Читать книгу Building Your Own Dock - Sam Merriam - Страница 18

For a low-maintenance option, when talking about synthetic deck boards made by process of extrusion or pultrusion, you could mean one of seemingly endless companies, brand names, and products.

Just when I think I’ve seen them all, another one appears on the market. If you’re serious about this option over wood decking, naturally there is the convenience factor when going with a product carried by your local lumberyards. When you search beyond your backyard, the options open up and may prove overwhelming to determine which is the best product to use for docks. You’ll find a vast choice of compounds, shapes, sizes, colors, and surface patterns, each with unique characteristics. Though character differences distinguish them, subtle or extreme, a common trait is greater weight than that of the usual PT wood or cedar decking. The added weight won’t matter as much for permanent installations that are a one-time move; otherwise, think twice before putting this material down on dock sections that are meant to be portable. When you read the specifications on a given product, you’ll often find that the spacing of timbers in your framing will need to be at 16 inches (40.64 centimeters) apart, not 24 inches (60.96 centimeters), and should each be of a 2x8 (38 by 184 millimeter) minimum. Hollow composite decking will alleviate some of the weight, but it can be heavy and more suitable for permanent docks that won’t be handled annually (such as portable docks in the north). I have known people to panelize the heavy composite as described above with varying degrees of success. Many synthetics may warp if not fastened permanently down to the frame, so beware of that potential before panelizing. Comparable to most of the solid synthetic boards on the market, hollow PVC decking that has a material much like vinyl gutter, but more durable, is likely a better choice for portable dock sections. To minimize the overall dock section’s weight, I recommend shopping for the hollow PVC decking by the specifications. Look for brands rated to span 24 inches (61 centimeters) and with the least weight.

Synthetic pre-panelized decking.