As sleeper steps are partially submerged, we recommend using hardwood sleepers for their long life and durability against decay. This will slow down the rotting process which will naturally happen over time due to exposure to the elements. The final step, which many forget, is to use coarse grit and some adhesive to give the edges of the sleepers more grip when they get wet. Get creative with your garden design by creating a rustic feature with a set of railway sleeper steps. Versatile, sturdy and durable, timber garden sleepers make a stylish addition to any outdoor area. When buying the materials for this project you can either purchase them new or reclaimed. Build some garden steps. Use a thick piece of wood for the stake, and make sure it’s a minimum of a foot and a half long, as you’ll want to stick it firmly and deeply into the ground and still have a good amount to fix onto the sleeper. Enjoy showing off your new garden steps made from sleepers with your very own hands. next pour more cement in behind the sleeper, checking that everything is level as you go. Railway sleepers are a great alternative for paths in your garden. Whichever of the above methods you use, once your sleepers are in place, there are just a couple of steps to go. See more ideas about sleeper steps, garden stairs, garden steps. Multi-level garden spaces can be beautiful but challenging to create. Use a thick piece of wood for the stake, and make sure it’s a minimum of a foot and a half long, as you’ll want to stick it firmly and deeply into the ground and still have a good amount to fix onto the sleeper. Pine is commonly used because it is the cheaper alternative, but if you can afford it, go with oak. Better homes and Gardens. The start of the picket fence garden. This program was a platform for me. 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Pour the concrete into the trench, lay it into a bed, and then add the sleeper in. Making Your Garden More Accessible By Building Garden Steps. New timber is a more affordable option but it may lack that rustic appearance that makes them so popular in garden landscaping, although yo… Step 2. Timber sleepers, also known as railway sleepers, can be used to create simple, yet strong, garden steps that have a contemporary aesthetic and will look good as a part of any type of garden. First things first, you have to decide on what your garden steps are going to look like, and one of the main parts of this is knowing how many steps you’ll need. Next, dig a shallow trench. next pour more cement in behind the sleeper, checking that everything is level as you go. Garden Pathways. 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Next is deciding on a material for your sleeper garden steps. With a little imagination, you can create some incredible things with timber sleepers, and not just steps either. For raised beds, you have the freedom to choose a central location within your yard. Pine is commonly used because it is the cheaper alternative, but if you can afford it, go with oak. The whole garden project is now complete (we have the bad backs and muscles to prove it! Choosing the best cordless lawn mower fr your garden, Choose the best petrol lawn mower this summer, Best electric chainsaws rated for reliability and price. These beautiful paths give easy access across the garden space and protect your grass. While constantly checking your measurements with your original plan, plus a tape measure, dig out the basic shape into your garden slope. Materials list, step by step, photos… Also check out out post on how to build a DIY faux brick wall indoors over at OhMeOhMy! From that little program I continued my path toward a love of gardening and recommend you learn about gardening at every opportunity. The rise is just how tall the top of the hill is when measured from the bottom, and the run is how far it is horizontally from the bottom. Whichever of the above methods you use, once your sleepers are in place, there are just a couple of steps to go. Soil-retaining walls Sleepers are sturdy enough to make excellent walls. To sort out, and building garden steps with sleepers will be the last thing on your mind then. You don’t, however, want the stake to be higher than the sleeper, so work out the measurements that keep the stake a few inches lower than the sleeper once it’ll be planted in the ground behind it. Huge collection, amazing choice, 100+ million high quality, affordable RF and RM images. Let’s say you are going to build sleeper steps all the way up your garden slope. STEPS with railway sleepers. However, the step will look better if they are fairly uniform. Are you going for soil and grass? Chunky wooden steps like these will age gracefully over time and are perfect for an informal cottage-garden style when teamed with loosely-planted borders that are allowed to spill out gently onto the path. If you’re confident that a wooden stake stuck in the ground is enough to support the steps, all you need to do is dig your trenches with enough extra space for your wooden stakes to sit behind the sleepers, and for you to get in there to attach them. I love gardening and in this website you can find some amazing tips. Going with gravel, stones, or even paving stones can look fantastic, as can using wood chippings, but weeds can grow through these materials so it’s best to lay down some landscaping fabric underneath. Garden steps from railway sleepers. If you choose to go with the more reliable cement idea, your trench for each sleeper needs to be larger than the sleeper itself, with a particularly larger space behind the sleeper. After this, you just measure from the ground level up to the string on the bottom stick for the rise, and across to the other stick for the run. Find the perfect garden sleepers stock photo. Step by Step Guide. After this, you just measure from the ground level up to the string on the bottom stick for the rise, and across to the other stick for the run. This will slow down the rotting process which will naturally happen over time due to exposure to the elements. These outdoor steps are a great way to add some year round hardscaping to your garden. DIY (Do It Yourself) Guide – Building Garden Steps. From just a few simple steps to winding flight of stairs or stairs on a hillside – there are numerous designs with a great visual appeal. 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