Repairing, Replacing and Treating Sleepers

[markjg123]

The sleepers topping a low wall are splitting and rotting. It's a communal garden and we don't want to pay the maintenance fee provided by the factor. What are our options?

1. Repair. Is it even possible?
2. Replace. Where can we buy sleepers?
3. Treat. How do we treat all the existing ones and the other timber used as retainers?

Please see photos.

 

[Deluks]

They're a bit far gone. They may still be able to retain a bed or hold their structure for a couple more years yet, but forget about repair, water will just sit in the holes and they'll rot from within, and there's nothing you could use to keep it out.

New ones are about £25-£30 from a timber merchant.

That last picture looks more like an 8x2 than a sleeper.

 

[markjg123]

They're a bit far gone. They may still be able to retain a bed or hold their structure for a couple more years yet, but forget about repair, water will just sit in the holes and they'll rot from within, and there's nothing you could use to keep it out.

New ones are about £25-£30 from a timber merchant.

That last picture looks more like an 8x2 than a sleeper.

To be honest I'm not sure what type of timber it is. The ground floor flats are well below street level, so rather than have a steep sloped lawn, the developer built a pathway and a couple of gravel terraces as you can see in one of the photos. Various sizes of timber have been used. I've no idea what it is but everything apart from the 'sleepers' is in good condition. I'd like it to stay that way but don't know how to treat it. The 'sleepers' are approximately 9.5 x 2 inches.

 

[Deluks]

The ones in the photos aren't worth spending money on.
The good ones can be treated with a preservative or wood oil.