Water proofing sleepers.

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Yorkshire Kris
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Water proofing sleepers.

Post by Yorkshire Kris »

Jet set willy has treated there sleepers with a black water proofer. Any ideas what it is. I'm thinking it would be a good idea to coat mine before laying them to prevent rot and moisture loss.
Conifers
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Re: Water proofing sleepers.

Post by Conifers »

Check that whatever it is, is not toxic either to plants, or to people & pets.
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Yorkshire Kris
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Re: Water proofing sleepers.

Post by Yorkshire Kris »

Conifers wrote:Check that whatever it is, is not toxic either to plants, or to people & pets.
That is a major consideration.
kata

Re: Water proofing sleepers.

Post by kata »

Specially with a toddler next summer..yours Kris.

icon_sunny
jungle jas

Re: Water proofing sleepers.

Post by jungle jas »

Kris, what type of sleepers did you manage to buy, old or new! icon_thumright
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Yorkshire Kris
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Re: Water proofing sleepers.

Post by Yorkshire Kris »

jungle jas wrote:Kris, what type of sleepers did you manage to buy, old or new! icon_thumright
Newly cut pressure treated pine.
fieldfest

Re: Water proofing sleepers.

Post by fieldfest »

if its black it could be bitumen paint, probably not good for plants but good for making it last a long time in the ground
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Yorkshire Kris
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Re: Water proofing sleepers.

Post by Yorkshire Kris »

I've found this http://www.screwfix.com/p/cementone-bit ... ltr/82914#


Is this safe to use around plants and potentially edible plants?
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Arlon Tishmarsh
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Re: Water proofing sleepers.

Post by Arlon Tishmarsh »

The problem with anything bitumised , is that it doesn't allow timber to breath and thats the biggest cause of rot.It locks the wet / moisture in. The reason our lovely old "black and white" oak timber framed houses are mostly no more, is due to the tudors / elizabethans slapping a coat of bitumen type paint on the oak. Hence the black and white look. The oak couldn't breath, rotted and the house in time would fall down When originally built, they would have been natural earthen colours, tans and browny reds and thats because when built , the oak was left as is so it could breathe and would have matured to grey . Over the years, it would have been coated with natural oils , whilst the infill panels would have been coloured naturally with ocre on lime render. All breathable.
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Yorkshire Kris
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Re: Water proofing sleepers.

Post by Yorkshire Kris »

Arlon Tishmarsh wrote:The problem with anything bitumised , is that it doesn't allow timber to breath and thats the biggest cause of rot.It locks the wet / moisture in. The reason our lovely old "black and white" oak timber framed houses are mostly no more, is due to the tudors / elizabethans slapping a coat of bitumen type paint on the oak. Hence the black and white look. The oak couldn't breath, rotted and the house in time would fall down When originally built, they would have been natural earthen colours, tans and browny reds and thats because when built , the oak was left as is so it could breathe and would have matured to grey . Over the years, it would have been coated with natural oils , whilst the infill panels would have been coloured naturally with ocre on lime render. All breathable.
I was thinking about just using it on the lower side of the sleepers that are in contact with the soil and the inner side which is also in contact with the soil in the raised beds.
multim

Re: Water proofing sleepers.

Post by multim »

The thing is, that sleepers are wood which will naturally degrade and rot over time, especially if in contact with the ground. I have used old telegraph/telephone poles as retainers. These were pressure treated in creosote and exuded tar during the hot summers. This year I decided to remove them, only to find that they had become nothing but hollow tubes as the innards had rotted/been eaten away. They were in the ground for about 15 years.
Nothing lasts forever.
fieldfest

Re: Water proofing sleepers.

Post by fieldfest »

if you only treat the underside then water will seep in from the top and, unable to get out at the bottom will pool and cause worse rot. are you buying new pine sleepers or old railway sleepers? this is why i used old railway jobbies as you know theyre going to last without having to do anything to them
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Yorkshire Kris
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Re: Water proofing sleepers.

Post by Yorkshire Kris »

fieldfest wrote:if you only treat the underside then water will seep in from the top and, unable to get out at the bottom will pool and cause worse rot. are you buying new pine sleepers or old railway sleepers? this is why i used old railway jobbies as you know theyre going to last without having to do anything to them
Yorkshire Kris wrote:
jungle jas wrote:Kris, what type of sleepers did you manage to buy, old or new! icon_thumright
Newly cut pressure treated pine.
jungle jas

Re: Water proofing sleepers.

Post by jungle jas »

Yorkshire Kris wrote:
fieldfest wrote:if you only treat the underside then water will seep in from the top and, unable to get out at the bottom will pool and cause worse rot. are you buying new pine sleepers or old railway sleepers? this is why i used old railway jobbies as you know theyre going to last without having to do anything to them
Yorkshire Kris wrote:
jungle jas wrote:Kris, what type of sleepers did you manage to buy, old or new! icon_thumright
Newly cut pressure treated pine.
Kris, are you useing them upright in the ground, (ie stood on end), or lay horizontal.
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Yorkshire Kris
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Re: Water proofing sleepers.

Post by Yorkshire Kris »

They will be laid with the long edge on the ground and just one sleeper high. They will rest on the ground and secured with wooden pegs. Decking boards will then go over the top to create paths between the raised beds to give the illusion that they are not raised at all.
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