Here at Ruby we supply Oak sleepers, not only perfect to board your decking area but they're great for multiple other uses as well which I have described for you below. They’re a perfect necessity to your garden!

Why would you use sleepers?

Sleepers not only look attractive but they give off a stylish presence making your garden have a traditional landscaping look. 

Sleepers can be used in so many different ways which is why they’re so popular in the gardening community, their versatility and durable features make them such a pleasure to work with. 

Raised Beds

Using sleepers for raised flower beds is one of the most popular ways that sleepers can be used. When making your raised bed your surface must be level, this helps prevent weed roots from crossing into the flowerbeds. These can be shaped square, rectangular or triangular. They only need to be screwed together at each corner by using only 2 screws for each corner. 

Timber Pathways

Wooden sleepers are also used for timber pathways. These are a great addition to your garden, they do not only look great but unlike gravel boards you can easily walk barefoot along them without burning your feet..gravel boards heat up!

Timber pathways can be made up with a different combination of sleepers to create a unique finish, pressure treated wooden sleepers are also much cheaper than brick or paving slabs! The sleepers can be fixed in using soil, a sand bed or anchored frames.

Retaining walls

Sleepers can be used to build a retaining wall as these are a perfect alternative to bricks and stones. You can use these vertically or horizontally to create many different looks. You need to position these in a straight or curved shape to level them out.

You ideally need to start off by building a trench, secondly you should affix a membrane between the timber and the soil to protect these against waterproofing. Lastly, you can use metal brackets to secure the sleepers in place.

Unusual projects with sleepers.

• Compost bins - If you want a rustic compost bin then using sleepers to build this is the way to go! This is a low cost way to make a compost bin so as you can tell, these are very popular. All you really need is some pieces of timber and some fence posts (depending on how big you would like your compost bin will depend on how many pieces of timber you will need). 
• Wooden sandpits - What a perfect summer DIY project this is!! A perfect project that will keep your kids entertained for hours. This is such an easy and quick project that you can make with no fuss at all. You’ve got to make sure you cut your sleepers to your required length and once that is done you do need to make sure you protect the cut ends of the sleepers using a wood preservative, screw them together then place a membrane inside.

Ensuring the longevity of your sleepers.

I think this is the most important thing to consider when buying products for your garden. Failing to look after any timber products reduces it’s lifespan.

By clearing all the debris away from your sleepers it ensures that no moisture gets in and this will ensure the sleeper is sturdy and less likely to rot! The more you have to cut your sleeper the less protected it is, as this can expose the untreated sections of your sleeper and this is where the moisture can get in and cause the product to rot! Of course you can use a stain on your sleeper to protect this from damage.