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Common Plastic Floating Dock Problems and How to Fix

Common Plastic Floating Dock Problems and How to Fix

May 05, 2021

A dock is an asset that can transform your property immensely, and this is why people who live next to water bodies are always trying to set up docks for their own uses on top of commercializing them. However, they are not free from issues. One of the most common and the best boat docks are plastic floating docks. They are preferred for their affordability and ease of construction, but they also experience a number of problems that can make your dock inoperable. The following are some of the issues you can expect and the remedies you can use to fix them.

Leaking Docks

Most plastic docks are made by putting together several sections of plastic docks together to create a large platform. These are joined together by various means to create a solid structure that can withstand the waves. But there are times when spaces get exposed, and water starts leaking onto the top of the dork, and this can make using the dock a little unsafe.

Dealing with leaks may require the entire dock being taken apart then put together properly with each section secured as needed. If the leaks are coming from a single damaged section, then you may have to replace only that part with an identical spare which can be sourced from a dock manufacturer of your choice. The bottom line here is that a leak should be dealt with immediately to stop it from becoming bigger and increasing the boat dock cost.

Instability

Floating docks made of plastic have very many advantages, and the biggest of them all is the flexibility that their lightweight nature brings to the table. You can love them anytime you want, but that also is the cause of their biggest flaw, instability. Depending on how rough the water decides to be, a floating plastic dock can be unusable when the weather becomes rough since it floats on the water and moves alongside the waves. Trying to use it in such conditions can be very dangerous. The solution would be to sit out the storm and only use the dock once everything has calmed down considerably, or if you have the means, you can add some weights into the water to add some stability to the floating dock.

Rusting and Water Logging

Not all parts of a plastic floating dock are made of plastic, the parts that anchor them to land have to be made using solid metal or wood to stop the floating docks from being swept away. However, these are prone to damage over time through rust for the metals and waterlogging for the wooden parts.

Rust is especially worse since metal like aluminum boat dock ramps come into contact with the water constantly. The best solution would be to use non-rust metals, although they will cost you a lot to set them up. For waterlogging, ensure that the wood pillars are well coated before construction and are made of the highest wood quality to make them last longer.

Freezing

Places that experience extreme winters find it hard to operate once the cold season comes in, floating docks, for instance, can get caught up in the frozen lake, and this will make them impassable with slippery surfaces that could lead to injury when used. The best solution for dealing with freezing temperatures would be to move the entire plastic dock into a storage unit until the cold season passes over. Leaving them out in the cold could destroy some parts, especially the metallic and wooden parts that anchor the entire structure, and this increases the cost of boat dock repair.

If moving the dock into storage is out of the question for you, then you would be well served to avoid using it for a while, or if it is necessary, salt the walking planks regularly to make them usable.

Fading

Plastic bleaches when exposed to the sun, and this is a common problem that every dock owner experiences after a while. Being hit by the sun every day without any shade will cause the upper part of the floating dock to lose its color, and although this doesn’t affect their structural integrity or how they function, it does add some unwanted appearance that makes the dock look old and washed out. You can always reapply some color once in a while if this is a big issue for you, or create a shade for the entire deck.

Conclusion

Plastic floating docks are a good investment, especially for people who are getting into the dock business for the first time in their lives. Their affordability and flexibility make them the ideal option for domestic setups. There are many other problems that are unique to these kinds of docks, and they all depend on the acclimate of the area you are located. For more troubleshooting information on floating docks, visit our website and have all your questions and concerns addressed by our team of experts.