Workin on the Docks (Decks)

[Under the Palms]

OK, we had some people ask about our docks, or decks, so here goes.

We were looking for pilings for the bottom of our driveway, we were going to put three on each side and were looking for weathered ones, and started hitting all the marinas in the area, when we happened on a friend working as the Dock Master at a yacht club we used to go to. They were pulling all the docks and pilings out and replacing them over the winter, and were going to put aside 8 or 10 pilings for us. As we were driving home we had a brainstorm, what about taking the docks themselves?

When we built our house we put in 200 year old flooring from an old barn in New Hampshire, when the wood came to us, it looked like junk, but as we started putting it in, it started coming together, the finished floor looks like a million dollars. We figured if it worked there, maybe we could use the docks for our walk ways, and use it to cover our lower decks, the Mohogany was going to run almost 9 grand for the back deck alone, this would be basically free. We figured if it didn't work out, we'd just dump it.

Here we are making one of many 25 mile runs with a load.

[Under the Palms]

Here's a shot of the first stack in our driveway. It was crazy, we had crabs walking all over, our neighbor even found one walking across his driveway, quite a distance for a small crab. Oh yeah, we also had clams, barnicles and oysters.

I'll put up some more later, trying to get some work done

[Under the Palms]

Here's what we did with the first couple of docks, we used them for our front walk, cleats and all. We kept all the hardware they used to connect them at the marina and did the same here.

No, that's not me in the pictures, just a couple of friends, I'm taking them

[BahamaAngie]

The wood actually looks in real good condition. Our dock does not look that good and we put in some new boards about 2 years ago. Are you going to stain or treat it to preserve it?

[Under the Palms]

Actually Angie, we're not going to touch it, it's in great condition, and we want to preserve the look, most of it is almost 20 years old, it's almost petrified. We are going to hit a few spots with a power washer, but that's about it.

When all was done and said, we ended up with 18 24' docks in our driveway

[Patti Puzo]

Nicely done!

[BahamaAngie]

It IS in excellent condition. I was not sure if it would stay that way if nothing was done to it. I have seen many docks around here not that old that do NOT look nearly as nice. Where are you located. It looks very scenic!

[DrRalph]

Todd, while the cleats look very salty, they're real toe stubbers. I know of two cases of people tripping on dock cleats, one wound up with a fracture in one of the small bones in the foot, the other a broken toe:eek:.

Unless your going to be tying your land yacht to your dock, you might want to consider removing the cleats, or maybe painting them orange so people will be aware of them.

[Under the Palms]

Yeah Ralph, I know first hand, we're going to the marine consignment place again in a week or two (it's like going to a toy store for us)and we're buying some line that we're going to run down each side from cleat to cleat. We're also installing some Malibu lights.

[Under the Palms]

Here's a shot of how it looks today, we're making a stop at the depot on Tuesday for some more shrubs. I'll post some of the back deck later

[Under the Palms]

Thanks for the compliment Patti. Angie, we're in Connecticut, about half way between Hartford and New Haven, we like to refer to it as the "Sticks". We were voted the number one small town in Connecticut last year, and the bordering town got an honerable mention. It's real quiet, we have one tiny strip mall with a bank, pizza place and a package store, next to that a nursery, and a small lumber yard. That's pretty much it, everything else is just residential or farm. Being up on the hill the views and sunsets are pretty awesome.

Here's a sunset shot from our tub, it's up on a deck off our master, and a shot of our next door neighbors to the west, everyone has plenty of room.

[DrRalph]

Yeah Ralph, I know first hand, we're going to the marine consignment place again in a week or two (it's like going to a toy store for us)and we're buying some line that we're going to run down each side from cleat to cleat. We're also installing some Malibu lights.

Good ideas, they should help.

[Charlotte Couple]

Never mind the danger of toe damage from the cleats. I'd be more concerned about taking a header by walking down the front porch in the dark! How about putting some boards down there??

Actually, I think the whole thing looks great. I like the look of the cleats. They add a real nautical character to the walkway.

[Under the Palms]

Yes, the line will definately help, over the winter we had white Christmass lights strung from cleat to cleat which worked well, and looked pretty cool in the snow.

Here's a shot of the beginning of the back deck, it's roughly 19 x 37, and the dock going out to our sand pit which is where we'll be building the bar. The main dock is secured in place, now we need to make a pie shaped piece to angle the second part of the dock into the sand, weather permitting we'll do that this weekend.

As soon as the rest of the dock in in place, we'll bring in loom and mulch and do the flower beds along the sides like we did in the front, we plan on planting a lot of ornimental grass, and a string of Malibu lights.

One cool thing we like is the slip numbers on the back deck, we have 7 or 8 of the boards with the numbers we're spreading around the deck. The deck it self is about half done. So you can see we're going for the beach bar look.

[Wonkee]

I am assuming, which we all know makes something out of us, that there is some type of piling or supports that the dock sections are attached to to prevent setteling. It would be a shame for that beautiful deck to start to sag in sections. If not, some dock posts could be used to accomplish the task and keep with the Nautical theme. As well they would make good landing posts when you are working your way back to the house after a few Nippers.

[Under the Palms]

Ah, Very observant Wonkee. The front dock in just sitting on the ground, no 4x4's just the double thick 2x12's, the weight alone will keep in in place on the hard packed flat ground, it's already been there for some time and hasn't moved. The back is another story. The back (or stern) dock is on a slight slope, we're planning on putting in three to four pilings on the down hill (left/port) side, a couple of feet in the ground, cemented in, I have another marina here pulling some out in the next week or so that I'm going to grab. On the up hil side there are 4 PT 4x4's on the main section, and then a couple of others on the rest of the dock, we'll dig under each and pour a small cement, or PostCrete footing to shore up that side up once it's in it's final resting place.

Once that is done we'll be bringing in loom & mulch which will cover the cement from sight.

[Wonkee]

OK just didnt want work done in vain. Agian I think it looks great and it is a recycled good, my favorite type. you get a good Idea as to how durable the materials are, and you save a few trees from the saw. I bet you enjoyed cutting those sections, I bet you'll be replacing the blade on the saw soon, that stuff would be hard as a rock by now.

[SamFamAustin]

Funny you should say that, I've gotten sparks to fly out of wood when cutting that cured stuff. Sometime I'll tell the story how my Dad bought a bunch of extremely hard green heart from Brazil to build an old fashioned schooner smack. Good recommendation on some footings out back though - looks like a real great job.

My suggestion as an ex-Connecticut resident: think about how to work with it in the winter if it snows or ices.

[Under the Palms]

Yeah, cutting the stuff is like cutting rock, I have a couple of nice chop saws, a 10" radial arm, a 12" laser guided, and one old beat up one, guess which one I use. BTW, where in CT?

[Henz]

what I want to know is, where the hell do you all get urrr money from!!!!!!

[Under the Palms]

First off, the total investment from the docks, trucking them in and all is probably around $600, that's it


If you spend enough time around here you'll know what we do

[BahamaAngie]

My daughter's mother in law lives in New Fairfield...is that near you Todd? Your decking looks great. How long will that stuff last being it has been around a while?

[HALF-A-HAMIAN]

Longer than me, Angie!

[BahamaAngie]

But Half, our docks here don't last that long!

[HALF-A-HAMIAN]

A lot depends on the type of wood used as to how it ages. One house we owned was 30 years old, and the wood hardened with time, so when new guttering was installed, the crew was unable to use the long aluminum spikes, they would bend befoe penetrating the facia, so they had to switch to a heavy galvanized and still had to pre-drill the holes. They were upset that I wouldn't pay extra for the upgrade in materials and more labour, but hey, they were the experts and quoted a price for the job without a disclaimer for variables like that.

[Under the Palms]

Hi Angie,
Thanks for the compliment, we're about a half hour from New Fairfield. We're in Bethany, about 15 minutes north of New Haven out in the hills.

As far as the wood lasting, it's pretty petrified, you can't believe how heavy each board it compared to a regular piece of PT. We're not worried about it going anywhere for some time, and it looks like we'll have quite a bit left over, so we'll store a bunch in our basement for any needed repairs down the road.

I also spoke with the marina this morning and will be picking up some pilings next week to put along the back dock!

[Under the Palms]

We progressed along over the weekend, it took a whole day just to make the pies shaped piece we needed to connect the main dock to the ramp, tonight we'll finish screwing the boards down to the ramp and that part will be complete.

We also completed the main rear deck, all 18' x 37' of it, what a job. I'll post some pics of that later.

[Under the Palms]

We're trying to get to the marina this coming weekend to pick up three pilings to run along the port side of the dock

[South Pause]

What an impressive project! I love the look of it, and the whole idea of the recycling of that great wood.
Please keep us updated and send more pix!

[BahamaAngie]

It does look great and he is so handy and does great work!!!! Can I adopt you????

[Under the Palms]

Hi Angie,
If you can clear the paper work through the Bahamian government, we can talk, but I have to warn you, the wife and I are a package deal!

[BahamaAngie]

That would NOT be a problem....but I am from NJ and you are from CT so why would I need paperwork???? I donna own anything there!!!! boo. hoo.

[HALF-A-HAMIAN]

Angie, like Archie Bunker used to say,"NOBODY'S from New Joisey!!", So being from CT., he may have mistakenly supposed NJ is an "out island". ;-)

[BahamaAngie]

But I AM from NJ.....born and lived here and family too!!! I don't know why our ancestors did NOT settle somewhere more exotic oh well. But our ocean sure did look pretty today but it was 62 degrees. Now you know why people from the NE visit in winter it is no sweat for the cooler water in Abaco that time of year. (I did NOT go in....I like my water warmer).

[Under the Palms]

OK, finished the ramp this weekend, everything is all screwed down, so that's all set, we also finished the upper deck, which I think came out pretty cool. I'll post some of those later

As you can see, we still have some cleaning up to do, and some finishing under the deck.


PS If anyone knows a guy named Jim Morris, we're heading out to a house party he's playing at Saturday morning for the Rhode Island Parrot Head Club. Jim played at Pineapples on GT two years ago at the regatta, if anyone wants I'll post some pics

[Patti Puzo]

Looks great! I like your garden in the background too.

[Under the Palms]

Thanks Patti, we're pulling Cucumbers out like crazy!

[BahamaAngie]

Patti you have such great eyes!!!

[Patti Puzo]

Patti you have such great eyes!!!
Thanks Angie:)