyMiddleAged]

Why did you cut out a piece? Why not just put it down next to it? That way they would be an even height.

[@leeaustin8347]

Because it would then sit too low around the rest of the border. 👍🏻

[@DramaticallyMiddleAged]

@@leeaustin8347 aaah ok 👍🏽

[@rajivmehta2387]

Really nice work.. What is the thickness of these sleepers

[@leeaustin8347]

Thanks Rajiv. The sleepers are 190mm x 90mm x 2400mm.

[@hlengiwekheswa3019]

@@leeaustin8347 Hello. Can I get contact details of your business

[@paulhulley5969]

Great job with sleepers, but not so good levelling soil with neighbours fence panels,

[@darkspeed62]

Okay serioulsy... if you're going to g to all the trouble of putting gravel down for the beams to resty on, at least fill the edge between the turf and the beam with gravel, not soil. Yes, gravel makes it easier to level the beam, but it's secondary function is to lesson the soil contact, as gravel is obviously very good at draining water. So, if you're not putting fabric on the border side, and soil is touching the beam, then at least put gravel on the visible side so that lessons the beam's contact with soil!