Ideas on Using Railroad Crossties

Retaining Wall

• If your property has an area prone to small earth slides or slippage, then you probably need to build a retaining wall. Railroad crossties are a cheap and sturdy option for a wall that can hold back the dirt. The ties can be laid in a line of several layers with other ties planted perpendicular in the ground as exterior supports for the wall.

Stairs

• Hilly property can be a hassle to traverse with no proper pathways, but railroad crossties can provide long-lasting stairs that can be fixed into the earth. A job like this required that the stairway be planned and dug out. Once everything is ready, the ties can be cut to fit the width of the outdoor stairway and then affixed to the ground with long bolts and cement -- much like the way posts are established in post holes.

Raised-bed Garden

• Railroad crossties might be the answer if you have hopes for a large garden, but your property is too sloped. Arrange some ties in a square formation, using more than one layer as needed to level it out, depending on the slope of the land. Then lay down some burlap or other weed-preventing fabric in the middle. Then fill it with soil and you're ready to start planting. Raised-bed gardens allow you know exactly what kind of nutrients are in your garden because you control the soil that goes in it. If you're concerned that chemicals from the pressure-treated crossties can affect your garden, look into landscaping ties; they offer the same look -- at greater expense.

Shed Foundation

• While railroad crossties are not a sufficient foundation on which to build a house or garage, they do nicely as the base of a garden shed or small storage building. Lay down the ties on a leveled-out area of ground, preferably one covered in at least 2 inches of gravel for drainage purposes. Once the ties are connected with braces or bolts, you can begin framing the floor of your building right on top of them. Be sure to check with your area's building permit authority before beginning work.