November 03 2020 0Comment
winterizing-a-dock

What to Consider When Winterizing a Dock

Winter weather can bring many headaches to homeowners that own a dock. During the winter, you will need to protect your dock. Ice can quickly destroy a dock, leaving it looking unrecognizable come spring and requiring costly repairs. So what is the best way of winterizing a dock to prepare for the winter months? The biggest determining factor is whether you have a standing or a floating dock.

Winterizing a Standing Dock

If you have a standing dock, you must understand that it should be removed from the water before ice forms. If your standing dock is built with TIVADOK, the best dock materials, it will remain in great condition no matter the weather, but a standing dock should always be removed for winter.

Winterizing a Floating Dock

If you have a floating dock, the answer to whether or not you should leave your floating dock in ice throughout the winter has a lot to do with ice movement. Ice forming and shifting around because of powerful currents can cause a lot of damage to the dock. Get to know your area and determine whether your waterfront tends to bear the brunt of the ice movement in the very early stages of spring. If your waterfront deals with plenty of ice movement in early spring, you should remove your dock. If your waterfront is protected from any ice movement, you can consider allowing your floating dock to remain in the lake over the winter months.

Preparing to Leave Your Floating Dock In The Lake

If you decide you want to leave your dock in the lake over the winter months, you should still remove and store any ramp sections that connect your dock to shore. The floating sections of your dock should be loosened and moved to whatever spot you deem to be the most protected along your waterfront. Finally, you should tie your dock sections to something stable on the shore like a well-rooted tree.

How Do I Store My Standing Dock?

When storing your standing dock, be sure to tag each section as you remove it so you can be aware of the order when you’re putting it back in the spring. Storing a standing dock close to shore is ideal to avoid needing to transport sections of your dock. To make the transportation process easier you can install a wheel kit onto your dock for this purpose. If you are choosing to stack your dock sections onshore, make sure to place wood along the bottom of the stack. The wood will minimize the level of dirt that will accumulate in your decking.

If your deck is made using TIVADOK, you will not have to worry about physical or UV damage. You also don’t need to worry about mildew or mould because TIVADOK is resistant to the elements, rot, and warping. If you use TIVA building products to construct your dock, you are making your life easy for years to come.

TIVA Building Products is a family-owned business based in Canada that has worked to develop some of the best building products available on the market. Our products include TIVADOK, TIVADEK, and TIVACOAT. All of our products will look great for years with minimal maintenance. If you are interested in learning more about our products, follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram!

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