Timber Sleeper Retaining Walls Designs | How to Install a Timber Sleeper Retaining Wall

Timber Sleeper Retaining Walls Designs | How to Install a Timber Sleeper Retaining Wall

Timber Sleeper

Retaining walls are often the best way to keep sloped terrain from becoming a bigger issue.

A retaining wall can be created using different materials that can be more cost effective and/or require less space than some other methods. Timber sleeper retaining walls are one type of retaining wall you can choose.

Timber sleeper retaining walls are sturdy structures that offer space for plant life to grow between the timbers.

Timber sleeper retaining walls are used in both residential and commercial landscaping projects. They can be constructed using pine, cedar, and redwood logs from tree cutting service providers.

Saw-cut timbers are cut to lumber sizes that are convenient for the type of project the timber sleeper is being used for.

Timber sleeper retaining walls can be made from any combination of the following timber logs: pine, cedar, redwood or a mixture of two or more of these species.

When using saw-cut timbers, it is important to consider which logs will be different lengths and widths and then figure out how to best use those log lengths in combination with each other.

When constructing these walls, it is important to consider the grade of the soil and the amount of fill that will be needed for each timber sleeper retaining wall.

A fill of topsoil should be used to help build up or raise the overall height of the wall on lower ground or when there is a need for extra weight on higher ground.

The grade of the soil will determine how much fill and how many timbers will need to be used.

Timber Sleeper Retaining Walls Designs

Timber sleeper retaining walls are made with timbers that are cut to the desired length and width. Timbers are held in place with metal tie wire and wooden posts. Retaining walls support the ground and the hillside. Retaining walls also serve as a retaining wall for water.

How to Install a Timber Sleeper Retaining Wall

• Dig out and lift a level area of the soil. Dig holes for the posts to the same depth as the posts’ desired height above ground.
• Excavate the soil with shovels to make room for timber logs to be inserted vertically in the wall’s base, making sure they are lined up correctly and snugly in place as you go along creating an even base for larger logs to be laid on top of them.
• Cut your wood to size. It’s now time to cut your lumber to the sizes required for the wall and posts. Measure and mark your lumber using a pencil and square, then cut it with a circular saw or handsaw.
• Connect the sleepers to the posts. Attach a wall sleeper behind the first end post using your drill. Then connect the other end to the following post. Repeat with each sleeper until the bottom row is finished. Then, for the top row of sleepers, repeat the process.
• Posts should be leveled. Mark the height required for the posts to be level with the wall with a pencil and a square. Then, with your saw, cut the tops of each post off.
• Make the concrete. Now, make some concrete according to the package specifications and pour it into the holes around the base of each post. Fill each hole with dirt and let the concrete to cure. It’s a good idea to brace your posts first, so they stay in place while the concrete is being poured and curing.
• Set up the drainage. Install a layer of scoria beneath the wall and a drainage pipe immediately on top. Cover the pipe with another layer of scoria, followed by dirt. Make sure you route the pipe’s end to a location where it may be accessible. Direct it to an appropriate on-site stormwater drain or into a garden area.
• Finish it off. You may also place single sleepers on top of your wall, facing down. They not only look nice, but they also serve as seats when you want to spend time outside with your family and friends. All that remains is to stain or paint your wall.

Timber Sleeper Retaining Wall FAQs

Are timber sleeper retaining walls strong?

Because timber sleeper retaining walls are made out of logs, they are considered to be very strong and sturdy.

Low impact on the environment, the timber sleeper retaining wall system is resistant to rotting and fire.

How long do timber sleeper retaining walls last?

Timber sleeper retaining walls have a long-life span, often lasting between 20-40 years. The life span will depend on the type of timbers used for construction as well as how often it is maintained in a regular basis.

How do you secure timber sleepers together?

To secure the timber sleepers together, take a strong log and drive it into the ground about 2 feet from one end.

This will give you plenty of coverage. Using a long pole, place some form of timber in the middle.

This has become known as a “Y”. Now, on top of this you can drive as many timbers together as you like until you have finished off your retaining wall.

Another popular option for adding stability is to fasten your sleepers with wooden pegs.

Sink around 60% of the stake supports into the ground, preferably with cement, and then just drive your fasteners through the sleepers and into the supports.

What should the depth of a sleeper wall be?

The depth of the trench is determined by the height of the wall as well as the pressure of the soil or material being retained.

Allow for when the earth becomes wet and the pressure rises. Some landscapers believe in the adage “one-third in the ground, two-thirds out.”

How long do timber sleeper retaining walls last?

Timber retaining walls are quite sturdy and may endure for a long time if properly treated and cared for on a regular basis, often 20 years or more. This implies you’ll be doing less rebuilding and construction in the future.

What sleepers are best for retaining wall?

Wooden sleepers are a great alternative to bricks or concrete for creating retaining walls in your yard.

Not only do they look lovely, but they are frequently a lot more inexpensive choice. When constructing a retaining wall, garden sleepers can be used both horizontally and vertically.

Timber sleepers are typically 2″x4″ and vary in length, depending on the need, from 1½ feet or so down to 6 inches. A

good rule of thumb to use in determining the length of a sleeper depends on the height of the wall calculation.

When determining what measurement all the sleepers should be cut at, you’ll need to know what kind of soil your landscaping will be growing in.

The more compacted your level ground is, the longer you’ll need to make each sleeper.

What is the cheapest retaining wall material?

Treated pine is the most affordable material. Hardwood is more costly than pressure-treated pine.

Another – somewhat more expensive – alternative is railway sleepers, which are designed to withstand ground and water contact. Again, the cost of concrete sleepers is higher.

What is the easiest retaining wall to build?

For the ordinary do-it-yourselfer, building a retaining wall is simplest when utilizing masonry blocks that will be placed no more than three feet tall, with no cement connecting the stones or concrete components.