Permanent Dock or Boat house

[hleepert]

Has anyone tried to put in a permanant dock or boat house in a lake that freezes? I've seen people leave docks in that get torn up by the ice but wondered if bubblers or something like that were used could one safely build a permanent dock or boat house like you see in warmer climates.

[88 PS190]

You can keep ice from forming, but it depends on the type of lake you are on and its size.

Also MDNR doesn't allow boat houses anymore up where we are, don't know about onsted, but your local regulations will need to be examined.

Permanant docks (with driven pilings) can withstand some punishment, but even w/ a bubbler or those underwater fans you have to be careful that moving ice doesn't cause significant harm.

Of course a good wooden dock will likely do alright even w/ the freezing, so long as its build well.

[Ric]

Has anyone tried to put in a permanant dock or boat house in a lake that freezes? I've seen people leave docks in that get torn up by the ice but wondered if bubblers or something like that were used could one safely build a permanent dock or boat house like you see in warmer climates.
hey I thought you were getting outta there after the lawn tractor/ice incident?

[AirJunky]

I wouldn't think the ice freezing around the dock would be the issue. But when the wind kicks up & the ice starts moving. And no bubbler is going to stop an ice flow from beating your dock to death.

[hleepert]

hey I thought you were getting outta there after the lawn tractor/ice incident?

May have to wait for retirement on that one!

[hleepert]

I am in a small cove off the main part of the lake so I am thinking that the ice shift might not hurt me.

[AirJunky]

I am in a small cove off the main part of the lake so I am thinking that the ice shift might not hurt me.
Wish ya luck. Might be a big investment to make on a maybe.
I know a guy who lives on a lake that freezes every year. They typically take all the docks & store them all in a small cove off to the side. It's a sight to see, but they do it because that cove is more protected than the main part of the lake so all the docks tend to do better in the ice there. A couple years ago was a fluke year..... ice shifted up into that cove & pushed about 1/2 of them up on the shore in several yards. Damaged the yards & anything in it's path, decks, equipment sheds, & dozens of docks.
You might ask some of the old timers on your lake what they have seen over the years.

[bigmac]

I wouldn't think the ice freezing around the dock would be the issue. But when the wind kicks up & the ice starts moving. And no bubbler is going to stop an ice flow from beating your dock to death.
That's exactly the problem with permanent structures in a frozen lake. There are a couple of floating public docks on our lake. Every year they detach them and just let them float. OTOH, on Mille Lacs a spring wind out of the north will push a wall of ice up past the beach and onto the road. Very destructive.

[88 PS190]

don't know what lake you are on, but it looks as if most of the lakes in that area are smaller, which is an advantage as far as ice shifting.

we could never do it on the lake we're on, 7 miles of straight north south shoreline. I'd be destroyed.

[Leroy]

Call a local dock building company and ask them.

[Ric]

May have to wait for retirement on that one!
ok, we'll still be here!! :D

[Datdude]

Has anyone tried to put in a permanant dock or boat house in a lake that freezes? I've seen people leave docks in that get torn up by the ice but wondered if bubblers or something like that were used could one safely build a permanent dock or boat house like you see in warmer climates.


I am in the dock and boat lift business in Northern Wisconsin. We only sell portable docks because the permanent docks in our area usually do not look good for very long. The yearly maintenance on re-leveling them or repairing them can get very costly. Aerators work well to keep the dock from getting frozen in the ice, but like others have said the moving ice will wreck anything in its path. I will say that a new permanent dock is about as classy as they come though. It is a nice piece of mind knowing that your dock is on shore and safe from the ice. On your lake you might be fine, but there is a lot to think about.

[twieder]

I've got a buddie on Hamilton lake in N.W. Indiana. His place is in a cove and he and his neighbors all leave docks AND lifts in all winter.I would'nt risk it personaly, but all the houses on his street are about 6 feet apart and have about 20 ft. from the water to the houses so storage is an issue there. Across the lake, everything is out because of prevaling wind and ice moving,but a neighbor thats been there for ten years has never had a problem. Guess it depends on where you"re at.

[mbradey]

A bubbler is a must to minimize ice damage. Here's a picture of next door neighboor's bubbler that keeps the ice 30 feet away from the boat house. We have it hooked up to a dimmer switch and turned on very low. If we turn it up it will keep the ice about 50 feet away. btw, the ice is about 14 inches thick and tempuratures regularly get to -25 celcius at night.

[Jorski]

We are currently replacing a floating dock that lasted 15 years of spending winter in about 2-3 feet of ice.. It was constructed of cedar with lots of reinforcing steel in the corners and at every joint.

It was anchored with significant weight and floated on plastic dock float filled with closed cell foam.In the winter, we would detach the ramp that connected it to the shore loosen the anchor chains so that it could move around while frozen in the ice.

While this solution worked adequately, once the structure of the wood declines so does the strength of the dock.

Our next dock will be of the steel tube and steel undercarriage, and coverred with wood. These are extremely durable and unbelievably stable (a 10' x 25' section weighs over 2 tons). the downside is cost. They are not cheap.

The steel should last about 40 years (it coated..in some cases with coal epoxy, in other cases with powder coat and galvinizing).

You can see some exmples at these locations:

Duradock (http://www.duradock.ca/photos.php)
Taylor Dock (http://www.taylordocks.com/naylor/customsystems.htm)
Tieco Marine (http://www.tiecomarine.com/DOCKS.HTM)

[pack fan]

I have a permanent wood dock at our cottage in central Wisconsin. As others have pointed out, the key is whether or not the ice moves. We are in a shallow cove where the ice does not move. Our neighbors and I have had permanent docks in for over 10 years with very little damage because the ice does not move.

[Datdude]

I have a permanent wood dock at our cottage in central Wisconsin. As others have pointed out, the key is whether or not the ice moves. We are in a shallow cove where the ice does not move. Our neighbors and I have had permanent docks in for over 10 years with very little damage because the ice does not move.


Where in Central Wisconsin are you located?

[pack fan]

Where in Central Wisconsin are you located?
We on the Chain O' Lakes near Waupaca.