Railway Sleepers Garden Edging Guide [How-to, Tips and Pictures]

Railway sleepers offer a timeless and versatile edging choice for any garden design . They are available in style from rustic to mod and can be do by or left natural , depending on the desired aesthetic .

habituate railway sleepers for abut , retaining wall , or creating raise flowerbeds to enhance your garden ’s functionality and show . Their constitutive , wooden penning is make to last , with each railroad tie weighing several hundred pounds for sturdy support .

In this article , we ’ll search various uses for railway sleepers , such as garden edging , provide a elaborated installation tutorial , and offer intention inspiration to mix these robust elements beautifully into your landscape painting .

Reclaimed Railroad Ties

Reclaimed railroad ties mean that they were once used on a railway somewhere in the world . They serve their meter on the railroads and are now useable to meet your landscape gardening vision .

When it comes to real rescued railroad track tie , there is something of import to consider . material railroad ties are treated with a chemical substance call up creosote to maintain and protect them from the elements .

After all , railroad ties are subjected to the harshest term for 10 at a time . Have you ever noticed the tar - similar substance covering railroad track ties ? That Jack is creosote .

The Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) considers creosote a toxic chemical substance . If you prefer for reclaimed railway ties , you must treat it and seal off them to prevent the coal-tar creosote from harming the surround environment .

Click here to see more on Hunker .

This plantation owner is supported by a mountain of repurposed railway system sleeper . Although they are old , they kick in a vintage aesthetic appeal to the garden .

Varathane Spar Urethane

fortuitously , sealing old railway ties is wanton . plainly use a paintbrush to apply urethane that is made for exterior use to the full open of the railroad affiliation and allow it to completely dry .

it’s advised to give at least two coating to ensure that the entire railway system tie is sealed .

penetrate here to see more from Home Depot .

Reclaimed Railroad Tie

Lowes proffer reclaimed railway tie-in at an low-priced price !

sink in here to see more from Lowes .

Treated Timber Garden Railway Sleepers

process railway sleepers with grease and lacquer is a great way to give them a vintage but timeless aesthetic and protect them from the factor .

This concept uses new railway system sleepers to edge the margin of planters .

Gardener’s Exterior Wood Stain

This wood dirt from Gardener ’s is intend for outdoor habit , which means that it is perfect for your railroad tie . It is available in several colour — cloud white , graphite gray , lakeside cedar tree , and moss super acid .

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Watco Crystal Clear Lacquer

After the stain is applied , apply a few coats of lacquer for added protection !

Pros and Cons of Using Railway Sleepers

Railway slumberer have a lot going for them . One of the pros of using railway sleepers for garden edging is that they are extremely strong and lasting .

Railway sleeper goby can endure utmost climate , so you need not interest about abrasive winters and red-hot summer adversely pretend them .

Another pro of using railroad line sleepers in your garden is that they can often double as either footfall or behind . This makes them unmistakably useful as a garden edger .

One of the downside to using railway slumberer for garden edging is that they can be difficult to establish depending on the terrain .

If the terrain slop , digging might be command so as to make the sleepers level , making it a meter and labour - intensive process .

Another downside to using railroad sleeper is that , while they can last decades , they will eventually decompose . This will attract termite , and it will make the sleepers drop off their functionality .

Once this happens and the railway sleepers want to be replaced , the removal procedure can be recollective and hard depending on how many sleepers there are and how they are joined together .

How Much Does Railway Sleeper Edging Cost?

Believe it or not , incorporating railway system sleepers as edging in your garden is not especially expensive compared to other edging alternative . Take a spirit at some of the costs associate with using railroad line ties .

The railroad ties themselves run about $ 20 for an eight - foot section . regard the length of railroad slumberer you will need , and be sure to account for how high they will be stacked .

If you will be stain and sealing the railroad track timbers , that is another toll to factor in . The stain will be around $ 30 or perhaps more , depend on how many timber you need stain .

If you contrive on seal your railway necktie with lacquer , the lacquer itself will run about $ 50 for one congius .

If you grease one’s palms reclaimed railroad affiliation that have been treated with coal-tar creosote at some item , you will need to use polyurethane to them in edict to comply with the EPA .

Polyurethane can be a bit high-priced depending on how much is needed . The can we mentioned runs for about $ 100 .

How Do You Install Railway Sleeper Edging?

The outgrowth is mostly aboveboard ; setting the sleepers themselves is passably simple . But when it comes to attaching two sleeping car together , a humble process is imply .

learn this video for a optic walkthrough of how to install railway railroad tie .

Railway Sleeper Inspiration

Now that we have drop dead over some of the particular about integrating railway line sleepers as edging in your garden , condition out some pic that will inspire you !

Built-in Bench Garden Edger

One of the big things about using railroad track sleepers for garden edging is that you may do things like this — make a functional , built - in tush into the blossom bottom .

This setup control shite and mulch while give the garden a crisp look and a beautiful woody aesthetic .

Multi-level Railway Sleeper Setup

In this garden , railroad sleepers are used to make a cozy low nook underneath the main flower layer .

The Sir Henry Wood adds aesthetic note value to the scene without detracting from the beauty of the environ plants and leafage . It also serves as a belittled retaining rampart , giving your landscape painting shape and anatomical structure .

Railway Sleeper Stepped Border

If your back patio sit down below your yard , railway ties are a outstanding means to make a little retaining bulwark that function as a border between the patio and the K .

Railroad crosstie can well be turned into a small set of steps for your convenience .

Railroad Ties with Geometric Intrigue

Railway sleeper do not have to be prepare in a distinctive orthogonal preference ; feel free to get creative with it !

In this cubic yard , the railway system sleeper are set up to make several triangular sections . A pattern like this is sure to make your garden singular !

Tiered Railroad Tie Stairway

This garden is manpower down an incredible plenty , and the railroad railroad tie play a enceinte theatrical role in making it so . The sleeper transmute the diagonal lawn into a three - tiered garden with a ton of attribute .

Railway slumberer are a great path to delineate sections to create depth . As an contribute fillip , the sleepers organise an elegant stairway all the way to the top !

Neat and Orderly Flower Bed Border

Sometimes , simmpleness is great . Railway sleepers do a capital job butt flower beds that are get in touch to social system .

One of the good things about using them as adjoin is that they can be stack to accomplish the desired height . This gives you a lot of flexibleness to project and create .

Rustic Vibes

Reclaimed railroad track sleepers are a great style to add an old rustic vibe to your garden . The dark patina that these pieces uprise will complement the color scheme of virtually any garden .

Their immense size and majority are perfect for specify the landscape . As a fillip , because of their size , they ’ll stay put in blank space .

Railroad Tie Flower Bed

One of the undecomposed uses of railroad sleepers is for grand public treasury - style flower beds . The thick wood acts as a dandy roadblock surrounding the blossom layer .

Simply stack more sleepers on top of each other to get the flower bed to the desired altitude . This option is swell for build a call forth vegetable garden .

Treated Vintage Flower Bed Edger

This flower layer showcases the sum esthetic appeal of railway sleeper that have been treat . Stain and lacquer can make a world of difference in terms of visual ingathering .

Treating the wood will not only make it await coolheaded and vintage , but it will keep it protected so that it can be the pride and joy of your garden for age to fall .

Dark Wood Accent

Railway sleeper can be used to butt on small flower beds too ! A unmarried sleeper border can complement the foliage . moody wood like this really build vivacious greens kill .

Here are some brainwave about thetypes of Edging for gardens .