I have the choice of reclaimed 10″ x 5″ sleepers or new oak 8″ x 4″ untreated sleepers for a 1 metre high retaining wall.

I’m leaning towards the reclaimed ones, has anyone put them in and then regretted it due to the creosote/tar, or had them weep in hot weather? My issue with the new ones is that they are not treated, (not looked into tanalised ones) and also that they are a fair bit smaller and shorter.

Although its a wall, its bound to get sat on occasionally as its about the right height.

A mate has some reclaimed ones, and 6 years later they still weep tar in the summer. At least you’d never have to creosote them.

I would go for the new ones personally. The used ones in my old garden were horrible, every time you went near them you ended up covered in cack.

Ha, two comments and I think thats my decision made!

I’ll save the effort of pasting my comment, just consider it 3 against now.

Its not just the weeping of the blackstuff that’s nasty ( sticky black stuff is the least of your worries ) its the carcinogenic gasses given off by old railway sleepers that is the real nasty stuff.

read this please.

Used them to border a mini patio with the kids playhouse. No problem with resin or anything, but cutting them by hand with bow saw is not something I’ll forget in a hurry 😳

And with the reclaimed ones you’ve got to be careful when cutting, often full of crap/metalic stuff.