Sleepers and blocks are the face of your wall. They span between the posts and hold the soil back, so the material you pick sets both the look of the job and the way...
Read the full buying guide
About Sleepers & Blocks
Sleepers and blocks are the face of your wall. They span between the posts and hold the soil back, so the material you pick sets both the look of the job and the way it goes together.
The four materials
| Material | Weight per unit | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Concrete sleepers | 54kg to 87kg | Structural and taller walls, five finishes, three lengths |
| Composite sleepers | 4.4kg to 5.3kg | Walls to 1m, tight access, no machine on site |
| Timber sleepers | 15kg to 38kg | Low garden walls and raised beds on a budget |
| Sandstone blocks | 416kg to 936kg | Feature walls and terraces, built as a gravity wall |
Concrete is the workhorse, 40 MPa with two N12 bars and RPEQ certified. Composite does the same job at a fraction of the weight, which is the whole argument when the material has to be carried in by hand. Timber is the cheapest way to build low and the shortest lived. Sandstone is the feature material, and the weights in that column are why it needs machine handling and good truck access.
Work in this order
- Sort your wall height first, because it drives everything else including whether you need council approval. Start with the wall height guide.
- Pick the material, using the table above and the honest trade-offs in each collection.
- Pick the sleeper length, because it sets the post centres and therefore how many posts and pier holes you dig.
- Match your posts and corners to the sleeper, then add fixings and caps and drainage and base.
The wall calculator runs that whole sequence from a length and a height, or send us the numbers and we will do the take-off.
Our fastest moving stock is worth a look if you want what is already in the yard and ready to load. Cosmetic seconds and clearance stock is listed separately and suits courses that end up buried.