Joe's design made easy - building a raised bed

Raised bed

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Joe's guide to constructing a raised bed using a railway sleeper wall.

10.2cmx10.2cm (4x4in) treated posts
Ready mix concrete
Railway sleepers - Joe used cleanly cut sleepers with a Length of 2.4m (8ft 2.5in), depth of 10.2cm (4in) and width of 25.4cm (10in).
Plastic sheeting - this was used to protect the sleepers from rotting too fast from the soil.
Large headed nails - used to tack the plastic to the sleepers
We didn’t show the plastic being tacked to the sleepers on camera, but it is advisable to do so and the contributors did it themselves after we had finished filming.
Also sand was put down first to protect the sleepers from rot and to get the levels right.

Joe was working up to a curved edge so he started by working out the angles of the sleepers that were going to be cut.
Firstly dig out some of the soil where the sleepers are going to be placed and fill with building sand. This sand will make it easier for you to get the levels correct and stop the sleepers from rotting quickly.
Next work out all the angles and cut the sleepers. Joe had the sleepers cut by a qualified chainsaw operator.
Next dig out the holes for the posts to a depth of 45cm (1ft 5in).
Place the sleepers into position, for added strength stagger joints for the side walls. Joe could not stagger the front wall as it was next to a curved path, instead he made three small sections.
Correct the levels by using the rubber mallet and sledge hammer.
Next bolt the sleepers using the hammer drill and timber locking screws. Joe used seven posts in this construction.
Now use the ready mixed concrete to cement the posts in. The reason for this is to allow movement to get all the levels correct before the posts are set.