Old Sleepers (possibly)

[cardiffrob]

Had to fit a fence between us and the railway line. Every, and I mean EVERY hole I dug at the bottom of the embankment had a chuffin' great concrete sleeper somewhere below the ground. They must have been dumping sleepers there, just after the bridge. Finally resorted to an engine hoist to pull a couple out, only to find more of the durned things underneath, sat diagonally.
If anyone wants some for free, come along and bring a big shovel. They make great bases for sheds, though. 320 kg each, I'm told. Not sure if that is true but they is B-I-G. 9 foot by 1 foot by 9 inches, approx.

 

[Shedendman]

What ever you do use you'll still have to tie them in together some way some how
Whats it retaining,dirt bank?
If so make sure you have some drainage holes let the water out,of course this depends how high this wall is going to be

 

[Kent]

All thread is good for sleepers. Brick bond as in placement staggered similar layer to layer

 

[Parm]

This sleeper malarkey is getting a bit silly now so I've been doing some homework, @Kent i like the idea of Gabions, easy and simple but don't know about cost, also hollow walling blocks look good to........

But it's at my brothers house and his wife has been told it has to be old oak sleepers. The wall is only holding up about 400mm of soils around the perimeter of the garden, nothing major!!! So now it's my brothers job to convince his Mrs, I will help out with what ever installation he is told to use

 

[gaz1]

only old oak sleepers if you dont want the wood to rot as fasthowever old oak ones can be cut into 2 therefore spreading much further around

you could use wood looking concrete fence panels instead with it being only such a small hold back of the soil if not make your own coloured ones instead

 

[colnerov]

Ahh right, so the problem is that senior management has got involved.

 

[Parm]

Ahh right, so the problem is that senior management has got involved.

Yep, it's gonna cost him a pretty packet to sort this one out

I'm not getting involved with the patio! She's been advised that the area needs to be dug up, back filled with crushed stone, pour concrete slab, tamp down some sharp sand then lay slabs.

I suggested they dig a little, whacker down some type 1, whacker down some sharp sand and away you go, was told that it won't be strong enough, I raised the observation that she didn't tell me that they were building the third runway at Heathrow

 

[the snooper]

dig some foundations out shutter it, stick in some rebar and pour concrete in

 

[Parm]

dig some foundations out shutter it, stick in some rebar and pour concrete in

Not to lay a few slabs that the cats gonna walk on ?

 

[the snooper]

Not to lay a few slabs that the cats gonna walk on ?

nothing important then

 

[Parm]

Just been on the phone to brother, only thing possibly going in the foundation is his Mrs (according to him) great isn't it how a bit of home improvement always starts with a good fight

 

[the snooper]

Just been on the phone to brother, only thing possibly going in the foundation is his Mrs (according to him) great isn't it how a bit of home improvement always starts with a good fight

so dig foundation fill foundation then forget the original idea, job finished

 

[Parm]

so dig foundation fill foundation then forget the original idea, job finished

Do you want her contact details to act as her construction consultant ??

 

[the snooper]

Do you want her contact details to act as her construction consultant ??

they wouldn't be a lot of good if she is to be part of the foundations

 

[Robotstar5]

Just been on the phone to brother, only thing possibly going in the foundation is his Mrs (according to him) great isn't it how a bit of home improvement always starts with a good fight

The Fred West school of building?

 

[Parm]

they wouldn't be a lot of good if she is to be part of the foundations

How stupid of me !

 

[Cobbler]

The Fred West school of building?

For years around here, if you needed your garden dug over, everyone said "tell the police Fred West built your patio"

 

[daleyd]

For years around here, if you needed your garden dug over, everyone said "tell the police Fred West built your patio"

Or phone Tony Robinson and tell him you've found some Roman pottery in your shrubbery!!

 

[bump]

This sleeper malarkey is getting a bit silly now so I've been doing some homework, @Kent i like the idea of Gabions, easy and simple but don't know about cost, also hollow walling blocks look good to........

These guys are competitively priced http://www.gabion1.co.uk/gabion-baskets.htm

 

[addjunkie]

Gabio s arnt a bad idea, they can add up money wise, for what they are. A cost saver, is put decent stone in the seen bit and old concrete and rubble where its not seen, plants grow in them quite well too to hide the top