Outside Shelter Supports

randombar

Hi All,

Another project in the pipeline (my dreams).

Want to build an outside shelter out the back using railway sleepers as the supports or maybe something cut and treated and putting a roof on it.

The issue I have is there is a lot of ground water out the back (ground full of clay) so I'm guessing anything timber I put down would rot in a few years.

I'm just wondering what my other options are? I could put some box iron up but I'd need to put some kind of cladding on this?

I could use maybe box iron for the foundation and bolt the timber onto that maybe?

Open to suggestions here.

// Gary

slimjimmc

Could embed or bolt metal brackets (primed and painted) to a concrete foundation and bolt the sleeper to these. If its an open sided shelter make sure it's securely anchored to prevent the wind lifting it.

randombar

Yup that's what I was thinking.

If it was open on all four sides would there be much of a pull from the wind as if one of the sides was closed?

slimjimmc

GaryCocs wrote: »

Yup that's what I was thinking.

If it was open on all four sides would there be much of a pull from the wind as if one of the sides was closed?

I'm not qualified to say but I guess it'll depend on the area and shape of the roof (think aircraft wing) and, of course, the direction of the wind.

Calahonda52

Traditional railway sleepers are regarded as containing toxic material so are frowned upon for DIY and banned in commercial.

I would embed galvanised box section in concrete, lifetime job.
Any treated timber permanently wet in the ground will rot.

CJhaughey

Make some U shaped footings, use heavy Rebar as the actual footing in the Concrete, and bent flat plate as the U shape.
Get them hot dipped and you can use treated wood for the uprights less industrial looking then steel and can be replaced if necessary.

sky6

Any small engineering shop will make up exactly what you want for little money. Do it once but do it right.
That's always my motto anyway.