“We spoke to somebody in the sales team, and they explained all the differences about the sleepers to us. If you have a question - call 01977 662 261 now.... They are really helpful”,
said Alan from Chigwell in Essex.

RECLAIMED SLEEPERS:
Q. Are they heavy and will I be able to lift them on my own?
A. No, ideally it takes 2 people to lift a sleeper. They weigh around 90kgs each and are quite awkward on your own.

Q. Are the reclaimed sleepers dirty and are they treated?
A. Yes, they can be a little messy at first as they are treated with creosote, which helps to prolong their life.

Q. What are they made of?
A. They are made from a solid hardwood, usually either beech or oak.

Q. Are they easy to cut and do you provide this service?
A. They can be cut using a chainsaw. Like any hardwood, they are quite tough but an experienced operative will easily cut them. We do not cut sleepers here, we only supply full length sleepers.

Q. How long will they last?
A. Considering they can be up to 50 years old when they are reclaimed from the tracks, recycled timbers of the quality we sell can easily last another 25 years.

Q. Are they strong? We would like to raise a shed on them.
A. Absolutely fine. Grade 1 & 2 sleepers are very strong and will hold a shed, oil tank and various heavy items such as these.

Q. Can they be used around a pond?
A. Not ideally as the creosote will exude from them and contaminate the water. The best product for this use is new sleepers, either softwood or hardwood.

Q. What colour are they?
A. They are a dark brown colour.
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NEW SLEEPERS:
Q. Are they treated?
A. The Solid Oak sleepers are not treated but the softwood ones are treated with either a green or brown preservative.

Q. What colour are they?
A. The oak start out as a honey colour but after time exposed to the elements, they turn a silvery grey. The softwood sleepers tend to maintain their colour but will eventually fade.

Q. I want to make a raised bed for vegetables, which sleepers should I use?
A. The best types of sleepers for raised beds are new, as opposed to reclaimed ones. Reclaimed ones should not really be used where there is much skin contact.

Q. Have the sleepers got straight sides?
A. In general, the softwood sleepers are very straight and uniform. In terms of the oak sleeper, they tend to have one edge, which will be bevelled, as is the nature of the oak trees they are cut from.

We look forward to hearing from you.
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