If your house is near the water, you may want to install a dock there or you may already have one built. A dock can provide a place for you to stop a boat and it may be a great platform from which to fish or jump into the water for a swim on warm days. However, it is going to be exposed to precipitation, wet conditions, and decomposing organisms. Follow these pointers for how to protect your dock from the elements to keep yours in good condition.
Pressure Wash Periodically
Leaving your dock dirty hurts its appearance and can make it more difficult to clean later. When you see that a substantial amount of dirt or discoloration has set in, pressure wash the dock. You can remove anything that has latched onto its surface efficiently and have it looking as good as new afterward. This can also prevent the dock from weakening when it is made of wood.
Seal Wooden Docks
As we’ve touched upon, when certain organisms grow on or eat at a dock made of wood, its structural integrity can diminish. Examples of such organisms include mildew and small mollusks and crustaceans that bore into wood in marine locations. The damp environment that a dock stands in is, unfortunately, perfect for all these organisms. You can prevent the dock from rotting by treating it with a staining substance or specialized sealant that blocks up the tiny pores in the wood. This way, it won’t absorb water and will be protected from decomposers.
Go for a Removable Design
You can also protect your dock from the elements by getting one made with a removable design. These docks are made of lightweight materials, such as aluminum to make them easy to move. Depending on the type of removable dock you get, you can pull them out of the water and store them elsewhere or fold them upwards along the shore. The former is useful in instances when storms are on the horizon, which could potentially batter the dock into a state of disrepair. All removable docks can weather the winter better than their stationary counterparts because you can take them away from the frigid water where damaging ice may form.