The Benefits of an Aluminum Dock

Here at Pier Perfection, we strive to give you, the customer, as much control over creating your ideal dock as possible—that’s why our dock builders specialize in custom dock construction. When it comes to choosing the right dock for you, though, the sheer amount of choices can be overwhelming. There are floating docks, pipe docks, crib docks, suspension docks, wooden docks—the list goes on and on. For today’s blog post, though, we’ll be taking a look at one of our favorite style of dock: aluminum docks. By examining the benefits of aluminum docks, we hope to give you the information you need to make an informed decision about whether or not an aluminum dock is the right choice for you.

Aluminum Docks are Durable, Lightweight, and Long-Lasting

Like wooden docks, aluminum docks are reliable and durable; simply put, it would take quite a lot to truly damage one to the point of it being unusable. That being said, wooden docks require more weight and resources than aluminum docks to achieve the same durability. By that same token, an aluminum dock will age much more nicely than a wooden one. Wood is liable to splinter, rot, and warp, where an aluminum dock will essentially hold the same shape as the day you purchased it for many years to come. Moreover, a wooden dock is at risk of attracting insects, who like to burrow into the wood and nest. The insect and aging problem for wooden docks is unfortunately further exaggerated by the fact that wood is weakened by the presence of water over time, which—as you might guess—can be quite a problem for a dock. By contrast, aluminum docks don’t attract bugs, and won’t soak in water the way wood does, making it much more reliable in the long run.

Aluminum Docks are a Cost-Effective Investment

Though the initial price of wooden docks are generally cheaper than aluminum docks, aluminum docks are almost always cheaper in the long run. Maintaining an aluminum dock will, on average, cost much less than maintaining a wooden dock. Due to age, insects, and water damage, a wooden dock could likely require frequent replacement of planks, treatments of insecticide, and water damage inspection just to avoid possibilities of splinters. However, aluminum docks require none of these maintenances (and their costs), which mean long-term savings for you year after year after year.

If you’re thinking that an aluminum dock may be the right choice for you, contact us today to get an estimate on your own dream dock. Summer is just around the corner—cool, clear Michigan lakes are at least as good of a place to spend it as any.