Building boat docks can be fun, and Seth Merriam from Great Northern Docks shows (in the video above) just how easy it is to install a dock on the side of a lake using a corner socket and galvanized pipe posts.
Once you complete a deck bed, attach the corner socket. The socket attaches the deck to the bottom of the lake.
Galvanized piping is a great choice because it is strong, sinks easily, lasts a long time, and is easy to adjust the height and level of your deck.
Using a leveling winch, you can raise the dock bed into position and adjust the height of each leg to ensure a level surface. Adding pipe feet will stabilize your dock and keep it from settling in the subsoil. If you need more length to your dock, you can add another section of the dock bed by joining the parts using J-brackets. Reinforce them using a corner iron or socket.
Use a driving cap to drive the pipe poles into the lake bed. You can hammer the posts into the bed with a sledgehammer, and the driving caps will keep the pipe from mushrooming. Once the pipes feel sturdy, your deck is installed. .
