Creating a border with sleepers - help needed

Hi

I'm currently renovating my garden and would like to put in a border separated from the lawn by garden sleepers.

I'm going to be laying the sleepers soon and I need to know the best way to secure them into the ground as they will be going into the ground with the 'skinny' side as the top/bottom.

Is it just a case of whacking them into the ground and securing them by surrounding the majority of the sleeper with soil?

Or do I need to buy some kind of stake for them so I can attach that to the sleeper and then drive that into the ground? If so, how do I attach that to the sleeper? And what do they look like / where can I get them from?

All help is appreciated!

Thanks

 

Are these railway sleepers you are using? The only way to secure them would be in concrete. They are so heavy they would shift if just set in the soil I think. Mind you I'm no expert

 

They're not massive railway sleepers. They are only 1m long each and probably about 10cmx20cm square, more like big sleeper style fence posts I suppose, if that helps?

 

I had to fence off my pond because of the grandchildren. They have these great things now for supporting the posts. They have a spear shape and just are driven into the ground and the top Is a square cradle to support the post. Now i know that is an upright but I am wondering do they do the same sort of thing to support something longitudinally. The fence supports can be bought in B&Q. Mat be worth a look

 

I'd have thought they'd be heavy enough to stay put more or less unsecured, but just to make sure I'd drive in some stakes about 1 inch by 4 inch at each end, and screw the sleepers to it with the biggest screws you can find. I'd have the stakes on the inside of the contained area so that they are not visible once the soil has been put in.

 

Thanks for the replies.

I'll have a play around to see if the sleepers will hold in the ground on their own (the ground is quite soft) and if they don't I will definitely use some kind of staking system to fix them in.

Thanks again!

 

Hi Matt,

If you want them really secure, you'll need to peg them. Get a some lengths of a steel reinforcing rod from a builders centre. (Take a hacksaw or ask to borrow some croppers so you can cut to length). Drill a hole towards the end of each sleeper and bang the rod through. You'll need about 300 - 400mm in the ground to hold them tight. The photo below shows how I secured a flight of steps up a rockerty. The stepping stones across the lawn are dug in, just below the level of the grass to allow trouble-free mowing.

Chris

 

I'd go with the steel rods, if one rocks and topples and lands on your foot you'll know about it.

 

Matt go to your local B&Q and get some Metpins, they are designed for the job.:gnthb:

 

Thanks again for all of your replies!

I might go with the Metpins as the sleppers are only very small. What's the best way of securing the Metpins?

- Put the sleeper on the ground first and then whack in the pins and attach?

- Or attach the pins to the sleeper first, and then secure it all into the ground together?

Thanks

 

Put the sleper in place first then use the pins.:thumb:

 

As an ex-railwayman and now involved with a Heritage one, I strongly recommend you do Not set them in concrete, because eventually the sleepers Will rot, despite being previously treated.