Wooden dock for a pond?

Mountaineer · #1 01/26/07, 02:47 AM

The land around where my soon to be pond is planned is pretty mucky to be fishing from, the bank would just get muddy. Pond will be about 1/2 acre.
If I was to push some posts into the pond floor- as pilings for a dock- aside from using wood that rots slow, any other things to watch out for?
I have access to western red cedar which lasts a while and I believe is fairly safe for fish if it's just a handful of posts.
Thanks!

Bearfootfarm · #2 01/26/07, 06:56 AM

That should work OK but I think Id try to find some type of grass or other ground cover to plant that would stabilize the banks.

SteveD(TX) · #3 01/26/07, 08:09 AM

The new treated lumber is relatively safe to use for docks. I would do 6x6 posts - they'll last a lot longer than cedar. Two other pieces of advice:

1. sink them deep
2. do it before your pond fills up

If you can't do that, then a floating dock is recommended.

manfred · #4 01/26/07, 08:40 AM

I built a dock 2 years ago, didn't really know what I was doing but it turned out well. I picked up some of those tubes at Lowes (8 inch) specially made for cement, they connect together for however length you need them. I leveled them, poured in dry cement, added water. Just insert some bolts in the wet cement at the top. After this cured I layed some old I beams on the bank and bolted them on.
I did this with water in the pond, just stuck the tubes down and added cement.

fishhead · #5 01/26/07, 08:49 AM

I would use steel well pipe with a disk welded on the bottom for the legs. It will last for decades. You can buy dock brackets that slip over the pipe and bolt onto the dock. They are height adjustable with a set screw.

EasyDay · #6 01/26/07, 09:30 AM

How about a floating dock?

NWoods_Hippie · #7 01/26/07, 11:36 AM

Mountianeer,

Do you live in a part of the country where "freeze up" is not an issue? Here in Northern Wisc. there are very few "year around" piers or docks that last more than a few years due to ice and freeze/thaw issues.

I can give you more advice if you are in a Northern area as I do caretaking and one of my bi-annual jobs is putting in and pulling out piers of all kinds!

Margie

fishhead · #8 01/26/07, 12:19 PM

In a small water body the ice usually isn't a problem because the ice doesn't get pushed by the wind in the spring. I leave the docks in my ponds for years.

When we had docks in our lake they had to come out ever fall of the moving spring ice would destroy them like toothpicks.

Jolly · #9 01/26/07, 01:21 PM

I'll tell you another way to use steel pipe...

Take your pipe and weld angle iron to it at predetermined distances. The purpose of the angle iron is to give a spot for you to sledgehammer the pipe into the pond bottom, even if you have to put the pipe in after the pond is full of water.

You can also use the top ones for attaching your pier runners. Or, you can build a seperate frame, with a ring at each coner, place it over 4 pipes and have a floating dock...lots of ways to do this...

Ken Scharabok · #10 01/26/07, 01:28 PM

Hummm, note the Google links under the last response.

mtman · #11 01/26/07, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NWoods_Hippie

Mountianeer,

Do you live in a part of the country where "freeze up" is not an issue? Here in Northern Wisc. there are very few "year around" piers or docks that last more than a few years due to ice and freeze/thaw issues.

I can give you more advice if you are in a Northern area as I do caretaking and one of my bi-annual jobs is putting in and pulling out piers of all kinds!

Margie

i lived in VT. for a long time i see people makeing there docks with old steel wagon wheels in the front when winter comes they pull it out with there truck or tractor works out well

Simpler Times · #12 01/27/07, 12:52 AM

We made a floating dock about eight years ago that is still going strong. It is constructed of treated 2 x 8s with six plastic barrels from a carwash under it for floatation. We hooked it to the bank by placing one end over some cut saplings that were still rooted in the ground. The only problem we have is when the water get really high it puts the dock at too steep of an angle to be comfortable. You could solve that of course by making it free floating and just tying it to the bank. Fortunately, that high of water in our pond is an infrequent occurence. Sure makes it nice getting in an out of the pond into our small boat. Nice to fish from too.