Boat ownership provides a way for you and your family to slow down and connect with nature, and it wouldn't be possible to escape the hustle and bustle of daily life by boat without the aid of your boat dock. Even with periodic use, a dock, like anything else after any stretch of time, will show natural signs of wear and tear.
Without a functioning, stable place to dock your boat, you'll miss out on valuable quality time out on the water and even risk accidents or further damage. Proper maintenance keeps your boat dock in excellent condition, but bigger repairs and signs of corrosion mean a call to the professionals is in order.
A dock in need of repair can be unreliable and dangerous. Inspect your dock regularly, but especially look for any of these three signs it could be ready for a few professional renovations.
1. Wood Rot
Natural wood docks are an attractive, classic asset to your waterfront property, but the aesthetics come with a few costs. Whenever wood comes into contact with water, the material slowly deteriorates, as fungi from the water grow into the wood and feed on its nutrients.
Wood rot can be difficult to identify if you don't know what to look for, so make sure you know what areas are most vulnerable. Places where wood continually comes into contact with water, joining surfaces, beam ends, and any untreated wood should be examined regularly for signs of rot.
Wood rot is easily confused with rust- or mold-stained wood, termite damage, or wood-metal corrosion. When in doubt, call in the pros.
2. Warps and Cracks
Water pressure and currents ebb and flow, and these fluctuations cause structures to bend or warp over time. Some materials are more resilient than others, but those more susceptible to bends and breaks could even crack entirely.
If your once straight and level dock seems to have sagged or shifted, the supports may be compromised or warped. From small crashes or accidents to natural erosion, warped or cracked dock components could be set straight to repair them, but sometimes they will need to be replaced entirely.
Some signs of warping and other damage may be obvious, such as an apparent droop in any part of your dock, while others may require labor-intensive inspection or special equipment to diagnose. Have a qualified expert come out to take a look as soon as you suspect any warping or erosion of materials.
3. Rust
Docks with certain types of metal components should be inspected frequently for signs of rust. Salt water is especially corrosive to metal, and because metal components are usually key structural elements, rusted parts can seriously compromise the integrity of your dock.
Water molecules, and other particles such as carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide, eat away at metal when the two elements come in contact. Even when metal dock parts aren't continually submerged, any exposure to water puts metal parts at risk for rust.
Minor rusted parts can be cleaned or replaced, but major rust problems could call for a full replacement of severely damaged or eroded metal parts. Rust should be fairly easy to recognize with the naked eye, but you should take a closer look at any metal components to catch rusted metal before it becomes a larger, more costly problem.
If any damage is widespread, or if dock inspection or repair seems to be more than you'd like to take on, make a call to the
Edgewater Marine Construction, Inc., team. Our professionals can identify any issues, make material suggestions, and help to keep your dock beautiful and functional, ensuring you and your family can stay on the water frequently and safely.
