As marine structure specialists we spend a good deal of our time installing and repairing docks and seawalls. Because we are dedicated to keeping those docks and decks safe and the property-protecting seawalls standing firm, we are also focused on educating anyone who lives along a coastline.

We are therefore in the habit of sharing our wealth of knowledge because we love living on the water as much as you do. Some “landlubbers” think there may be too much maintenance required to live life at the water’s edge, but as we know, once you have lived on the water there is nothing like it!

So far this year, some of our favorite tips for maintaining Florida docks include:

Natural Dock Cleaning – how it’s done
The benefits of composite decking and the associated costs
The importance of dock pilings and seawall pilings

And of course, some of our Favorite Tips for Maintaining Wood Docks:

Keeping a firm maintenance schedule
Maintaining a watchful eye and addressing minor repairs as they will eventually become major ones…anything missing or damaged, (like a bolt or a plank) will only put more pressure on the rest of the dock.
If you do power wash the dock, do not be overzealous. It is not concrete or vinyl siding you are blasting. You don’t want a dock so clean you can see right through it!
Do consult a pro about the best sealant for your wood dock. Even if you apply it yourself, you want it sealed with a waterproof product that is ideally, environmentally-friendly.
Sanding the dock – if you’ve ever tried to refinish a hard wood floor, you know how an improper technique can cause you to lose control of the machine and result in an unwanted dip in your expensive floor. The same is true when sanding your dock – you can overdo it and ultimately cause more harm than good. It bears repeating here to consult with a pro.

However, our latest Number One Tip for Your Dock is inspired by Otis Redding’s Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay. We recommend you waste some time.

Put down the iPad, take a chair, put on a little music, and just enjoy watching the world go by from your beautiful dock.

Sittin’ in the morning sun

I’ll be sittin’ when the evening comes

Watching the ships roll in

Then I watch them roll away again, yeah

I’m sittin’ on the dock of the bay

Watchin’ the tide roll away, ooh

I’m just sittin’ on the dock of the bay

Wastin’ time

This holiday season we are grateful for all of our clients who have entrusted us with their homes and for giving us the opportunity to provide landscaping services and boat lift installations and all the creative solutions we are able to develop to suit their Florida lifestyle.

We wish each of you a Happy Thanksgiving full of friends and family and gratitude. And take a little time for yourself to sit and reflect and enjoy the view!