Are you planning to add more
detail or accent to your garden? Build wooden garden steps using new railway sleepers.
What materials do you need?
- Wooden sleeper
- Stakes or mason’s line
- Drill
- Handsaw or chainsaw
- Tape measure
- Wheel barrow
The steps involved in making wooden garden steps
1. Prepare
all the materials listed above.
2. Measure
the entire area where you intend to place the garden steps. Cut the railway
sleepers based on your measurements. You can use a handsaw but a chainsaw is much
better, especially if you are using thick wood.
3. Place
a stake or a mason’s line into the ground, then level it using a straightedge
to determine the height of the bottom and top step. Don’t forget to add
markings.
4. Using
your tape measure, calculate the distance between your two markings. Determine
the gap between the bottom and top step. This can help you to determine the
number of railway sleepers that you need to use for the wooden steps.
5. Dig
two trenches at the bottom for installing sleepers flush with grade. This will
serve as your bottom step. Make sure that the trenches are side to side and are
measured based on your set width.
6. Before
placing any sleeper on the ground, add wood preservative to the ends to avoid
early decay and deterioration. Drill holes at both ends of the sleeper, with
9/16 inch diameter.
7. Set
the railway sleepers in trenches. Make sure that they are perfectly aligned
with the surrounding grade.
8. Place
two 6x6 railway sleepers on top of the wood base. This will serve as your first
step. Fasten the wood using a 10-inch landscaping screw.
9. Settle
two more railway sleepers on top of the first step to support the second step. Repeat
this until you reach the highest step. Always make sure you fasten the timber
properly to prevent it from moving after installation.
10. Backfill
around the sleepers using pea gravel or any filler you prefer to use. This will
give the perfect finish to your garden step.
What are the advantages of using railway sleepers for your garden steps?
- Wood is less expensive compared to other materials like bricks, stones, etc.
- It is easy to install and requires basic carpentry skills.
- Wood has different natural designs that will add distinction to your garden.
- Wood mixes well with other materials.
Visit the Railway Sleeper website
or call 01536-267-107 to learn more. Phone lines are open from Monday to
Saturday.
