Sure, spring is still many months away, but winter can be the perfect opportunity for homeowners to start thinking about better weather, warmer days, and all the projects they want to accomplish on the interior and exterior of the home. While the indoor projects can be started at any time, nicer weather is typically needed for outdoor projects.
One project you may want to tackle in spring is performing some upgrades and improvement to your boat dock. Whether you use your dock for motorized or non-motorized water vessels really doesn’t matter, it’s the fact the doctor needs maintenance and a little TLC so that it performs properly and looks great. Here are three upgrades and improvements you can do in 2021.
Add Dock Lights
Here’s a renovation project that will totally transform the look of your dock. When you upgrade your dock lights, or install new lights, not only will it look beautiful at night, it will also make the dock safer to access since you can see clearly.
As for what type of lights to choose, LED dock lights tend to be a wise choice. This style of bulbs lasts much longer than the traditional incandescent bulbs, so you won’t have to change them often, and they are excellent in terms of energy efficiency. If you want really bright lights, LED is also the way to go as it can offer as much as 303 lumens per watt in comparison to only 16-22, which is standard for incandescent bulbs.
Another option is solar powered lights, which are obviously economical to operate since you aren’t paying for electricity. The one negative is that they do depend on solar power, so if you live in an area with a lot of cloudy days, the lights may not get enough power.
Install Bumpers and Fenders
As you dock your boat time after time it’s only natural for the sides of the dock to take a bit of a beating. Over time, the dock can start to look quite worn and not exactly pleasing to the eye.
While replacing the whole dock may be out of your budget, a simple fix can be to install dock bumpers or fenders. Not only will this protect the dock itself, but it will also protect your boat. You can find bumpers and fenders in different sizes, styles, and colors, so just make sure you base your decision on the boats you dock and your specific needs. The end result will be very modern and sleek looking.
Upgrade the Dock Materials Themselves
For those who are ready to take on a bigger, more expensive project, this could be the year that you invest in much better quality materials and re-do the dock. When choosing materials, it’s important to be mindful of the weather conditions, and the use that the dock will get.
One of the hottest items on the market right now is composite decking, which looks like wood but is actually a composite material. The benefits of this material are that it is UV resistant, water resistant, you won’t get splinters from it, and it won’t fade in color.
Any of these upgrades are sure to give your boat dock a fresh new look.
