Advice on building an L shaped raised bed with sleepers against a fence
forwardsamuelGB_Wkj2m
Posts: 5
Hi all, complete DIY novice here so apologies for the ignorant questions! We have done some research online but are a bit overwhelmed with the options, and don't want to end up with something collapsing. - The shape will be as below. Sleepers preferably laid on their narrower edge to maximise width of the bed. We could go fully flat if we had to but would lose some width, spend more on timber.
- Where we are confused is what strengthening we need to use. Can we get away with only using wood screws from the sleepers above to those below, in combination with 'brick style' right angle fits at the corners? The height will be approx 70cm, we believe around 2000L soil.
- Alternatively, do we need to be adding brackets, dowling, rebar, or cemented poles to strengthen the wall at this height?
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Sorry posted this with 9nly your photo appearing and no words!
not sure what advice you want but it looks good. Although I would make the depth 1.2 as it's half a sleeper. I see you have concrete gravel boards are they yours? If so you could get away with no backs to the beds but if not and the fence owners decide to replace the fence you will loose your soil support.
I see you have a spiders web fatsia japonica, will repeat what many of us have said this will grow to 6ft + both up and sideways and back to front so plant in the corner. They can be pruned if it survives, I've never been able to keep one, only the usual all green variety.
https://www.indooroutdoors.co.uk/pages/sleeperfix-railway-sleeper-brackets
Most sleepers come in size 100x 200 x 2.4m so surely one high is enough. They are very heavy do don't need to be sunk much if at all as long as it's level.
We just used these https://www.screwfix.com/p/timber-tite-countersunk-joist-screws-green-6-5-x-200mm-10-pack/47271 if i remember correctly. 2 per sleeper. Where you are putting 2 together We used 2 flat brackets across the join. At the inside corner we screwed through at an angle from inside so the screws don't show.