Welcome to the ShoreMaster Blog – Your Dockside Source for Lake Life Inspiration

A boat is one of the best ways to enjoy everything the outdoors offer. Not every part of nature is idyllic and peaceful; however—there are a surprising number of things that can cause damage to your boat. Despite being designed to be outside and in the water for lengths of time, the elements can damage your boat in expensive and potentially catastrophic ways. Wind, water, sun, pests, debris, and other naturally-occurring hazards can wreck a beautiful boat and harm your enjoyment as well as your wallet. The water, wind, and sun are the worst offenders for boat damage, and here’s why.

A clean, well-maintained boat dock is important for a beautiful waterfront. It’s also safer for you, your family, and the environment. Algae buildup is unattractive and too slippery to walk on and needs to be cleaned once you see it to avoid accidents.

But another part of what makes your waterfront beautiful is the water itself. To keep your shoreline beautiful, you don’t want to use chemicals that will hurt or kill wildlife. Luckily, cleaning your dock the eco-friendly way is simple and less expensive than buying cleaning solutions or hiring professional cleaners. Here are some tips for how to clean your dock without harming the natural beauty of your water.

Your dock is only as strong as the quality of its construction and the material it’s built from. It’s also the centerpiece of just about everything you do on the shore. After all, you will be walking on this dock and any accessories you have on it to access the water and your watercraft. It’s important to ensure that when purchasing or upgrading a dock system, you review the dock decking options and materials.

Your boat dock needs to be strong to stand up to the rigors of outdoor and waterfront life. This dock could potentially be in the water year-round, meaning it needs to stand up to the water, sun, weather patterns, mold and mildew, and other natural phenomena. Outside of that choice, there are many personal choices and priorities that need to be weighed, including how much maintenance work you’re willing to do, your budget, and the aesthetics and feel of your dock.

ShoreMaster has not only pioneered the aluminum boat dock, but we’ve seen many different boat docks in our decades in the waterfront industry. Here are our thoughts on different dock materials, including our favorite, welded aluminum.

You can still get to the water without a boat dock, but a boat dock makes the experience so much nicer. You can have your own personal getaway right on the water, attach some accessories to the perimeter that fit your lifestyle and hobbies, and give you a better place to put your boat than just tying it off to something on shore.

One of the biggest priorities you as a dock owner should have is the boat dock design, including the decking material. Since dock decking can make up 25 to 50% of the total cost of your boat dock, it’s worth making an investment that will last and that you’ll love for years. After all, this is what you’ll spend your summers walking, standing, and relaxing on—it’s important to make the best choice.

At ShoreMaster, we’ve seen docks made from an array of materials all across the quality spectrum. When choosing your system, such as an aluminum dock vs. wood dock, consider your priorities as a dock owner, get in touch with a local ShoreMaster dealer to have a more personalized conversation about your dream dock, and keep these three big options in mind.