The DIY Dock ~ One Year Later

Hey, hey.  I can't believe its been a year since we finished the dock and installed the boat lift.  We absolutely love the space and use it as much as we can.  Our house is East facing so in the late afternoon,  the dock is mostly shaded with a cool breeze coming off the gulf.  Even those hot, Texas summer evenings can be comfortable (as long as there are is some breeze and no mosquitoes.)

There have been a few additions over the year.  I built the DIY adirondack chairs, I moved the door coffee table from the deck to the dock, Blittle built a fish cleaning station using the sink from my parent's old cook house, and we installed the destination sign.  The only major chore left is running electricity and installing the lights.  Also, I still don't have an umbrella holder (I have a plan, just need to make it happen), it needs a few plants/greenery and we need a ladder.  Going up the doggie ramp isn't as easy as a ladder when we swim and at low tide, it is hard for our boater friends to step up that high.



Here is what we started with.  A sad, sad original dock that was barely holding together.

Progress pictures.

New pilings.  This is the only part we did not DIY.

We installed a french drain in hopes of adding several more years to the life of our bulkhead.

Many of you asked questions about this step and why we did it.  Bulkheads are expensive to replace.  Depending on length and type, they can be 10K-15K or more.  Our bulkhead is in good shape but is older.  The dock design covers about 3 feet of our yard and there was a possibility this would kill the grass causing erosion behind the bulkhead.  That is BAD.  In an effort to prevent this, the french drain catches the water and diverts it through drain pipes to two outlets.  One on each side of our yard.  This prevents the water from  ever reaching the back of the bulkhead.

To give you an idea of how much water can flow on the bulkhead after a good rain and for you to see how it works, I took a few videos following an afternoon shower.

Look at how much water flows over my neighbor's bulkhead.  Wow.






This is next to the other neighbor's yard.





Framing.

I fibbed a little to the hubby about having to wait for the boat lift.  He kept asking when we could order it and I would say we needed to wait a few months to save the money.  I had already ordered the boat lift without him knowing and made sure it was delivered while he was at work.  Obviously you can't wrap 10+ boxes and huge metal rails, so I stacked them and wrote a note with a bow.

Right after the lift was installed.

And now.

P.S.  I stained the fence when I stained the dock.
P.S.S  We also built our skiff.  That is our second boat to build together.  I am still trying to get him to do a guest post to show few progress photos and share some details.  :)

Blittle did a great job building the fish cleaning station.  The fiberglass countertop and sink are all one piece that came from my parent's old cook house.  He fixed some imperfections, painted it and installed some star board over a section to use as a cutting board.  It has a built in trough that channels water to the back where it drains.  This prevents water spilling over the edge all over you and your shoes.  I still need to stain the inside where we have storage space for a few things like a sealed plastic bin that hold all the knives, plastic baggies, and cleaning supplies.

The stain on the adirondack chairs have held up great even though they get full sun and are in the brutal heat.  The dock stain, however, has not held up as well.  I might not have given the wood enough time to dry out before staining the first time around.  It is definitely dried out now so I want to do another coat soon and see how it does this next year.  If it fades again, I will be looking for a new product.

Next on our list for the outdoors is updating the railing and building new stairs with a storage room underneath.  We also want to makeover our side yard.

For some reason it won't grow grass in some places, never has.  It has also become our catch all which drives me nuts!  We are going to take out the grass and make a pebble/flagstone patio with a fire pit and more seating.  Also, we want to put in a flagstone walkway from the back porch to the dock gate.


Here are the links to all the stages of the build and more progress pictures.

DIY Dock Progress - Part 1
DIY Dock Progress - Part 2
DIY Dock Progress - Part 3
DIY Dock Progress - Part 4
DIY Dock Progress - Part 5
Final Update



SHARING AT:

Sunday - That DIY Party (DIY Show Off)


Monday - Inspire Me Monday (Sand & Sisal,  My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Domestically Speaking, Sweet C’s Designs)  Made by you Monday (Skip To My Lou), Something to Talk About Link Party (Art Is Beauty, 2 Bees in a Pod, The Crowned Goat , Concord Cottage, The Altered Past, My Passion for Decor), Hit Me with your Best Shot (Just a Girl and Her Blog)

Tuesday - Show and Share (Coastal Charm)

Wednesday:Wow Us Wednesday (Savvy Southern Style) Before & After Wednesday (The Dedicated House), Work it Wednesday (The Blissful Bee,The Happy Housie, A Place of My Taste, The Turquoise Home)

Thursday: What To Do Weekends (Crafts ala Mode )  The Best DIY Party at the Handmade Hangout (A Glimpse Inside, Christina’s Adventures, From Gardners to Bergers, Redoux Interiors, Too Much Time on My Hands), Catch as Catch Can (My Repurposed Life), Creativity Unleashed (Practically Functional, Shaken Together, One Project Closer, The Bold Abode, and The DIY Village)

Friday:  The Party Bunch (The Idea Room, 30 Handmade Days, Whipperberry, The 36th Avenue), Creativity Unleashed (Practically Functional, Shaken Together, One Project Closer, The Bold Abode),  Little Friday Link Up (The Grits Blog,  Living Lavender, Fleurty and Fit) Frugal Friday (The Shabby Nest), Link Party Palooza (I Heart Naptime)