Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Freshwater dock wood
DocJim
Hi All,
Just bought a small cabin on the St. Lawrence River and we are putting in a dock. Builder creates great steel mainframes drilled 6' into the rock, and it will be 100 ft long. He specs it with 2X8 pressure treated decking but he is willing to use other wood (if I am willing to pay for it). The lumber dealer recommends ipe or cumuru and I like the looks of tigerwood. Does anyone have experience with any of these to make recommendations?
Thanks, Jim
Re: Freshwater dock wood
Pete in Holland MI
Hope you have deep pockets for the other two choices of wood.
One thing to consider is docks will be wet from time to time. A slightly rough surface is a positive thing to walk on. Treated wood isn't all that bad.
Would suggest that the cut edges be generously rounded over with a router. Much easier on bare legs sliding into the water.
If this dock anchored into the rock, then it may not be removed in the winter. Ice damage may happen from time to time.
Enjoy your cabin !
Re: Freshwater dock wood
johnv
I used tiger wood for my outside steps about 10 years age. Not on a lake but exposed to sun and rein here in Western Missouri. It stands up very well to the sun, rain and snow. Be aware that it will silver or grey in the elements. Appearance can be renewed by power washing and resealing. The greatest advantage other than life time and appearance is that it does not crack and become splintery like treated wood.
Re: Freshwater dock wood
jergle
I would consider one of the "plastic" materials like Trex or similar. We redid the deck on our house with Trex a few years ago, and it has been essentially maintenance free, (usually pressure wash it once a year), and still looks like new. The only negative for use as a dock is it gets pretty hot in the sun.
Re: Freshwater dock wood
David Yoho
Jim, I wanted to reply earlier but the server issues prevented that. My observations are from people who own waterfront homes where our cottage is in Lewisetta, VA. All the docks there are pressure treated wood. However, the planks are thicker than the stuff available from the lumber stores. It is probably 2 - 21/4" thick and probably pressure treated to a higher standard. All I know is they last for years and years in the Potomac River environment where the water is brackish. I'm pretty sure the dock builders there don't buy their lumber from the big box stores!