Using a railway sleeper for a mantlepiece?

donnaessex

Hello experts.

I'm just thinking about this at the moment but I'm considering whether I might want to change our (boring) mantle over the brickwork fireplace to a thick railway sleeper.

How are they fixed onto the wall?

Abbeygail

You have to use coach bolt's that you would get from an Ironmonger or possibly B+Q. Have you ever picked up a Railway Sleeper. Also they are treated with A Tar like substance to prevent them from rotting. Good Luck.

donnaessex

Abbeygail wrote: »

You have to use coach bolt's that you would get from an Ironmonger or possibly B+Q. Have you ever picked up a Railway Sleeper. Also they are treated with A Tar like substance to prevent them from rotting. Good Luck.

No actually I havent!

This is kind of the look I'd be after.

cybergibbons

I'd just try to find a big piece of oak, not a sleeper. They are treated with creosote or other preservatives - the smell would be pretty fruity, and I'd also be concerned about flammability.

ormus

you can buy treated and untreated sleepers. dont use a treated one.
beware, they are heavy and expensive to transport!

donnaessex

Thanks everyone for your replies. OK, not a railway sleeper - I buy a large piece of untreated oak then. Is a reclaimation yard the best place for this?

ormus

yes but can be expensive.
try any demoltion site and ask the chaps direct. usually much cheaper. or even free if youre lucky! they burn a lot of wood.
also consider two or three old joists, screwed together?
(to get the required thickness).

take a saw with you!

keith969

You can get unrteated oak sleepers e.g.

http://www.timberclick.com/index.php/thames_valley/railway-sleepers/new-oak-railway-sleepers.html

casper_g

It'll be heavy. Would you consider building a couple of brick pillars, one each side of the hearth, and supporting the oak beam on them instead of trying to fix it into the wall?

suisidevw

casper_g wrote: »

It'll be heavy. Would you consider building a couple of brick pillars, one each side of the hearth, and supporting the oak beam on them instead of trying to fix it into the wall?

Definitely do this!

sunshinetours

casper_g wrote: »

It'll be heavy. Would you consider building a couple of brick pillars, one each side of the hearth, and supporting the oak beam on them instead of trying to fix it into the wall?

Exactly what we have done. Found a timber yard then who "made" two new oak beams to our size that we laid on top to create a nice deep mantle. We have used some no nails type substance underneath the beams on top of the brick pillars and then rendered the brick pillars to create the looks we wanted.

Oak wasn't cheap and cost around £300 i think for those two bits (about 1.5m long each and about 15 cm tall front face and about 20cm deep each piece

We have oiled it a few times to add some lustre and stop it drying out too much as it will crackand split as it ages even indoors

And yes they are very heavy!

new oak will give you the cleaner lines if you ahve a newr house. Reclaimed oak will be darker and more characterful and possibly not very straight so better for cottage/character fireplaces

Worth the money it looks great!

Edit - found who we used. it was a neil Peskett of www.traditionaloakandtimber.co.uk - November 2008 and it was £370 eeeek!