Floating Dock Advice Wanted

[MIkeWard]

Mike,

Did you use the foam insulation that comes in 4x8 sheets and cut them in half? Then layered them until you had the thickness you wanted?

That's brilliant. How thick did you make it and how did you calculate how much you needed?

I'm lost how the great stuff holds it together. Could silicone work as glue, or what about just wraping them with copper wire to hold them in place and building a frame to keep them there when it's in the water?

Interesting. I'm going to price it out and see what the difference is.

Thanks,
Eddie

I originally ordered dock float billets from Lowes. I think they were 10 inches thick. My plan was to build this on the ice of the frozen lake. I was given a date in early March that I could pick them up since this was a special order. I live on Long Island but the vacation house is in upstate NY near Binghampton.

I go up for the weekend in March, have all the other materials ready, call Lowes and they tell me the order was delayed!!
WHAT!!! The lake is starting to melt I have to build it NOW!!
I cancelled the order got a refund and bought the 4x8 DOW sheet foam and cut them in half, They were slightly cheaper than the 2x8 sheets.
If you ever used Great stuff foam and got it on anything you know how sticky it is. GREAT adhesive . Just squirt a narrow bead like you would put PL100 adhesive on. then layer on next sheet of foam. After I built up 10 inches I used duct tape to clamp the whole thing together. For a 16'x16' dock I made six foam billets, 2 for the right side-2 for the left and 2 down the center. I did this on the slate floor in the house because it was too cold outside.

The only difference between this and the dock float billets is that a hardener (dark blue) is sprayed on the top of the billets. This helps spread the weight of the rafters on top of it. I bought treated green plywood and put it on top of my foam. You can see it in the picture I posted.

I found plans for this dock on the internet. A place in Canada and they do not take them out for the winter. I'll look for a Link to the sight.

This is NOT the cheapest floating doc you can build. I've had 10 people on mine at a time and they could all go to the same side no problem!! The kids put a grill, dinner table,chairs and umbrella on it, hooked up a trolling motor and motored out to the center of the lake for dinner.
Hopes this helps Eddie. This kind of dock would be great on your lake!! I loved reading about its construction!! I've had at least 10 other people come over , take pictures and build their own like mine.
Best thing I built for the lake house!!

Mike

 

[GGB]

Mike, I'm very impressed with your dock build. I was planning to buy a dock sometime soon, but you've got me seriously considering a build. Could you help with a couple of questions?

First, it looks like you used 2x6 lumber on 12" centers for the frame. Correct?

Second, what do you do in the winter? Do you use a pump to keep the water from freezing around the foam, or something else?

Third, what would you do differently if you build another one?

Thanks!

GGB

 

[MIkeWard]

Mike, I'm very impressed with your dock build. I was planning to buy a dock sometime soon, but you've got me seriously considering a build. Could you help with a couple of questions?

First, it looks like you used 2x6 lumber on 12" centers for the frame. Correct?

Second, what do you do in the winter? Do you use a pump to keep the water from freezing around the foam, or something else?

Third, what would you do differently if you build another one?

Thanks!

GGB

I would not do anything differently!
I used 2x10 16" centers. The top part is just like building a deck except for the metal corner reinforcement.
The lower skirt I used 2x8 since my foam was 8" thick and this square skirt just contains the foam.

I found the website That had the original plans. They have very detailed step by step plans.

Floating Dock. How to build. Step 1.

Here are some pics of the dock in the winter. It gets trapped in the ice. It starts out 10 inches above the ice, by Feb its actually level with the waterline ( ice line ) or below it!! This made me nervous the first year but when the ice melts it pops up and is just fine.
So far it survived 7 winters just fine.

Mike

 

[20 20]

Eddie,

I think the plastic barrels would be cheaper. Some warehouses even give them away.

I agree with this, I got my barrels for free.

 

[20 20]

I live on Long Island but the vacation house is in upstate NY near Binghampton.

Mike

Hey, that's not upstate that's low/bottom middle state


I do like your dock :thumbsup:

 

[GGB]

Mike,

Thanks again for the answers and link. Great information! Now I'm really getting the fever.....

I'm still amazed that you've found that you can leave it in during the winter without getting the foam torn up. It's obviously stronger than I would have expected.

GGB

 

[CollinLeon]

If you are concerned with your barrels leaking, filling with water, and eventually sinking, another alternative is to use the liquid closed cell foam that they use for insulation or shipping protection in packages. The type of stuff where they spray it out and it expands and then hardens.

Many years ago, one of my uncles had a house boat that used metal barrels for flotation. I doubt that he had any sort of closed cell foam inside of them though. I think he just put a new barrel under there whenever one of the old ones rusted out and started leaking.