How to Build a Floating Dance Floor for a Lake

Dancing

Form a picture in your mind of dancing with your favorite person on a dance floor floating on the water, under the stars, with the music reverberating out over the lake. It sounds wonderfully romantic doesn't it? Gather your lakeside friends and create a community project, a floating dance floor in four sections, enclosed by a railing.

Things You'll Need

• Treated lumber 2 inches by 12 inches by 16 feet (24 each)
• Treated plywood 4 feet by 10 feet by 3/4 inches (32 sheets)
• Corner brackets (16)
• Joist hangers (16)
• Galvanized or stainless steel deck screws
• Dock floats (48)
• Hammer
• Saw
• Drill driver
• Vinyl deck railing
• Eye bolts (36)
• Carriage bolts 4-inch-by-3/8-inch diameter (32)
• Pipe brackets (two)
• Pipe (two sections)

Instructions

1. 

   The construction instructions are for one section; follow the same instructions for the other three sections. Lay out four of the 2 inch-by-12 inch-by-16 foot pieces of treated lumber, forming a box. Drive screws into each end piece and into the adjoining section. Square up the section and place corner brackets in each inside corner using carriage bolts. Lay two of the 16-foot 2-by-12s in the center of the box, spacing evenly. Attach using joist hangers.

2. 

   Turn the deck section over and attach plywood decking. Allow a 2-inch overhang on each side of the section. This will close the gap between the sections when they are joined together to make a continuous floor. Fasten the plywood decking with deck screws to the outside framework and into each cross member. Space screws 3 inches apart. Turn the section over and attach floats end to end between the cross members and along the outer edges. Each section of the dance floor requires 12 floats. Turn the section over so that it is sitting on the floats.

3. 

   Attach eye bolts the sides of the 2-inch-by-12-inch-by-16-foot framing, every 4 feet on two sides of the section.

4. Float the sections in the lake and make a square by attaching with ties through the eye bolts.

5. Run cable from the shore out to the corners of the dance floor, attaching to the eye bolts in the shore side of the two inner sections. Attach pipe brackets (lake side) to the outer corners of the two outside sections. Install pipes that reach the lake bottom and extend 3 feet above the dance floor to stabilize its outer corners.

6. 

   Following the manufacturer's instructions, install the vinyl deck railing completely, by enclosing the three outer sides. Leave an opening on the shoreward side for access from the walkway.

Tips & Warnings

• If desired, the floating dance floor can be towed out into the lake and anchored.

• The sections of the floating dance floor will be very heavy and may require a crane to launch into the lake.

Resources

• Large dock floats
• Treated plywood
• Vinyl railing
• Additional dock float information