If you have a boat you want to dock or live by a lake where you'd like to swim off of a floating dock, then buy some pressure-treated wood and foam pieces. You can build a floating dock in a single day, though you may need some good strong arms to help slide it into the water once you finish. Follow these steps to build your dock.
Frame the dock by cutting the 2-by-10 boards to whatever size dock you desire. Join corners with galvanized steel corner brackets; mark holes, drill and bolt corners to wood pieces.
2
Use a 2-inch block of wood as a spacer, and repeat the process in the first step on top of the single-board frame to make a double frame. Bolt to steel bracket as you did the lower frame.
3
Lay plastic foam billet pieces inside frame. Place one on each long side and one in the middle of the box. Foam billets should be as high as the bottom part of frame. Measure every 16 inches, and mark where you must install the cross-ties.
4
Install cross-ties. Make retainers with 2-by-4 boards, and screw into ties alongside each piece of foam billet, extending down to hold the foam piece in place. You need one retainer on each side for the middle, but only one on each side for the side billets since the sides of the frame hold them in place.
5
Cut 1-by-6 boards to proper length for decking. Use spiral nails to nail the boards onto the top of the frame and cross-ties. Enlist several people to help slide the dock into the water-be careful not to lift as the foam billets can fall out of the retainers.
Tips & Warnings
Assemble the floating dock near the water, so you can simply slide it into the water.
Have a machine shop make the corner brackets for you from 3/16-inch steel plates bent to a 90-degree angle.
kurtander123
Sep 18, 2010
A good step by step guide for newbies about building floating docks. Thanks for this.