Fixing sleepers to concrete base for garden wall

[TomAsh1978]

Hi everyone

Title says it all really....

I want to build a small (10-20cm high) retaining wall around an area of garden that I am having turfed, and I have some wooden sleepers that I want to use.

The area outside the patch of soil, where the sleepers would go, is some kind of rough concrete - uneven and gritty. The sleepers wont sit absolutely flush on the concrete as it stands, they wobble around a little bit which doesn't seem like it would provide a lasting job.

So my question is, what can I use to fix the sleepers to the concrete? I was wondering if I can just use normal mortar/cement as if I were building a small brick wall, but not sure if wood will actually bond.

If it is possible to use cement, should I just use the cement to create a level base for the sleepers, let it dry, and then site the sleepers on top? Or can I simply sit the sleepers on the wet cement as if building a wall?

I'm sure there is a really simple way to do this, i'm a bit of a novice!

Thanks for your help
Tom

 

[mikeey84]

I would do as you say, bed them in so they are nice and flat, and drive some stakes in behind them, 2x2 would work, and screw the sleepers to them.

Might have to use an sds to get a hole, unless the concrete goes down really far, then your best bet may be a hole through the sleeper, through the concrete with a bit of re bar hammered in to stable it.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

What is the concrete doing? How thick? Got a photo?

 

[TomAsh1978]

Thanks both for the comments

To be honest, its all a bit of a mess. The previous owners of the property seemed to have a tendency to bodge things on top of each other, so there is concrete mixed in with bricks and mortar, partly to create a ledge for some decking on the other side of the yard, but otherwise god only knows what its there for - all seems a bit unnecassary to me. But it is there, and its pretty thick stuff. I have tried my best to level it (or just get rid of it completely) with a masonary chisel but gave up after an hour of getting nowhere.

I'll try and post a photo. But to be honest, I think i'm stuck with the concrete unless I can beg a pneumatic drill from somewhere!

 

[Chrispy6169]

lay some 20mm stones on top of the concrete to help with leveling and drainage?