Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler Docks

I guess I could call the Axiom staff directly but I'll start with the forums

If you were building a dock today for a relatively small boat (ie it can't be so high the water never touches it), and had to choose between pressure-treated lumber, aluminum or plastic, what are the pros & cons of each ? I think the dock has to be a floater due to local regs.

A wild guess would be that there is an excess of over a hundred private docks within a 5 mile radius of our house and I'd bet not one of them was made from a material other than wood, probably due to cost. I've always liked the looks of an aluminum dock myself but apparently they must be pricey, seems like the only places that have them are the public ramps in the nicer areas.

My choice would be aluminum if it's within budget. Pressure treated is likely cheaper, but I highly doubt it would last nearly as long in the same kind of environment. As for vinyl/plastic, I'd make sure that it's weather proof or more specifically heat-proof...don't want it warping in the hot summer months.

Have you checked out "dock-in-a-box" ?

Whoa, 'DockinaBox'... reminded me of this classic.

Here on the Gulf coast, 99+% of folks building docks have pressure treated pilings driven into the muck, then pressure treated stringers and some use 5/4" decking material and some use 2X6's, both pressure treated, for the walking surface. I did run into someone who spent some serious bucks and used Chem Grate for the walking surface, in bright yellow to boot. Can't miss his dock!

The problem we have here is that the water is brackish at best and full salt water at worst. Aluminum doesn't like this ionic condition. I've got a co-worker that has an aluminum boat lift and he has to have regular inspections of his zinc anode and ground checks to make sure the lift won't dissolve!

Scott

HaHa!! I hate to say it, Rick, but that song sounds as good as any of the HipHop songs out there!

Scott, you made a good point there. In a salt water environment there are other considerations, I'm sure aluminum and salt don't like each other much. In Ontario(fresh water), the main problems would be humidity/heat and drunken or lousy boaters driving into the dock.

I live on the water. All docks are floating due to the tide. The majority of docks were built in the early 80's with pressure treated frames. Many had redwood 2x6s for the decking surface. Also popular then and now is 4'x8'sheets of plywood with non skid surface. Most are still holding up well today (unless they were not maintained).

Aluminum frame is the costlier but zoom zoom way to go. Last forever. Either type can also be decked with vinyl planks like Brock dock™ or other brands. It's more costly than wood, but much less maintenance. A good choice over PT or alum. framed dock.

How long is your boat? Are you thinking of a straight finger dock, or a 'U' dock?

That will be problem regardless of the materials of construction.

Scott

We do have fresh water here. Aluminum is MUCH more expensive. You only see it occasionally used here on new docks constructed for say $3 million+ homes. ( not I fore sure )

Eco-minded folks frown against setting treated treated lumber in water as it seeps into the environment. Untreated wood doesn't last very long though and as you have pointed out, alternatives are expensive.

I have seen some nifty setup lately where they use the new recycled, plastic decking material over floating plastic pontoons of sorts. To keep them in one place, 4x4 plastic posts filled with concrete for strength are buried on each sides to keep it from shifting. Like any material, it can be secured in ways that allow up and down movement with tides or changing water levels.

Other than the posts sometimes shifting and needing to be redug, it is supposed to last a lifetime.

The only PT wood in the water would be an underwater stabilizer between two arms of a 'U' dock. All framing is mounted on top of the floatation. Now the code mandates plastic (ABS I think) covered floatation. The oldest docks have an orange styrofoam, them blue was mandated, now plastic covered (for any new construction).

For a floating dock, each material has unique benefits:

Pressure-treated lumber is affordable but requires regular maintenance and can degrade over time in water.

Aluminum is durable and corrosion-resistant, though it’s more expensive and can get hot in the sun.

Plastic, especially Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP), is low-maintenance, slip-resistant, and highly durable in marine settings.

You might find FRP platformFRP platform options worth exploring—they’re ideal for floating docks due to their strength and long-lasting performance in water.