Читать книгу Building Your Own Dock - Sam Merriam - Страница 9

Some jobs should be left to the experts, of course, but when it comes to dock building, there are a vast number of opportunities just right for the DIYer. Regardless of your motivation, be it budget constraints, a shortage of locally skilled dock builders, or, simply, that you like to build, this book was written with you in mind, the DIY dock builder who probably doesn’t own a commercial barge, crane, and pile driver.

No worries. . . . You’ll find I’ve set the boundary where the scale of the project can be done using common carpentry tools and the materials can be hand carried or lifted into place without heavy equipment. Most of the dock designs that I’ve included are comprised of portable, standard-size sections of dock, each serving as a building block to make up whatever configuration you desire.

Above the treetops at my store, water is near in every direction.

So that you’re not on a wild goose chase, I’ve limited the material requirements to what you would expect is on hand at your local building supply along with specialty dock components that, if not found at a local retailer, can be easily found online. Where codes and conditions require heavy pilings to be driven, I recommend that you hire that part out to a qualified marine contractor, just as you would likely hire a concrete foundation contractor for the house you plan to build. Once your marine contractor has left you with pre-installed heavy pilings, follow my step-by-step instructions to build your heavy dock or pier upon them.

In upcoming chapters, I’ve presented four classifications of docks that you can build using wood:

• fixed,

• floating,

• fixed to floating,

• rolling portable.

With each one, I’ll provide a summary of the benefits and a description of the types of environments where they are suited for use. I’ve included a special chapter about the nature of tidal waters and rivers with some important advisories to consider for docks in these places. I will also help you complete a site survey where you will learn my approach to decisions such as choosing the best location for a dock on the property, choosing the best classification or type of dock, the size limits, and distance the dock should extend out. Along with it constituting your mapped-out plan, the site survey exercise will help to separate your good ideas from bad ones, cement the good ideas into actions, and thwart a bad decision from coming to fruition. Finally, this guidebook would not be complete without tips for installing your dock into the water, where the dock will be a splash. Each classification of dock has its own details for setup that follows its construction details. Begin with the Special Safety Measures (right column) before you take to the shore with your project.

With the help of specialty dock components, DIYers connect two sections of floating dock together.

Even after you’ve completed your project with the help from this book, much of the information covered will not become obsolete, making this book a relevant resource for many years to come. For as long as you and your family have anything to do with docks, keep this book handy for future reference.