Hardwood Timber Sleeper

Hardwood timber sleepers are the denser of our two timber options. They span further between posts than treated pine, last longer in the ground, and give you the natural timber look that no other material quite matches. They suit garden terraces, raised beds, planter boxes and low walls where the warmth of real timber is the point.

Specifications

• Material: hardwood
• Treatment: CCA
• Hazard class: H4
• Sold: individually

Check the hazard class against your wall

Treated timber is graded by hazard class under AS 1604, and the class has to match where the timber actually sits. H4 covers general retaining applications such as low walls under a metre, where the timber is in ground contact or continually damp. H5 is required where sleepers contact groundwater, exceed 1m, or serve critical applications.

They are not interchangeable. If your wall might fall into H5 territory, have your engineer or certifier confirm it before you order rather than after. The FAQ covers hazard classes and CCA treatment in full.

Being honest about lifespan

Timber is the cheapest way to start and the shortest lived material we sell. In Queensland humidity, treated timber in the ground is commonly quoted at around 10 to 20 years depending on the treatment and how well the wall drains. If the wall is structural, or you want to build it once, concrete or composite will outlast it comfortably. Drainage decides the life of a timber wall more than the timber grade does.

Building courses that get buried?

Cosmetic timber sleeper seconds are sold at a flat price with splits, knots, saw marks or a bow along the length. They suit garden edging, farm and acreage jobs and any course that ends up buried. Sizes and species vary with what is in the yard, so check availability with our team before you order. Everything in the seconds and clearance range is sold as seen.

Questions about your project? See our installation guides, request a quote, or call (07) 3716 0191.