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  Geoffrey King February 21, 2016 at 6:27pm

  I'd be worried about the sleepers producing 'slippery' steps

  Are you creating a retaining wall, are the sleepers 'new', if so you need to consider additional preservative measures, as they won't last
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  Andrew Midgley February 21, 2016 at 6:54pm

  Sleepers in garden settings look really good but be sure to buy sleepers that are not pressure treated with creosote as these will leak in hot weather. Best to buy from a reputable supplier and not from a reclamation yard using old BR sleepers even though they look better aesthetically.
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    Richard Gadsby > Andrew Midgley February 21, 2016 at 7:54pm

    I know what you mean about reclaimed ones weeping but if it were for my garden I would put up with it!!
    And maybe get something to attach to steps as grip
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  Andrew Watts February 21, 2016 at 9:37pm

  I'm not a landscaper, so this may completely dumb...

  A few year ago at home, I painted some wooden decking with steps with a yacht decking paint and the merchant added some anti slip sand to it. Works a treat.

  Could you do the same with a preservative?
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    Richard Gadsby > Andrew Watts February 21, 2016 at 9:56pm

    I don't landscape either but I bet that would work!
    Just needs something to stop it being just wood!
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  Nathan millward February 21, 2016 at 10:18pm

  Thanks for your replys guys. But do you have any ideas about laying the sleepers? And with it being different levels what would be the best way? Just straight concrete on the ground/soil?
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    Richard Gadsby > Nathan millward February 21, 2016 at 10:29pm

    To be honest unless it was one step off hard standing I would not touch it as I've no clue about foundations for steps. Someone else will know though!
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    Geoffrey King > Nathan millward February 21, 2016 at 10:39pm

    Depends on the soil, sandy, clay, loam. Are you using the steps as a retainer or steps up a slope.
    What's the drainage like. How high are your steps going.
    lots of variables
    Yes you can use concrete, but how will you fix the sleepers to the concrete
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  Gavin Gray February 22, 2016 at 1:44pm

  i have done this previously and I just set in 4x4 posts using postmix then a 150mm coachbolt straight through the sleeper into the post, it will take some force to get it to move
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  Thermo February 22, 2016 at 3:50pm

  we use them a hell of a lot. if its a simple wall with no weight bearing and only a couple of feet high, then we tend to bed on some mot as its more free draining then soil and concrete first course in, nice and level and posts in behind, concreted in and sleeepers fixed to posts and each other. if its a bigger wall we use sleepers set vertically behind. dependent on the soil conditions we give the back a coat of liquid dpm. always overlap the sleepers. see so many where they are the butt joins follow up the wall. weak and it looks horrible