Living on a waterfront property is a privilege. Living on a waterfront property with a pontoon is even more of a privilege.
A pontoon unlocks the door to many experiences that other waterfront property homeowners don’t get to enjoy, such as direct access to your boat, safe mooring of your vessel, and the freedom to walk out above the water to marvel at the view and serenity they provide.
Given the many opportunities pontoons provide, it only makes sense to cherish them and look after them as we do our home, car, or even boat. We understand that car and boat ownership comes with the responsibility of maintaining and repairing them when required. Yet, seldom do we see customers extend this responsibility to their pontoons. Eventually, they neglect their pontoon for so long that minor maintenance repairs turn into significant pontoon renovations.
As experts in the pontoon dock industry, we’re here today to provide professional tips on how you can help keep your pontoon in tip-top shape to help you avoid minor issues turning significant.
Table of Contents
Wash Down Your Pontoon
Proud car owners wash their car at least once a month, if not every week. We recommend you have the same mindset for your pontoon. If you use your pontoon, whether to board your boat to jump on your jet ski, get in the habit of hosing it down regularly.
It’s easy for saltwater and sand to transfer onto a pontoon dock, which over time, can cause damage to marine carpet. Prolonged saltwater exposure can adversely affect the carpet adhesive, in worst cases, causing it to lift and peel in places. If left unmaintained, the carpet will continue to wear, peeling and lifting further until a complete carpet replacement is required.
By being diligent in washing down your pontoon – cleaning your marine carpet regularly, you can prolong the life of the carpet, which can offer significant cost savings in the long run.
Regularly Check Your Connections
A pontoon, whether it’s a piled pontoon, strut pontoon, or cable pontoon, is made from various components and connected in various ways. The pontoon dock connects to the gangway, the gangway connects to the mooring block at the shore, and the dock is held in place with either piles, strut arms or cables. Any of these connection points can wear with time and may need repairing. If not maintained, the outcome can be catastrophic.
Piled Pontoons
For piled pontoons, the main connection points to pay close attention to are the piles and the pile brackets. You want to check the piles for any signs of barnacle buildup and remove them as soon as they are sighted. Barnacle buildup can be very destructive to a piled pontoon during changing tides.
The other thing to pay attention to is the pile brackets and the pile bracket rollers. Check the pile brackets for any wear, such as cracking of welds or damage to the lugs within the bracket that house the pile rollers. You want to make sure they are all solid and sturdy to support the rollers. For the rollers, you want to see if they are worn down. Like a car’s tyre, pile rollers wear with use and will eventually need to be replaced. A worn roller has a concave appearance, while a new roller will be cylindrical in appearance. If the rollers are left to wear down significantly the pile could come into contact with the cast roller holder and this will damage both the pile bracket and the pile could be gauged by the pile bracket.
It’s a good idea to check piles every 2-3 months to keep on top of any of the potential issues mentioned above.
Strut and Cable Pontoons
Strut and cable pontoons are void of piles and therefore have fewer elements to be maintained. However, their connections may still wear with time and hence, still require monthly checks.
For strut pontoons, check the connections at either end of the strut; to the mooring block and pontoon dock, ensuring it’s sturdy and showing no apparent cracks or damage. Strut pontoons also rely on cable support, inspect the cables for fraying and ensure the cables remain taught which can be adjusted via the turnbuckles.
For cable pontoons, the process is much the same as above. Check the connections at either end of the cables; to the mooring blocks and pontoon dock, ensuring they’re sturdy and showing no signs of wear. As with the strut pontoon, inspect the cables for fraying and ensure the cables remain taught which can be adjusted via the turnbuckles.
Remove Barnacle Build-up
If you have a piled pontoon, you would have already read about inspecting your piles for barnacle build-up, as it can cause significant damage during changing tides. Below is an example of a job we were called to where the owner failed to inspect the piles for barnacles:
However, piled pontoons are not the only type of pontoon susceptible to barnacles. Barnacles will attach themselves to any submerged object. And, while they won’t indirectly cause damage to strut and cable pontoons, they can cause significant damage to your boat.
Repair Damage when First Sighted
Damage, whether it’s to a car, boat, house, whatever, doesn’t repair itself. If anything, it only worsens with time, and this is very true with pontoons. Regardless of the issue, if you leave it be, without repairing it, it will get worse and lead to bigger – more expensive – repairs.
Just like the example with marine carpet, it will eventually get so bad that you have to replace all the carpet on the pontoon where you could have otherwise just had the small area that began lifting re-glued. Or with barnacle buildup on marine piles – your lack of action could result in the catastrophe that is the image above.
The number one pro tip I can give you is to take action at first sight of any maintenance or repair issues. It is much easier and cheaper to repair a little problem than to fix a major one.
Arrange an Annual Service
The best way to avoid a little problem turning into a major problem is to contact an expert pontoon maintenance team, such as Micks Marine Maintenance and schedule an annual pontoon service.
Just like a car service, we will give your pontoon a thorough once over, checking all components, connections, parts and accessories to ensure no damage is present or repair is needed. If something does require a little TLC, in most cases we can provide you with an on-the-spot repair quote and complete the maintenance work the same day, depending on the severity of the repairs.
By investing in an annual pontoon service, you can rest assured that your pontoon is in good condition and will get the maximum lifespan from your investment.
Why Pontoon Maintenance is Important
Maintaining your pontoon is just as important as getting your car or boat serviced. A pontoon is a valuable investment that holds it’d value and can add significant resale value to a home, unlike a car or boat.
Various sources [1][2][3][4] each state that a pontoon adds significant value to a home. One Canadian source stated a dock could add as much as $14,000 to $20,000, which, if anything, is conservative.
I’ve past stated that some real estate agents suggest a pontoon can add as much as 10% value to a waterfront home, which can be very profitable indeed. Consider the cost of the average pontoon dock, $25,000-$40,000. Consider the cost of the average waterfront home on the Gold Coast, $900,000. Ten per cent of nine hundred thousand is $90,000, giving you a $50,000 profit on the pontoon dock alone!
However, a pontoon can only be an asset if it is kept in good condition. A dilapidated pontoon is more of a safety concern than a doorway to many experiences. Not only will it not help your sale price, but it may also turn potential buyers away.
Of course, there are many other benefits of pontoon maintenance besides the resale offerings. For your own benefit, a well-maintained pontoon will last longer, be safer to not only your boat but you and your loved ones, and if repairs are required, they will be caught early and will therefore be easier and cheaper to fix than had they been left to continue to worsen.
Conclusion
Owning a waterfront home with a pontoon opens the door to many enjoyable experiences like boating, fishing and kayaking, to name a few. However, such enjoyable experiences can only be had if your pontoon is well-maintained.
To keep your pontoon in excellent condition, expanding its lifespan, be sure to wash down the pontoon, specifically the marine carpet, regularly. Regularly check the connection points for signs of wear and barnacle build-up, repair any issues and remove all barnacles as soon as they are sighted, and arrange to have your pontoon serviced annually by a professional pontoon maintenance team like Micks Marine Maintenance. These are pro tips to follow to ensure you avoid any serious problems that will cost more to fix and shorten the lifespan of your pontoon.
Contact Micks Marine Maintenance if your pontoon shows visible signs of wear or if you’d like to schedule an annual pontoon service.
Call us on 0431 778 468 today, or submit an online enquiry.
[1] http://www.vwdocks.com/blog/49/how-do-floating-docks-add-value-to-your-property.php
[2] https://realtybiznews.com/will-adding-a-dock-to-your-lake-front-home-increase-your-home-value/98758710/
[3] https://www.century21broadhurst.com/blog/house-on-the-water-does-a-boat-slip-dock-or-pier-increase-the-value-of-your-home/
[4] https://www.millionacres.com/real-estate-market/articles/boat-docks-worth-investment/