Dock posts
 

I have a bunch of old, 4x6 dock posts in need of replacing. What type of wood do y'all recommend? And where should I buy them? I have a typical aluminum, crank-up, seasonal dock. The removable squares are cedar decking. Thanks!

That's a very good question and it will be interesting to read the replies,

From the Lowe's website:

4" x 6" x 8-ft #2 Southern Yellow Pine Ground Contact Pressure Treated Lumber;

8-ft ............ $19.28

10-ft .......... $24.38

12-ft .......... $37.28

14-ft .......... $30.98

16-ft ...........$36.88

Double checked the higher 37.28 price for a 12-ft'er which seems out of line, but that is their price?

Locally we should have pressure treated.
I think other than that for wood, someone will need to get special order pricing and availability for either cedar, fir, or one of the mahoganies - as I don't know of any place in Gilford that has them in 4x6 posts in stock.

I’d stay with PT 4x6. It’s the standard. One of the more specialized species may look a bit better but won’t last as long.

For your posts I would get either ground contact pressure treated or western red cedar (if you can get it).

Good luck!

Dan

I recommend reading this NHDES fact sheet on the topic of pressure treated lumber use in NH lakes:
https://www.des.nh.gov/sites/g/files...0-01/bb-19.pdf

A decade ago, the PT lumber at Lowes was not environmentally friendly. Not sure now. Gilford Home Center had the right ones.

We used to get hemlock or Western Red Ceder at Bartlett's, but they closed.

If it is an aluminum crank up, why not go with galvanized pipe? It would greatly reduce weight for cranking. If you’re concerned about the look, I’ve seen wood sleeves that fit over the pipe.


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I should have noted that if you go PT, you need to add some kind of separation between the two as the PT will corrode the aluminum. Anything will work be it tar paper, plastic sheeting, plastic shims, nylon washers, etc, etc.

Dan

Thanks all for the input! I think I'm leaning toward cedar if it doesn't break the bank. Will have to call around to find out...

I used cedar on fence posts and they definitely don't last as long as PT, just an FYI.
That was in the ground not in water, but every time they are out of the water for winter they will start to rot.

Cedar vs PT
 

I have cedar fencing and PT dock posts. I can't even imagine the Cedar holding up to dockage. I would expect it to break off at the waterline. Maybe you'll get away with it on a pull up dock--mine is permanent.?

My niece recently had a deck built with ipe (also known as Brazilian Walnut). It is beautiful. It is advertised as the densest most rot resistant wood there is. So I thought to myself, “this would make great tie posts.” The I checked on the web for pricing - $712 for a 12 ft 4x6. I guess not!!!


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My existing posts are red cedar (pretty sure!). And I think they are original from when the dock was installed, so they very likely lasted about 15 years. I'd be happy to spend $70/post if I could get that again. And I've read and seen how the newer, more environmentally friendly PT can rot way faster.

About how long do people see their PT dock posts last?

Piling Dock, Here...35 Years Old...
 

Since our dock was built about 1988, only two posts have been "compromised".

One was likely broken in half by an ice floe: its neighboring post leans to starboard due to some unseen subsequent misadventure. The top few inches of two posts have been patched due to rot; otherwise, the remaining posts are in good shape. :)

☞ But I'm told we have the "wrong" kind of PT.

:blush:

We have PT posts on our dock, not sure when it was built as I've only been here 10 years but they are still in great shape. I would think you would get more than 15 years.

Plus--the DES link posted above said that all PT is bad for the lake and should not be used. If you can afford the waterfront home, you can afford to drop a few bucks extra on protecting the lake.

(And of you inherited your place or paid $200K in 1980, you're still way ahead...:))

If they coat it as requested, it should leach less and last longer.
Most don't plan ahead and tend to skip that step.

Could possibly even use a rough cut hemlock from one of the local small saw operators.