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  • #1

    What sleepers?

    Afternoon all.

    I need about 10 sleepers to make my new raised beds. Question is, which ones to get? Softwood or hardwood, treated or untreated?

    They must last for approximately forever.

    My initial thoughts would be untreated hardwood, although that is a bit on the pricey side. How good are the treated softwood ones?

    Cheers,
    MBE
    Our England is a garden, and such gardens are not made
    By singing-'Oh how beautiful!" and sitting in the shade,
    While better men than we go out and start their working lives
    At grubbing weeds from gravel paths with broken dinner-knives. ~ Rudyard Kipling
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  • #2
    Hardwood lasts longer than soft.

    Treated lasts longer than untreated.

    BUT treated **may** leach its treating "stuff" into the soil of raised bed and hence into plant.

    You might get round that with a liner of some description... like a black plastic membrane to stop the soil being in contact. But doing that might also prolong the life of the wood which is why you are treating...

    How long is... forever... how old are you?

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    • #3
      New treated sleepers are fine they stopped using nasty's in the early 2000s, older timbers I personally wouldn't touch with a barge pole, especially those that have been actually used on a railway.
      Potty by name Potty by nature.

      By appointment of VeggieChicken Member of the Nutters club.


      We hang petty thieves and appoint great ones to public office.

      Aesop 620BC-560BC

      sigpic

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      • #4
        Originally posted by polc1410 View Post

        How long is... forever... how old are you?
        48 so 50 years would be good. If they need replacing when I'm 98 I can live with that.
        Our England is a garden, and such gardens are not made
        By singing-'Oh how beautiful!" and sitting in the shade,
        While better men than we go out and start their working lives
        At grubbing weeds from gravel paths with broken dinner-knives. ~ Rudyard Kipling

        Comment

        • #5
          How long will oak last for? New Untreated Railway Sleepers | Buy New Untreated Oak Sleeper Online | UK Sleepers
          Our England is a garden, and such gardens are not made
          By singing-'Oh how beautiful!" and sitting in the shade,
          While better men than we go out and start their working lives
          At grubbing weeds from gravel paths with broken dinner-knives. ~ Rudyard Kipling

          Comment

          • #6
            Originally posted by Potstubsdustbins View Post
            ...older timbers I personally wouldn't touch with a barge pole, especially those that have been actually used on a railway.
            Nor me. Definitely looking for new.
            Our England is a garden, and such gardens are not made
            By singing-'Oh how beautiful!" and sitting in the shade,
            While better men than we go out and start their working lives
            At grubbing weeds from gravel paths with broken dinner-knives. ~ Rudyard Kipling

            Comment

            • #7
              Having read a fair bit about how tanalised softwood ain't that good when in direct contact with the ground, I've bitten the bullet and gone for new green oak sleepers. I hope the cost proves worth it.

              Anyone fancy coming to give me a hand to move the buggers? I'll sort you out a nice bit of cake, and tea / coffee / beer / rhubarb vodka according to your preference.
              Last edited by mrbadexample; 02-04-2017, 11:11 PM.
              Our England is a garden, and such gardens are not made
              By singing-'Oh how beautiful!" and sitting in the shade,
              While better men than we go out and start their working lives
              At grubbing weeds from gravel paths with broken dinner-knives. ~ Rudyard Kipling

              Comment

              • #8
                If you want something to last forever, how about bricks, you can get some nice ones these days. You'd only need 2 courses................
                sigpic“Gorillas are very intelligent, but they don't have to be as delicate as chimps -- they can just smash open the termite nest,”
                --------------------------------------------------------------------
                Official Member Of The Nutters Club - Rwanda Branch.
                -------------------------------------------------------------------
                Sent from my ZX Spectrum with no predictive text..........
                -----------------------------------------------------------
                KOYS - King Of Yellow Stickers..............

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by Bigmallly View Post
                  If you want something to last forever, how about bricks, you can get some nice ones these days. You'd only need 2 courses................
                  The first time I levered a spade against them they'd fall apart. Plus I can't lay bricks very well.
                  Our England is a garden, and such gardens are not made
                  By singing-'Oh how beautiful!" and sitting in the shade,
                  While better men than we go out and start their working lives
                  At grubbing weeds from gravel paths with broken dinner-knives. ~ Rudyard Kipling

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    What's a spade?.....................
                    sigpic“Gorillas are very intelligent, but they don't have to be as delicate as chimps -- they can just smash open the termite nest,”
                    --------------------------------------------------------------------
                    Official Member Of The Nutters Club - Rwanda Branch.
                    -------------------------------------------------------------------
                    Sent from my ZX Spectrum with no predictive text..........
                    -----------------------------------------------------------
                    KOYS - King Of Yellow Stickers..............

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Bigmallly View Post
                      What's a spade?.....................
                      One of those things that you use to get the turf off where you want to grow things.
                      Our England is a garden, and such gardens are not made
                      By singing-'Oh how beautiful!" and sitting in the shade,
                      While better men than we go out and start their working lives
                      At grubbing weeds from gravel paths with broken dinner-knives. ~ Rudyard Kipling

                      Comment

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