Garden Railway Sleepers

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RAILWAY SLEEPERS

Garden Railway Sleepers

Railway sleepers have become a really popular addition to gardens. Secondhand sleepers are treated with creosote and therefore not suitable for applications round the garden where there is a frequent risk of skin contact, such as where young children play, and they are also not suitable for raised beds used in food production. However, there are still many uses for creosoted railway sleepers around the garden and these remain a popular recycled, and therefore environmentally friendly, product.

New Railway Sleepers

New sleepers are available in treated softwood or fresh sawn oak which is untreated. New oak railway sleepers are untreated as oak is a durable timber and does not rot readily when in ground contact, but they do cost a little more. The most common uses for railway sleepers are for creating raised beds, edgings, paths and driveways, creating retaining walls to hold up areas of soil, to make steps and decked areas, made into benches and for making bridges, to name a few. 

People sometimes ask us about cutting railway sleepers; the best method of cutting them is to use a efco chainsaw; although it is possible to cut a sleeper by using a hand saw. AVS offer a cutting service for sleepers; currently we are able to cut new oak sleepers and softwood sleepers, but are unable to cut second-hand creosoted sleepers. Sleepers can be very heavy and the distribution of sleepers around your garden or landscaping project may need a number of people. Softwood sleepers are the lightest with secondhand and new oak sleepers being the heaviest. AVS offer two ranges of landscaping screws that are suitable for fixing sleepers together.