There is nothing like being able to dock your water vehicle on your own dock. You won’t have to park it in a marina or hoist it up every time you take it out for a spin. For this of course you need a dock and no waterfront property is truly complete without one.
Once you decide to construct a dock, you must ask yourself what type of materials you want to use. The answer rests on a balance of cost versus maintenance. On the one hand, if you decide you want to use wood, you will likely save a little bit of money. On the other hand, concrete might cost you about 20% more but will not require much maintenance, which to use?
Maintenance On Wood Docks
Wood rots over time, especially when it is in constant contact with the water. Sure these pieces of wood get treated, but in time they succumb to the elements. Also, the treatments used on the wood can release chemicals in the water making them polluting agents. Wood is also known to splinter making it a hazard, especially when dealing with the cheaper woods like pressure-treated pine.
When you have a wooden dock, the most common type of maintenance is cleaning it. This keeps it in good condition, making sure that no stains are left in place, clearing any gaps you find, and so on. The easy way out would be to pressure wash it. But, you should avoid this as pressure washing will splinter the wood and speed up erosion.
Sanding is another thing you will find yourself doing often, at least once a year you should clean the dock so you can sand, stain and varnish the dock. The stain will seep into the wood and the varnish will add a layer of protection against the elements. Make sure you use quality stain as it will extend the life of the dock. Rot and rust are among the other problems you will have to address over time, just replace rotted pieces and rusted nails or screws before the issue spreads through the dock costing you a fortune.
Concrete Docks
Over a period of 10-20 years, there is no option that’s more cost-effective and reliable than a concrete dock. For one thing, a concrete dock does not require the constant maintenance that wood does. Concrete does not rot and while over the decades some cracks or chips may appear, those are easily remedied. Concrete docks can be easily pressure washed making them look brand new again. Not only is the maintenance for a concrete dock much lower and less demanding than that of wood but they last longer as well. There is no reason why a concrete dock should not last you for many decades and it’s also more adaptable to other accessories you may use for boat docking and maintenance.
Give Us A Call
If you are looking to build a Sea wall or a dock and want only the finest materials, most skilled crew and results that speak for themselves contact us by phone at 954-651-2185 or email us anytime at mario@princebay.com. Your project will stand for decades to come and the value of your property will only benefit from any project completed by Price Bay.
