How to Choose the Right Floating Dock (Pontoon)?
Ready to take your first step onto the water? For that, you will probably need a floating dock or pontoon. The right dock can bring you many benefits such as transforming your property, boosting your resale value, or creating a gathering space for entertaining and lounging. All docking solutions have pros and cons, but some types will align with your needs better than the others.?
Your choice of floating dock type will depend not only on the intended use and applications but also on the location, desired flexibility, available budget, and the type of material used to construct the dock. The most popular floating dock types on the market are concrete, metal (steel or aluminum) and plastic (HDPE).?
Floating Concrete Docks (Pontoons)
Floating concrete pontoons generally have the highest load capacity, wave resistance and commercial life among pontoon models.
They can be used in many different areas such as marinas, floating platforms, or foundations for floating houses, restaurants, or offices, as well as for industrial and military floating docks.
Floating Aluminum Docks (Pontoons)
Aluminum docks are very lightweight yet durable enough to withstand most impacts. The aluminum frame is combined with a docking material such as wood or wood composite and HDPE or fiber concrete-coated EPS floaters.
As for the cost, pontoons made of aluminum are the most expensive among the pontoon types due to aluminum raw material cost and expenses for the craftsmanship. Aluminum is scratch- and weather-resistant and if well maintained, it can last for decades.?
Floating Steel Docks (Pontoons)
Floating steel pontoons are usually used as a better alternative to plastic while maintaining similar costs. All steel parts in steel floating pontoons are coated with hot-dip galvanization to protect it against corrosion. The steel frame is used in combination with natural wood or WPC composite for decking.
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Floating steel docks are generally used for touristic swimming facilities, sunbathing island, boat berthing, floating platform, or finger pontoon. Steel docks have relatively short commercial life of 10 to 15 years but could be slightly longer if dock is built in freshwater basin.
Floating HDPE Plastic Docks (Pontoons)
Plastic docks are mainly used as surface platforms for areas that are periodically and temporarily used for swimming purposes. The main advantages of plastic pontoons are easy installation, low cost and adaptability.
However, their commercial life is quite short, due to the heating and cooling of the plastic under the sun. Plastic pontoons also have low stability and tensile strength which limits the type of activities they can accommodate.?
Comparison of Floating Docks (Pontoons)
Although all three types of materials mentioned above can provide a floating platform for different purposes, not all materials have similar benefits.
The main features such as carrying capacity, wave resistance, practicality, aesthetics, cost, commercial life, and stability are compared in the table above to help you find the best option for your floating dock.?
Want to Find Out More?
Since 2006, HSB Marine has been committed to developing high quality innovative solutions for building on water. When selecting one of our floating docks, we guarantee the highest quality design, stability, and adaptability.??
Floating dock is a long-term investment so making the right choice is worth taking some time to plan and consider various criteria. Once you have selected the type of pontoon, we will optimize its design and manufacturing to best meet your needs and expectations.??