Sleeper Garden Wall
Timber sleeper walls and raised beds, fixed and drained properly so they hold their line instead of bowing.
About this service
Sleepers are a quick way to hold a level change or build a raised bed, and a quick way to get it wrong. Stacked without fixings and without drainage, a sleeper wall bows outwards within a season or two — timber is strong, but nothing is strong enough to hold wet soil if there is nowhere for the water to go.
We fix sleepers into a supporting structure rather than relying on their own weight: timber-to-timber screws or threaded bar through the courses, and posts or driven supports on anything above a low retaining height. Behind the wall we line and drain, so the soil is not permanently pressing water against the timber.
We use pressure-treated sleepers as standard, and will advise on which grade suits the job. Reclaimed railway sleepers are often the cheaper option but can carry old tar-based preservative, which is worth knowing about before you put one around a vegetable bed.
What’s included
- Pressure-treated sleepers as standard, grade advised for the job
- Mechanically fixed courses — not simply stacked
- Supporting posts on anything above low retaining height
- Lining and drainage behind retaining runs
- Cut ends re-treated before fixing
- Backed by our guarantee and fully insured
Our process
Levels & Layout
We establish the finished levels and set the line, so the wall does the retaining job you need rather than just following the existing slope.
Base Preparation
A compacted base is prepared so the first course sits level and does not settle unevenly under load.
Fixing & Support
Courses are mechanically fixed to each other and to supporting posts where the height requires it, so the wall cannot bow or shift.
Lining & Drainage
Retaining runs are lined and drained behind, so water moves away instead of building pressure against the timber.
Backfill & Finish
We backfill in layers, re-treat any cut ends, and clean down so the bed or terrace is ready to plant.