Learn me Marine Grade waterproofing (for docks)

Can you recommend me some excellent products to help preserve and maintain some existing waterfront decks and dock, and wooden bulkhead along the water? I assume a marine grade product is the best option here. Sure there is a lot of stuff out there when you google, but I'd rather have some recommendations if you have them, instead of just trial and error on my end. As boards need to be replaced, do I just go with basic pressure treated, or are certain wood types preferred?

I am also planning to build a short set of wooden stairs from the bulkhead down into the water, to make it easier for the dogs and children to climb out by themselves. These may be removed for winter, or I will mount them with hinges so they can swing up out of the water when not in use and not be sitting in the water for months at a time. I think the general plan is to get these mostly assembled, then take them apart and waterproof the E36 M3 out of them before final assembly and installation. Going to just use some premade short stringers for 3-5 steps from lowes and add step boards.

Around here Bulkheads are liberally coated in Creosote. Docks get pulled yearly, repaired or replaced, and put back in come spring. I guess you could build yours out of the plastek stuff

When my folks had the camp at the lake, no kind of water proofing was ever used on the dock. Of course they were in the water for only four months a year.

Believe or not, salt water is better for wood than fresh, at least as far as boats go

If it's fresh water, I'd check you local laws concerning treatment of wood. Our local lakes only allow salt treated wood to be in contact with water. No creosote, no green or yellow pressure treated wood. They also frown about any oil based treatment such as Thompson's Water Seal.

Having maintained several docks in fresh and salt water, the only long term solution that works is replacing failed wood. It's a annual weekend project and takes about a day.

iceracer wrote: When my folks had the camp at the lake, no kind of water proofing was ever used on the dock. Of course they were in the water for only four months a year.

That's my experience from when I was a kid and my folks had a lake cabin. Every spring when we put the dock back in we'd replace any dock boards that were too far gone, but that was about it.

This new construction? The same composites that are used for residential decking can be used to build docks

I should have clarified, the dock is existing and permanent and cannot be pulled from the lake. (freshwater)

We are trying to maintain and keep the bulkhead in place as long as we can, if it needs to be replaced, it has to be replaced with rocks per the hoa.

Good tip on checking what type of wood and stain/waterproofing is allowed before I commit to a plan. I am going to just assume right now that creosote is very frowned upon in this lake.

This is the rents new place and we are figuring out what projects need to be done.

Up in WI at the grandparents place the dock and raft would be pulled from the water every year but this is in VA.

I would consider slowly replacing the boards with plastic as you need to redo them

mad_machine wrote: I would consider slowly replacing the boards with plastic as you need to redo them

This.

I'll never waste money on real wood for outdoors again. Any additional initial cost of using the composite stuff will be returned severalfold in savings on trying to keep real wood from rotting in the long run.