Advice needed for garden renovation and sleepers used for retainer Information, help and advice on all areas of landscaping and land design

[Dianediane]

I'm extending my garden by 3m out over a decline. Therefore earth is needed to level. My garden is currently on 3 levels which will continue. He has partbuilt new brick retainer walls for these which look ok. Gardener initially built the new outer fence. Happy with and good depth to posts. Also understandable as it needs to be 6 feet in height according to council. My concern is he said he'd use sleepers as retainer inside the fence. He has simply laid a sleeper on top of another and nailed these to the fence. No foundation or burying sleeper partially nor brackets. He has yet to put the additional soil inplace. I think it will be bout 1.5-2 feet in places. A friend said as they are laid across the fence posts this May distribute weight? In not convinced. How do I approach this before it's too late and the extra soul is in place? Are the sleeper like this just not extra pressure/ weight on the fence? Please help I'm a single lady spending all my savings on this garden renovation

[stoneyboy]

Hi Dianediane
I think you are describing a 6 ft fence with 4” timber posts and on one side there sleepers about 18” high resting against the posts and these will retain a full depth of level soil behind them.
If this is the case short term this should be ok, longer term as soil pressure builds up against the sleepers the fence might start to lean.
Regards S