Have you wanted to build an affordable, modular floating dock that adjusts to changing lake water levels, withstands freezing winter conditions and that you can transport yourself to your destination using a 5 x 8 utility trailer?
That's exactly the set of problems I tried to solve. And wanted to share the design with you allowed me to achieve this. #CottageLife #FloatingDock
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Note: I am not an expert. Please do your own research whenever embarking on a project to ensure that safety and proper engineering practices are applied at all times.
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Because I used screws that I already had laying around, and they were a little too long than what I needed, I had to cut off the ends of the screws that were protruding and sanded them down.
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My goal was to build a T-shaped dock. So I initially retrofitted an old part of a dock as the section attached to the shoreline. Then I built two new sections and attached them using heavy-duty rings and exterior screws.
And in this video, I used the opportunity to build a new section that I will be installing to the rest of the dock to give it more real estate. I will share the video of that installation soon so you could see how exactly I connect these sections together.
The first time I started to build it, it took me weeks as I corrected mistakes along the way and found flaws in my design. Once I solidified the design, It was just a matter of repeating the process. And now I can build a section in a matter of hours assuming I've picked up all the supplies I need.
The result is a modular design where each dock section is a 4x10 ft floating self-supported frame. You can build as many of those as you want, connect them together at you destination.
I needed to make a dock that:
- floats
- automatically rises and drops with fluctuating lake levels
- withstands freezing lake condition s
- is structurally sound for long term use
- has generous space and real estate.
- can be transported using a 5 by 7 ft utility trailer. (must tie down securely)
- that is relatively inexpensive
The materials i needed:
- (3) 55 gallon barrels (easy to find for very cheap)
- (2) 2x10" 10ft long pressure treated wood
- (2) 2x10" 4ft long pressure treated wood
- (2) 2x4 10ft long pressure treated wood
- (6) 2x4 3ft long pressure treated wood
- (2) 45 inch long pressure treated wood
- (21) 5/4x6 inch (45 inch long) pressure treated
- (2) 2x4 28.5 inch long pressure treated
- (32) 2x4 brackets
- (24) Corner brackets
- Coated deck screws
- Galvanized exterior use screws (Simpson Strong-tie) or thick 3-4 inch nails
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