How to Install Concrete Gravel Boards?

Having beautiful and reliable fencing is essential to modern homes and gardens, and part of this is finding the right gravel boards to bolster and improve your fence. 

This article goes over everything homeowners need to know about concrete gravel boards. Wondered what are their pros and cons? If you can use concrete fence posts alongside them? How do they match with a fence panel? You’ll find the answer here! 

Pros and Cons of a Concrete Gravel Board

To understand why concrete gravel boards are increasingly popular with homeowners, you merely need to look at their advantages. When used in conjunction with concrete fence posts and fence panels, they create incredibly sturdy and reliable fencing: 

The Pros of Gravel Boards

• Strong foundation that ensures your fence can withstand rain storms and gales.
• Concrete has immunity against insects and other animals that can damage and eat away at wooden fence boards. 
• A concrete gravel board easily slots into place making the installation straightforward.   

The Cons of Gravel Boards

• Heavy and unwieldy. You might need assistance when carrying and fitting gravel boards. 

Step-by-Step Installation Process

After you’ve planted your corner posts and intermediate posts to the correct depth, secured them with a concrete mix and installed the fence panels, it is time to fit gravel boards and complete your fence: 

• Tools and Items You Need Before Starting 

Before you start, there are some tools and items you need. Making sure you have these on hand will make the fence installation faster and smoother: A drill, a hammer, screws or nails, grave board clips or cleats, and a spirit level.

• Preparing the Gravel Boards

Before installing them, you need to make sure the gravel boards are uniform in size and compatible with your fence posts. Carefully measure the distance between fence posts and width and see how your gravel boards compare. If they’re too long, you’ll need to cut them with a circular saw. 

• Slotting In the Gravel Boards

After you’ve prepared the boards, it is time to install the clips/cleats. Use a tape measure and denote the correct position to install the clips with a pencil, use a drill to create holes in the fence posts, and secure the clips with nails/screws. 

After the clips are successfully installed, if all your measurements are correct, fitting gravel boards is only a matter of slotting them in. You can even forgo using clips by digging holes and fastening the gravel board directly into the concrete fence posts, though this approach is more fraught and requires experience. 

• Adding the Finishing Touches to the Fence

You should now be a proud owner of a strong, functional fence. The only thing that’s left is some finishing touches like installing the fence post caps and painting the fence to ensure it matches the aesthetics and design of your home/garden.

Concrete Fence Posts and Boards FAQ

How Do You Attach Concrete Gravel Boards?

Attaching gravel boards to your fence is a relatively simple process. If you have slotted posts, the process is as simple as slotting in the gravel boards after cutting them and ensuring they fit the dimensions of your posts. If you have traditional fence posts, you need to use gravel board clips. Secure the clips on each fence post with drills and screws and then slot the gravel boards in.

Should Concrete Gravel Boards Touch the Ground?

There are no adverse side effects to the gravel boards touching the ground as they are naturally resistant to moisture and rotting, so it is ultimately a matter of preference. If you want complete privacy with no gaps in your fence, the boards should touch the ground.
If there are gaps between the fence panels and you don’t want the gravel boards to appear out of place, you can leave gaps between a grave board and the ground.

How to Erect a Fence with Concrete Posts and Gravel Boards? Step-by-step Guide

Fencing is a valuable addition to any garden: It offers privacy, protection, and increases the curb appeal of the property. Constructing robust, stylish fencing that matches and complements the building is a dream of every property owner. 

Sadly, many don’t know how to approach the project. What fence posts to use? What are the differences between corner and end posts? How to slot in a fence panel? There are hundreds of questions homeowners have with few resources available to get them started. 

This blog post will be different! It’s your complete guide to designing and constructing fencing with concrete posts and gravel boards from A to Z. From their advantages to how to erect the fencing, it has everything you need to know!

Why Choose Concrete Fence Posts and Gravel Boards?

Both concrete fence posts and gravel boards are increasingly used in home and garden fencing because they provide several advantages when compared to traditional timber.

Benefits of a Concrete Fence Post

• Durability: Concrete fence posts are highly durable and resistant to severe weather conditions, holding the entire fence together extremely well, making the construction durable and long-lasting.
• Cost: Concrete posts are highly affordable and can help homeowners design and construct the fence of their dreams with a minimal budget.
• Ease of Installation: Installing concrete fence posts is simple. The posts are easy to handle and the fence panels simply slot in, making the process an excellent DIY project!

Benefits of a Gravel Board

• Resistance to Moisture: Gravel boards provide a solid base for your fence that protects it from direct contact with the ground. This prevents moisture damage, provides resistance to fungi, and ensures the fence panels are secure.
• Increased Privacy: gravel boards, especially alongside concrete posts, ensure there are no gaps or cracks in the fencing, providing privacy in your homes and gardens.

Steps to Erect a Fence with Concrete Posts and Gravel Boards

1. Dig Holes for the Concrete Fence Posts

After designing the fencing and identifying and pinpointing where the posts and panels will be installed, securing the fence posts is the first order of business. This starts with digging post holes, which ideally will be at least 2 feet deep and 3 times the width of the concrete posts. 

The final design, height, and reliability of the fence will depend on the width, depth and location of these post holes, so you need to be very careful about their placement. 

2. Install Concrete Fence Posts 

After all the holes are ready, it is time to carefully position the concrete fence posts and firmly place them in the ground, making sure that they are straight. You then need to fill the hole with a concrete/cement mix you’ve prepared beforehand. After the cement solidifies in about a day, you’ll be ready to move on to placing the concrete gravel boards and fence panels.

Important: When using post mix, you need to act quick, as it begins to set after only 5-10 minutes but achieves full strength after approximately 24h.

Not all concrete fence posts are identical. You must choose the right post type when placing them. Corner posts are for the corners of your fence/home; They help change the direction of your fencing run. Intermediate posts join fence panels together. End posts are where the fence ends – these posts can only accommodate panels from a single side!

3. Slotting in the Gravel Board

Installing concrete gravel boards is relatively simple. You start by ensuring the boards properly fit between the posts. As long as all the measurements have been done correctly, this shouldn’t be an issue. After that, you simply slot them in, and using spirit level ensure they are aligned correctly before putting the fence panels on top.

4. Installing the Fence Panels

Last but not least, it is time to install the fence panels. If all the measurements in the previous steps have been done correctly, panels should simply slot in on top of the gravel boards without any issues. For extra protection, you can consider installing anti-theft brackets on the sides of the panels. And that’s it!

How to Install Composite Fencing?

Seriously considering home renovations? Finally deciding to create the outdoor space of your dreams? Want to enjoy your garden at your leisure? A fence is something you definitely need to consider, and when it comes to high-quality, durable, and stylish fences, composite fencing is at the top of the list. British homeowners are adopting it at increasing rates.

This blog post answers what makes composite fencing so attractive and how you can install it in your home! It is a comprehensive guide for anyone looking to improve their garden and increase the curb appeal of their home!

Why Choose Composite Fencing?

If you are looking to build a new fence for your home or garden, composite fencing panels are an excellent choice. They have a number of key advantages that homeowners will appreciate:

• made from a unique mix of wood and plastic, composite fencing has the best qualities of both materials – the durability and anti-mould properties of plastic and the aesthetics and robustness of wood!
• Composite fencing panels provide excellent privacy and allow you to fully enjoy your time outdoors without concerns about your privacy being invaded.
• Due to their geometric shapes and robust construction, composite panels are easy to install!
• Though made from plastic, composite fences are incredibly environmentally friendly as they’re made from recycled plastic and wooden fabrics.

Installing Composite Fencing: Step-by-step Guide

As long as you take a methodological, careful approach, installing composite fencing should be a smooth experience. It can even make for a fun DIY project you can complete over a weekend while unwinding. However, you may need the help of one additional person to move around the fence panels and fence posts.

Here’s your step-by-step guide on precisely how to go about it:

1. Plan the Composite Fence Project

No two fencing projects are the same. You can’t follow a blueprint designed for a home with a different layout and structure. This is why it is key to properly plan the fencing project so it turns out exactly how you want it. Asking vital questions like “What’s the desired height of the fencing posts from the ground level?” “What colour and style do the fence panels need to be to complement my garden?” and “What layout I can choose to maximise privacy and comfort?” will help you actualise a realistic fencing plan.

1. Prepare the Tools You Need

There are a variety of tools you need to properly install composite fencing. You need a spirit level to make sure the ground is properly levelled. You need a tape measure, a ruler, a steel square, and a pencil and paper to have accurate measurements. You need a borer or a hole digger to install the fence posts. You need a saw and a drill to install the fence panels. Last but not least, you need liquid screed or ready-mixed concrete to secure the fence in place.

3. Clearing the Ground and Mapping the Fence Lines

Now that you have your tools and have decided on the fence posts and panels, it is time to clear the ground for work and create distinct fence lines. Carefully staking out the fence lines is not only critical to ensure the fence isn’t uneven, but it also helps you stay well within your property lines and clearly outline the corners of the fence.

4. Mount the Fence Posts and Fix Them with Concrete

This is the step that determines the durability, reliability, and integrity of your composite fence; its importance can’t be overstated.

Start by digging holes that can comfortably fit the posts to a depth of about 17 inches or so, which is the frost line in most of the UK. Though, if the posts are especially long, you might need to dig deeper. Then carefully and slowly put the fence posts inside the holes and add the concrete mixture to it. The mixture will completely solidify in 24 to 48 hours, after which the posts will be completely secured to their locations and you can proceed to the next step.

5. Install the Fence Panels

It is time to install the panels, which is a relatively simple task when you’re dealing with composite panels. You start by attaching the brackets to the posts, usually with a drill. You then slot the panel into a fencing rail and slot it between two posts. The process after that is only a matter of repeating the same steps until all the panels are installed.

6. Finalise the Fence

You can finally add the finishing touches to your fence. Here, some steps are standard: like placing the top rail and attaching the post caps, for example. Other steps are optional and you can take them depending on your preferences and requirements, like painting the fences, for example.

Composite Fencing FAQ

Is Composite Fencing Easy to Install?

Composite panels easily slot into the posts; installing them is easy. The process does take a few days as you need to deal with concrete but building composite fencing is still an excellent DIY project!

What to Put Under Artificial Grass? Complete Guide to Artificial Grass Installation

Artificial lawns are increasingly popular in the UK. And when you compare them to real lawns, where you constantly need to maintain them, trim them, prevent weeds, and more, it is no secret why homeowners prefer artificial turf.

There’s one key thing homeowners should know, however: If you want all the benefits of artificial lawns, from needing little maintenance to looking immaculate for years, the artificial grass installation needs to be properly handled. The choice of infill, base, and membrane will decide whether your artificial lawn can properly withstand rain, is equipped to deal with children and pets playing on it, and can combat weed growth. In this blog post, we’ll teach you everything you need to know to get the synthetic turf of your dreams!

Guide to Synthetic Turf Sub-bases

The sub-base is the layer that goes under artificial grass. It is usually composed of crushed rocks of various types. While not visually visible, the sub-base is a very important layer that impacts the lawn’s drainage, evenness, cohesiveness, and durability.

A subpar base for fake grass will result in pooling water during rain, an uneven surface that will cause tripping, and will slowly cause wrinkles to appear and permanently damage the lawn’s aesthetics. So, it is very important to learn about the most common sub-bases, their advantages and drawbacks:

Granite Base

Crushed granite, often referred to as “decomposed” granite, is the most common sub-base for artificial lawns. It is an all-rounder choice that does the job well: It is a solid base that is resilient and durable while providing adequate drainage. If you are wondering what kind of base to use when installing artificial grass, you can’t go wrong with crushed granite. It is not without its downsides, however, the biggest being that it doesn’t make for the best weed barrier. So, it is usually coupled with a weed membrane during installation.

Gravel Base

Gravel is another common sub-base for artificial grass. When compared to crushed granite, gravel is larger, more durable, and provides better drainage. However, it also comes with significant downsides: It is prone to sinking, resulting in uneven and unappealing artificial turf.

Aggregate Base for Artificial Grass

An aggregate base, as its name suggests, is composed of an aggregate of crushed rocks, asphalt, and concrete. It can’t be directly compared to gravel and granite since the quality and characteristics of the aggregate wildly differ depending on its composition. Aggregate bases commonly installed in artificial lawns are largely propriety brews whose inventors purport various benefits, most of which can’t be independently verified.

Guide to Artificial Turf Infills

Not only what goes under artificial grass but what goes over it also matters. Infills are various materials, largely made from silica, that go between the artificial fibres of fake grass, and they serve multiple purposes: infills make the turf look more natural, provide stability, and prevent it from wrinkling and moving. The choice of infill for artificial grass is crucial, and in this section, we’ll guide you through the most common infills.

Silica Sand

Silica sand, also known as quartz sand, is the most common type of artificial turf infill due to its cost and versatility. it stabilises the artificial lawn, prevents it from wrinkling and rippling, and has anti-weed properties. Coupled with its affordability, it is a favourite among homeowners. It has several downsides: it makes cleaning the artificial turf harder, it might trap bad odours, and it can be messy, especially if you have pets and kids regularly running around and playing on the lawn.

Coated Sand

Sand coated with a synthetic polymer layer is also popular as an infill for fake grass. It was largely developed as a way to address the downsides of silica sand. It doesn’t trap bad odours, it is easy to clean, and it is more stable. It hasn’t replaced silica sand since it is substantially more expensive, and many of the brands offering coated sand infills are small, local, and untested.

Crumb Rubber

crushed rubber recycled primarily from tyres is turned into crumb rubber and has been used as an infill in artificial grass lawns for decades. Prized for its durability and softness, which provides a cushion when stepping on, moving through, or playing in an artificial lawn, crumb rubber is the infill of choice in stadiums and sports arenas. It is rarely used in households.

Proprietary Infills

Though mostly silica-based, there are many hybrid infills for artificial grass, largely with proprietary compositions that are not entirely public. These infills have been largely designed to address the shortcomings of pure silica sand, with varying degrees of success. Since the quality of proprietary infills is so disparate, it largely depends on the client to evaluate their quality.

Guide to Artificial Lawn Backing Systems and Landscaping Fabrics

The sub-base and the infill are the two most important layers of an artificial lawn, but they’re not the only ones that matter. There are multiple other layers that you might or might not need to understand and install:

Need for a Weed Membrane

Though an artificial grass lawn is far more resistant to weeds than natural ones, it is not entirely weed-free, especially if certain infills and sub-bases are used, which are susceptible to and facilitate weed growth. This is why installing a weed membrane is recommended. Geotextiles that permit air and water while blocking weed growth, the membranes are generally installed below the sub-base layer. They serve additional functions like improving drainage and preventing sinking.

Importance of a Quality Artificial Grass Backing System

The backing system refers to the synthetic fibre that holds the strands of artificial grass together. The backing system influences the quality of the drainage system, the durability of the artificial grass, and the ability of the lawn to handle various infills.

Many homeowners pay attention to the quality and realism of the grass, but they don’t check how well they’re all held together with a backing system, which is quite the oversight. At Timberstore, we recognize how important is the backing system, so not only do we provide excellent artificial grass in Buckinghamshire, but we make sure they’re fitted with a durable and reliable backing system!

How to Clean Artificial Grass: The Ultimate Guide

Artificial grass is famous for how little maintenance it needs, and when compared to real grass, that’s certainly true – an artificial lawn can easily last more than a decade if properly taken care of.

That’s right! From cleaning up debris, preventing weeds, and preparing for rainfall, you still need to perform tasks to ensure your fake grass stays in the best shape and continues to make your lawn appear immaculate for years to come.

What’s more, cleaning artificial grass is simple! And this blog post is your ultimate guide on how to go about it!

Challenges When Cleaning an Artificial Lawn

When trying to maintain artificial grass and keep it clean, there are a few common challenges you’ll face. It is important to identify these challenges and devise methods to handle each one – this is precisely what this section is for:

Clearing Debris

Leaves, fur, and dirt: Your artificial turf will regularly gather debris. If not properly and regularly disposed of, some types of debris, like leaves, might rot and disintegrate and permanently damage the artificial grass.

When you clean fake grass, however, you need to be careful since it is delicate, especially if it has a sand infill. A power brush, a soft rake, or a leaf blower is enough to clear out most dust and debris. If the debris is particularly stubborn, like chewing gum, a knife can be used. Though, you need to be careful.

Clean Drinks and Spillages

Drinks and spillages are problems for artificial grass on two counts: They stain the fake grass and give it a foul odour. To make sure neither is permanent, you need to quickly clean the artificial grass after a spillage happens.

Thankfully, the cleaning process is not complicated. Simply rinsing the fake grass is enough in most circumstances. You should be careful and avoid using harsh chemicals or cleaning agents, however, as you run the risk of discolouring the artificial grass.

Preventing Weed Growth

Unlike natural grass, weed growth isn’t common in an artificial lawn. It is one of the primary reasons homeowners prefer it over a natural lawn. Nevertheless, there are still times when weed might appear on your turf, and it is important to learn how to deal with it:

• Temporary solution: Most artificial lawns don’t have a natural soil infill, which severely limits the growth of weeds, so carefully plucking them will be enough to put an end to them. A water-based weed killer can also be used, though you need to ensure it doesn’t include any chemicals that can damage the fake grass.
• Permanent solution: In most instances, installing an anti-weed membrane is enough to entirely prevent the growth and spread of weeds in your artificial turf. Membranes are affordable and the installation process is simple, so it is worth considering if weed is a constant worry!

Handling Snow and Ice

Because snow and ice damage natural grass, there’s a common misconception the same holds for fake grass. This isn’t true at all. Whether snow accumulates or icicles form, it won’t cause damage to artificial grass.

Not only is it possible, but the recommended way to handle snow is by giving them time to naturally thaw. As long as your artificial lawn has a proper drainage system, the ice should completely clear by itself and you’ll be left with your artificial grass looking as excellent as it has always been.

If you want to use the lawn for an outing or an event, and you can’t wait for the snow to naturally thaw by itself. You can rely on a plastic snow shovel to clear the lawn. Traditional shovels are far too harsh on artificial grass and can’t be used.

Tips To Keep the Artificial Grass Cleaner

Though cleaning artificial grass might sound complicated at first glance, there are a few tips that can immensely help homeowners in maintaining their turf. Here, we’ve compiled the most useful ones:

Keep a Consistent Schedule

A great way to ensure you keep your synthetic turf clean is by creating and sticking to a cleaning schedule. The content, timing, and frequency of the cleaning jobs don’t matter as much as making sure you clean the artificial grass in your lawn regularly. Fake grass requires little maintenance, but you must perform the small amount of maintenance it does require. 

Ideally, however, the thoroughness and frequency of the cleaning will reflect your needs, the type of artificial lawn you have, and your availability. Here are a few useful questions you can ask yourself before designing a cleaning schedule: How often do you use your lawn? Do you eat, drink, or BBQ on your lawn often? Do you own pets or children?

A Proper Drainage System

Even if water pooling and poor drainage are more of a problem for real lawns, they still can happen in synthetic turfs, especially in wet climates like the United Kingdom. Making certain your fake grass has proper drainage not only ensures its durability and longevity but also makes cleaning and maintaining the garden much easier.

Three key tasks guarantee proper drainage:

1. A properly graded property: by grading your property, ascertaining whether it has any low-lying areas, and addressing them, you make it much harder for water to pool in specific spots.
2. Correctly installed artificial grass: a lot of drainage problems in artificial lawns trace back their sources to improper installation. Ideally, an artificial grass lawn should have a drainage base that allows rainwater, melted snow, etc. to pass through. If this base is missing, your lawn will have a much higher chance of experiencing water pooling and other drainage issues.
3. The sub-base: Your choice of sub-base is also important. Some sub-bases are much better at letting water through than others. At Timberstore, for example, not only do we offer artificial grass in West Sussex, but we also have high-quality permeable granite dust on offer to make sure our clients can design an ideal lawn with our artificial grass.

Choose an Approach Best Suited for Your Artificial Lawn

A constant theme throughout this article has been how much your artificial lawn is impacted by your choice of membrane, infill, crushed fines, and sub-base. These largely determine the property of your lawn, and you can’t afford to not take them into account when you clean artificial grass.

If your lawn has a drainage base and a rock sub-base, you’re far more free to use water to clean stains. If your lawn has a layer of sand, which is commonly used and improves the stability of the synthetic grass, then you have to be extra careful when you use a leaf blower. If the lawn includes some sort of soil, you might need to frequently use a weed killer to prevent weeds from growing. These are just a few examples of the countless ways the components of your synthetic lawn influence how you approach the cleaning process.

Use the Right Tools To Clean Fake Grass

If you want to clean fake grass, you need to use the proper tools for the job: It makes the job easier and faster while minimising the risk of damage to the artificial grass. 

Thankfully, most of the tools you need to clean artificial grass are common and are largely identical to the ones you need to take care of real lawns: a rake, a groomer, a broom, a garden hose, and deionizers or enzyme cleaners.

How to Cut Oak Sleepers? A Professional Guide

Whether it is decking, garden pathways, outdoor furniture, or its many other uses, oak hardwood sleepers are both incredibly versatile and popular. If used judiciously, it can entirely transform your house and garden.

But regardless of what you want to do with the railway sleepers, you need to cut and shape them, which is a fairly complex process prone to errors. In this professional guide, we’ll go over everything you need to know about cutting and preparing railway sleepers, the tools you need, and tips that can make the process easier while ensuring your safety!

Tools You Can Use to Cut Oak Sleepers?

Before you start cutting the oak, you need to select the tools for the job. The saw is the most important one. There are multiple types of saws that can be used for the process, but each has its strengths and drawbacks.

• Hand Saw

The most affordable, hand saws are relatively easy to handle and can be used by both beginners and professionals alike. However, due to how hard and durable is oak, cutting through multiple railway sleepers with a hand saw is a relatively physically exhausting task.

If you want to create intricate designs with larger quantities of garden sleepers, hand saws are probably not the best approach. Going with power tools will make your job easier and less exhausting.

• Chainsaw

Chainsaws are incredibly powerful and can easily cut through railway sleepers, regardless of shape or size. They are often used in industrial locations that need to handle large quantities of railway sleepers.

Chainsaws have multiple downsides: They are unwieldy and expensive and can be dangerous in the hands of an inexperienced person. Chainsaws also don’t give you as fine a control over the final shape of the cut oak as the other tools on our list.

• Circular Saw

Circular saws are the middle ground between hand saws and chainsaws. They allow you to cut sleepers easily while giving you fine control over the angle and manner of the cut. This makes the circular saw the most popular tool for the job.

They are not without their downsides, however. The blades of most circular saws aren’t large enough to cut through garden sleepers in one go, so they might be a bit awkward to handle.

Tips When Cutting Oak Railway Sleepers?

Now that you’ve chosen the right tool for the job, it is time to start cutting railway sleepers. There are some handy tips and tricks you can use to make sure the process goes smoothly and safely.

• Wear Protective Gear

Cutting railway sleepers can be incredibly dangerous, especially if you are working with a chainsaw or a reciprocating saw. You need protective gear before you start. These include work gloves, ear defenders, and a dust mask. There are other bits of equipment you might consider depending on the situation – for example, if you are kneeling while cutting, you might want to get protective knee pads.

• Plan Ahead

Whether you’re creating furniture or a garden path out of the railway sleepers, the measurements need to be precise. But once you start cutting the sleepers, you can’t go back. This is why you should always prepare and carefully indicate the locations of your cuts before you start. Using a square-angle ruler would make the job easier.

• Make Sure Your Tools Are Up to the Task

Whether you’ve chosen a hand saw or a chainsaw, make sure they’re up for the task before you start. A dull saw will not only make the job of cutting railway sleepers harder, but it is also a hazard.

Cutting Railway Sleepers FAQ

Can You Cut Oak Garden Sleepers with a Hand Saw?

Yes, you can cut oak garden sleepers with a hand saw, though it can be quite strenuous physically if you’re not accustomed to it. If you need to cut a large number of oak garden sleepers, you might consider alternative tools.

What Is the Best Tool to Cut Oak Railway Sleepers?

You can use a chainsaw, a hand saw, a circular saw, or a reciprocating saw to cut railway sleepers. Each have their own advantages and disadvantages, but a circular saw is probably the best.

How Long Will Oak Sleepers Last in the Ground?

Pillars, paths, or furniture: railway sleepers have endless uses. But whether it is garden sleepers or raised beds, it is very important it is reliable, durable, and can withstand the weather. This is why the choice of material is very important: Should you buy hardwood or softwood sleepers?

One material is synonymous with durability, however: oak. An oak hardwood sleeper can last substantially longer than its softwood counterparts — if you care about durability, they’re the obvious choice! In this article, we’ll go over the precise reasons why oak railway sleepers are so durable, what potential downsides they have, and ways you can overcome those downsides!

What Makes Oak Last So Long?

Many homeowners have heard that oak is durable, but they don’t know what that means in practice. There are a few key qualities that oak has and softwood timber sleepers don’t have which makes the former be more durable and last much longer!

• Resistance to Pests and Fungi

Fungi and pests are some of the biggest natural enemies of wood. Whether it is garden sleepers or railway sleepers, once pests and fungi can make a home for themselves, they will slowly erode the wood from the inside, rendering it unusable in months in certain circumstances. Oak has a natural resistance to both pests and fungi, which helps it last substantially longer vis-a-vis other types of wood. This natural resistance is why oak is a favourite in wet climates like Britain!

• Able to Withstand Heavy Weights

Thanks to its natural resistance to warping and its very robust structure, oak can withstand surprisingly heavy weights, which not only makes it last longer but also improves its utility. If you want to use the sleepers as pillars or retaining walls, oak is a natural choice!

• Requires Little Maintenance

Compared to softwood sleepers, oak requires far less hands-on maintenance, both during summer and winter. While helping with its longevity, this also makes oak sleepers a more practical choice for many!

What Factors Can Reduce Hardwood Oak Sleepers’ Longevity and How Can You Address Them?

While oak railway sleepers are incredibly durable and can last for a very long time, they’re not perfect. There are still things that harm oak and reduce its durability, and thankfully, there are ways to address them.

• Constant Moisture

Constant moisture is an enemy of all types of wood, and this sadly includes oak. Whether it is through rain or wet ground, constant exposure to moisture will slowly erode oak garden sleepers’ structural integrity.

Thankfully, there are a few ways to combat this – the most popular being wood preservatives. By semi-regularly applying wood preservatives to your oak and pressure-treated timber sleepers, you can limit the impact of moisture.

• True Oak

There are hundreds of species of oak, and while it is true some oak species make for excellent railway and garden sleepers and can last a very long time, this is far less true for other species. If you’re not familiar with timber sleepers, it can be hard to identify true oak.

The only solution here is to make sure you’re purchasing oak from trusted sources. At Timberstore, for example, all of our oak sleepers are carefully sourced and tested to ensure their quality and longevity.

Oak Sleepers FAQ

Will Oak Railway Sleepers Rot in the Ground?

Oak sleepers are naturally resistant to rot and can last a long time despite direct contact with the ground. Nevertheless, every kind of wood is susceptible to rot to some degree, and contact with the ground speeds up the process. So, if it is possible, it is preferable to find a design or method to prevent them from coming in direct contact with the ground.

How Do Softwood Sleepers Compare to Oak Hardwood Sleepers?

Softwood sleepers are usually less durable than oak: they can withstand less weight and are more susceptible to pests, fungi, and rot. softwood timber sleepers are often pressure-treated to increase their durability and longevity.