DIY Dock Progress - Part 2

In Dock Progress - Part 1, y'all got to see the main frame of the dock coming together.  Over the weekend we also got our tie backs done for the boat lift.  Don't know what a tie back is?

Don't feel bad.  I didn't really understand them either when we first moved here.  Tie backs are an anchoring system for posts along the bulkhead.  Even though the posts along the bulkhead and the 2 posts we installed for the lift are really deep in the ground, the ground is soft and there is constant current that causes movement and erosion.  Also, the weight of the earth against the bulkhead causes tons of pressure on the posts and for the boat lift posts, the weight of the boat puts stress on the them.

To help with strength, the poles are "tied back" into the yard.  Posts along the bulkhead are connected to a buried post in the yard with a metal rod.

Here is how we anchored our boat lift posts.



First we measured the distance of the metal rod from the boat lift post into the yard.  Then dug holes in the yard that lined up with the posts.  Thank you to our friend for helping with this not so fun step.

Then we drilled a hole through the boat lift post and through the anchor post.

We put the 4 ft posts in the ground and then poured in concrete.  When the concrete cured, we tightened the bolts and buried the post.

The walkway for the dock will cover the rod and french drain.  You will never know there are tie backs except for the bolts in the boat lift posts.

I am trying to finish putting in extra supports on the dock this week so we can get close to finished this weekend but tons of other stuff is getting in the way.  One of those things is the curtains.  That project is ddddrrrraaggggiiinnnggg on .  They will be finished in the next few days.  Or I might lose my mind.







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DIY Dock Progress - Part 1

Happy Tuesday morning!  I hope everyone had an amazing weekend.  Ours was filled with tons of work but we finished it off with fun, crawfish, and friends.

Last week, Brian took Thursday and Friday off to work on the dock.  Here is a reminder of our sad original dock.

And here is a reminder of our drawing/plan.

We started this weekend's work by picking up our main supports from Kemah Hardware.  This required some questionable road safety.

First step of the day, we cut the pilings to the correct length and we made notches for the 2 x 12x 20s to rest in so all the weight isn't in the screws and bolts.  This required Blittle to be in the boat, tied off to the pilings.  He leaned over the side of the boat to use the saw and I held the extension cord from the dock, over the water.  Not the safest thing we have ever done but sadly, not the scariest either.  I don't even have a picture of this because we didn't want our phones near the water.  Power tools and electrical cords over the water...sure.  Phones...no way.

Once the notches were done, we floated one of the 2x12x20s over to the pilings.  It never ceases to amaze me what I can do when I push myself.  Either that or bootcamp really is making me stronger.  We lifted an already super heavy and now wet 2x12x20 from water level to the top of the pilings (about 3 - 4 feet) from the side of the boat.  Not easy people.  With both of us hanging over one side of the boat plus the weight of the wood, I was scared for our little boat and for us.  But we did it.  We got it in place.  The other two were a lot easier because they were cut shorter and we could place them from the old dock.

As usually, I forgot to photograph a step.  Here is a shot Blittle got.  It was taken in the evening so it is blurry and dark but you can see the dock framed up.

DIY Tip:  If you have a big job, ask your local lumber store about delivery.  We needed many 16 ft long lumber and even with two trucks, it was going to take several trips to get it all and it really isn't that safe  (as seen in the picture in the beginning of this post.)  We decided to have our next round of supplies delivered.  Our delivery charge was only $35.  For us that is worth the time, gas, and effort we saved.

Only bad thing about delivery, they were 3 hours later than they said they would be.  This caused us to get behind a little.  Saturday afternoon we worked hard and got our other large support put in.

Our new view.

We made a lot of progress.  Tomorrow, I will post more pictures and write about our tie backs for the boat lift posts.






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DIY French Drain

I hope everyone had a fantastic Easter!  We worked all weekend.

I can add french drain to my list of DIY projects.  This was not an easy task and was very labor intensive but hopefully worth the effort.

Several neighbors and friends have asked why we did it.  So for those of you who are wondering why we went through all this trouble, here is the answer.

Our backyard is sloped.  You can't tell from previous pictures I have posted but there is definitely a slope.  The closer you get to the water, the more severe the slope.  Here are a few pictures from our neighbor's yard.  Excuse the mess in my yard.

Since we are building the dock to the fence, the 2-3 feet of grass the length of the bulkhead will be covered and will eventually die.  Blittle was afraid of erosion issues.  If all the grass dies and the earth washes away, we are going to start having low spots in the yard and bulkhead issues.  Those are not cheap to fix or replace.  We are talking 10-15k for a new bulkhead.  On top of that, anytime the bulkhead is worked on or replaced anything near, around, over, etc has to be ripped out and replaced. So long story short, we are trying to prevent erosion to extend the life of our bulkhead.

This is an abridged version of what we did.  Most of the steps are in here but I skipped a few details to keep this post at a decent length.

To put in the french drain we had to first remove all the grass from the fence to the bulkhead.  Then we dug out the dirt to create a flat surface level with the bulkhead.  To prevent erosion under the fence, we added 2x6s the length of the fence.

That was all prepping for the drain!  To install it, we had to dig a trench big enough to hold the perforated pipes keeping in mind that we need it to slope for things to drain properly.  Next, we cut strips of landscaping fabric wide enough to screw into the bulkhead, go into the trench, reach the fence, then lay back over the pipe.  We laid the strips down then put the pipe over the fabric.

Blittle drilled 2 holes, one at each end, into the bulkhead for the drain.  I have to say.  This was a stressful step.  The idea of drilling into the bulkhead to create a 3+ inch hole gave me anxiety.  Anyway, once the holes were made, the drain was caulked and screwed in.  We used y-pieces to turn the pipe to the drain.

Supervisors

Once all the pipe was connected and in place we check everything with the level to make sure there was slope in the correct direction, we put down the gravel.  Lots of it.

This weekend we will be framing up the dock.  Yesterday, I met with the electrician to get power to the dock and add outdoor lighting to the house.  Today, I am finishing up digging, yes, more digging, the holes for the tie backs to the two poles that will hold the boat lift.  BUSY.  BUSY.  BUSY.  I can't wait for it to be done!  I am ready to have a new place to relax over the water.

I hope everyone is having a great week.