Rock Face Concrete Sleeper

Overview

Rock Face has an irregular split-stone texture cast into a charcoal sleeper. It breaks up a long wall run and hides surface marks better than a smooth board. Makers sell close versions under names such as McLaren – we treat them as one design.

What the design looks like

Charcoal masonry, more detailed than a smooth sleeper. Surface: Irregular stone face. Finish: Rock / split-stone.

Typical applications

Front gardens
Pool surrounds (where the wall is not part of the pool barrier)
Feature garden walls

Beside a fence

The face does not hold the soil – the posts, the sleepers as a stack, the drainage and the footing do. A Rock Face wall can sit under a new Colorbond fence or a timber fence. The fence posts and the retaining posts are planned together so the finished ground level and the fence height still make sense. More on that on the under-fence section.

Standalone walls

The same sleeper is used for garden and driveway walls that do not carry a fence. Those walls still need the right posts, drainage and – where height, soil or surcharge require it – an engineer. We do not guess a maximum height from the face design.

Charcoal rock-face concrete retaining-wall sleeper on a studio backdrop

Installation and drainage

Keep the stone face to the side that is meant to be seen.
Corners and ends need the same post discipline as a smooth wall.

Water behind a retaining wall is a load. We plan drainage with the wall – not as an afterthought – so water can leave instead of sitting against the sleepers. The exact arrangement depends on the site.

Advantages

Looks finished from the street
Texture hides splash and dust

Things to consider

A busy face next to a decorative fence can clash
Not every length is stocked in every texture

Maintenance

Concrete sleepers do not need oiling or painting. Wash them if they pick up dirt. Do not pile extra soil against a fence above the wall, and keep drainage outlets clear.

Related designs

Stacked Stone

Several ledgestone courses moulded into one sleeper – a dry-stone look without laying stone.

Smooth Charcoal

The same clean smooth face in a dark charcoal that sits with Monument and Night Sky fences.

Concrete sleeper retaining walls · Timber sleeper walls under fences · Colorbond fencing · Timber fencing

Common questions

Can a Rock Face sleeper sit under a Colorbond fence?

Yes. The sleeper face does not change how the wall and fence are set out. Posts, drainage and finished ground level still have to suit the site. See walls under fences.

Can I use it as a standalone garden wall?

Yes. Standalone walls use the same sleepers and steel posts. Height, soil and anything sitting above the wall (a driveway, a path, a building) decide whether the wall needs an engineer. We will tell you on the site visit.

Do you publish a price for this sleeper?

No. The board is only one part of the wall. Posts, excavation, drainage, access and whether a fence sits on top all change the job. We quote after a free measure.

Are the sizes fixed?

The face texture is a mould. It does not change how the sleeper sits in the post.