Decks, Patios, Porches and Docks - Floating dock - plastic barrels

Doityourself.com community forum was created to provide answers to all questions related to home improvement and home repair. Doityourself community can help you find information about how-to topics on small fixes to large remodeling projects. With comprehensive how-to content and expertly moderated community forums DoItYourself.com makes it easy to tackle even the most complex home improvement projects.



PDA

View Full Version : Floating dock - plastic barrels

CanadianGuy
04-30-08, 11:13 AM
We'd like to build a floating dock for our large swimming pond. Can anyone tell me how many 45-gal plastic drums I'll need for stable floatation. My understanding is that using too many drums makes it tippy.

There will be two parts to the dock:
-- A ramp 8' long by 3' or 4' wide
-- A platform 8x8
All made of cedar. 2x10 for the frame and 1x for the deck boards

Also, any tips on securing the drums would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

gfranchu
04-30-08, 11:30 AM
I can't comment on the walkway but a neighbour at our cottage location has had an 8' x 8' floating platform on the lake for years. The skirt covering 6 plastic barrels is made from waterproof plywood and covered with green indoor/outdoor carpet. The barrels are secured to the skirt with nylon ropes. It has a ladder on one side that makes it easier to climb onto. The platform is anchored, using a piece of railway rail and does not move no matter how bad the storm.

The platform can get tippy if there are a bunch of kids on it but with 2 to 4 kids its quite stable. If you intend to dive from the platform be sure to anchor it in deep enough water that no one will get hurt.