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Wooden Border Help

Jo167Jo167 Posts: 8
in Garden design

Hi, please can you help. This is my first post so I'm hoping I'm doing it right ????

I am wanting to use wood in my garden but having looked at sleepers which I do need to get for something else it's going to work out too expensive to use them for everything. I'm wanting to separate grass from stone but I want them flat so can be mowed over and walked on, I'm looking at 200mm width. What would be my cheapest option and how would I go about keeping them in place and rot free? Many thanks

Posts

  • pansyfacepansyface Posts: 22,318

    NOT SURE THAT I CAN VISUALISE WHERE YOU WANT TO PUT THE WOOD.

    IS IT AS A LAWN EDGING? IF SO, WHY IS THE STONE NOT ACTING AS A LAWN EDGING? 

    COULD YOU PUT A PHOTO OR A DRAWING ON HERE TO GIVE US A BETTER IDEA?

    INCIDENTALLY, PLANED WOOD IN WET WEATHER IS A KILLER.

    Apophthegm -  a big word for a small thought.
    If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 29,645

    I assume your stone is gravel or chippings that don't do well if mowed.

    Sleepers would work well but, as you say, are expensive and, being wood, they will eventually rot form exposure to moisture in the ground.   You could try sourcing scaffold boards from builders as they have to renew them after so many outings but they are thinner so would rot all the faster.  Whatever wood you choose needs to have been treated to preserve it and, like Pansy says, should not be planed wood as it is lethally slippery when wet.

    I think your best bet is going to be to use stone setts or engineered bricks which are frost proof, unlike ordinary house bricks or just buy some cheap paving slabs.    

    Last edited: 06 April 2017 23:48:24

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • Jo167Jo167 Posts: 8
    pansyface says:

    NOT SURE THAT I CAN VISUALISE WHERE YOU WANT TO PUT THE WOOD.

    IS IT AS A LAWN EDGING? IF SO, WHY IS THE STONE NOT ACTING AS A LAWN EDGING? 

    COULD YOU PUT A PHOTO OR A DRAWING ON HERE TO GIVE US A BETTER IDEA?

    INCIDENTALLY, PLANED WOOD IN WET WEATHER IS A KILLER.

    See original post

     Hi, thank you for your response.

    I have a shingle garden at the moment but I'm wanting to seed part of it but keep some of the stone, so the wood is to work as a border type but don't want the wood to be upright, if that makes sense. I haven't been able to find anything in my searches of how I want it to be, they are all raised beds or log fence type things. I think I'm going to have to look at total cost of sleepers as they would be ideal sunken  but was hoping for a cheaper option. Would these be ok in the wet?

  • pansyfacepansyface Posts: 22,318

    I THINK IF YOU PAINTED IT WITH ANTI SLIP PAINT IT MIGHT BE OK BUT I WOULDN'T PUT MONEY ON IT.

    I HAVE MANAGED TO COME A CROPPER ON WET DECKING, WET SLEEPERS AND EVEN SOME WET TIMBER WHICH BELONGED TO THE WALL OF AN OLD TERRACE.

    WHILE OUT WALKING I HAVE SLIPPED ON WET TREE ROOTS.

    WHENEVER I SEE WOOD ON THE GROUND I GIVE IT A WIDE BERTH.image

    Last edited: 07 April 2017 20:36:36

    Apophthegm -  a big word for a small thought.
    If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
  • Jo167Jo167 Posts: 8
    Obelixx says:

    I assume your stone is gravel or chippings that don't do well if mowed.

    Sleepers would work well but, as you say, are expensive and, being wood, they will eventually rot form exposure to moisture in the ground.   You could try sourcing scaffold boards from builders as they have to renew them after so many outings but they are thinner so would rot all the faster.  Whatever wood you choose needs to have been treated to preserve it and, like Pansy says, should not be planed wood as it is lethally slippery when wet.

    I think your best bet is going to be to use stone setts or engineered bricks which are frost proof, unlike ordinary house bricks or just buy some cheap paving slabs.    

    Last edited: 06 April 2017 23:48:24

    See original post

     Hi. Thank you for your response.

    Currently the garden is all stone with a slight incline going up to the back fence, I'm planning on splitting the garden in 2 and levelling the top half. Along with the flat wood borders I was going to use sleepers as a step up from where the stone ends and grass starts. Would you think this will work if like you say the wood will rot? We only have £1000 budget and part of that has got to go on a shed which I've found for £312 so I want to make the best of the garden and keep in budget. 9 years of having stone I'm finally getting some grass :)

  • Jo167Jo167 Posts: 8
    pansyface says:

    I THINK IF YOU PAINTED IT WITH ANTI SLIP PAINT IT MIGHT BE OK BUT I WOULDN'T OUT MONEY ON IT.

    I HAVE MANAGED TO COME A CROPPER ON WET DECKING, WET SLEEPERS AND EVEN SOME WET TIMBER WHICH BELONGED TO THE WALL OF AN OLD TERRACE.

    WHILE OUT WALKING I HAVE SLIPPED ON WET TREE ROOTS.

    WHENEVER I SEE WOOD ON THE GROUND I GIVE IT A WIDE BERTH.image

    See original post

     That doesn't sound so good when I've got an 8 year old running around it. The wood plan may have to change ?

    No idea now ?

  • Jo167Jo167 Posts: 8
    Chloe Kraven says:

    you can get concrete 'planks' that are made to look like wooden sleepers...

    I've got a couple to act as 'thresholds'' between different areas of the garden.  They age well...

    Like this:

    http://www.diy.com/departments/traditional-stonewood-paving-edging-antique-brown-l900mm-h250mm-t50mm/107394_BQ.prd

    See original post

     That's great, thank you ? 

    How are they underfoot in wet weather?

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