Using sleepers can be a creative way to create new furniture, walkways and water features, all for your garden. Even though sleepers are simple materials, they have an unlimited number of uses. When carrying out DIY in your garden, it is best to use a mixture of new and reclaimed sleepers.
Useful uses for sleepers
Making a bench
Creating a bench out of the sleepers is more environmentally friendly than purchasing readymade or flat-pack kits. It can also be visually pleasing when placing benches or garden furniture around your garden. As well as benches, you can create multiple seating areas which are created from different-sized and shaped sleepers. And come on, the sense of achievement knowing you’ve made it yourself - makes that cuppa or tipple around the BBQ taste even better!
Creating paths and steps
If you are trying to give your garden a more defined look as well as smarter edges, using sleepers will give you this. If you’re using large wooden sleepers, why not create paths in different sizes and patterns around your garden? Creating paths and steps can change the look of your garden and provide a flow to features such as a patio at the back.
With reclaimed sleepers, you can be creative and build wide steps if you have a multilevel garden. There is also a possibility that your steps and paths could become slippery, especially in rainy weather, so adding extra grip will helpWater Features & Flower BedsRaised flower beds will help add some colour and brightness to your garden, and using sleepers to surround your flower beds will help improve the look. If you mix reclaimed sleepers with new sleepers, they will help add different lines and patterns to the outline of your flower bed.
If you are wanting to add water features or ponds to your garden, integrating wooden sleepers will help improve the surroundings. Adding water features or ponds to your garden will help create a relaxing and calming atmosphere to your garden.
You could also add lawn borders around your garden which will help give the defined look.
Tips & Tricks
A factor which you need to be careful with is sleepers can be slippery which could be dangerous when used for stairs or walkways. As a way to prevent the sleepers from being slippery, you could consider placing chicken wire over the top of the sleepers to prevent accidents.
When placing your sleepers, remember to fasten the sleepers together as you complete each layer. Using Timberfast XT Screws will help secure the sleepers in place.
For more advice on how to use and maintain railway sleepers or to shop our wide selection of garden products, visit us online. If you are looking for sleepers to decorate your garden, we have a range of sleepers.
