Here are the material lists and instructions you are going to need when building a 6 x 16 foot Dock Section. Take your time and enjoy the process. If you have any questions feel free to contact us contact us at any time.

Materials List (Building a 6 x 16 foot Dock)

• Two – 24” x 12” x 16’ pontoon floats
• Five pieces – 2” x 6” x 16’ PTL (ladders)
• Eight pieces – 2” x 6” x 20 ¾” PTL (ladders)
• Nineteen pieces – 2” x 6” x 12’ PTL
• Four Corner Brackets
• Thirty two – ½ “ x 3” carriage bolts nuts and washers
• Thirty Six – 3” x 3/8” galvanized lag bolts and flat washers
• Fifty 3” galvanized spiral nails
• Four hundred 3” No. 8 deck screws. (Structural or SS preferred)

Optional material items for building a 6 x 16 foot dock

• Two sets hinge connectors
• Two Anchor Plates
• Five Lengths of reinforced P Bumpers
• One hundred ¾”SS pan head self-tapping screws
• Sixteen 1” SS self-tapping screws
• Solar Deck Light
• Four Deck Cleats
• Swim ladder

Tool Required when building a 6 x 16 foot dock

• Saw for cutting 2” x 6” lumber (ideally 10” radial arm or sliding saw)
• 25’ Measuring Tape
• Drill for deck screws and drilling boltholes (ideally cordless drill)
• 3/4 “ wrench and socket wrench (ideally cordless impact wrench with socket adapter)
• 9/16 “ wrench and socket wrench (ideally cordless impact wrench with socket adapter)
• Wood bits for Deck Screws
• 9/16” wood bit
• 3/8” steel bit
• 1/4” steel bit
•   Hammer
• Square
• Pencil/marker

Step 1: Cutting Materials for building a 6 x 16 foot dock

• Check to make sure all the 12′ lengths of PTL are the same length. If they are all the same length, simply cut them in half. If they are not the same length, set up a stop block to make repetitive 6′ cuts. You may have to make three cuts per board.
• Cut eight pieces 20 3/4” long from one of the 16 foot pieces of PTL
• Measure the remaining four 16 foot pieces to ensure they are the same length. They could vary in length by up to ½”.
  Note:  If all the pieces are equal in length you do not have to trim them to exactly 16′  

Step 2: Assembling the Ladders

• Mark and draw a square line from one end at 2’ & 6’ & 10’ & 14’ on each 16’ length.
• On a flat surface, take two of the 16’ pieces, stand them on edge (these are the rails of the ladder) and connect them together with four 20 3/4” pieces (again standing on edge) on each line marked out in step 1.
• If it is easier you can secure them with screws until you know everything is correct or you can simply nail them now. Measure diagonally from outside corner to outside corner to ensure your ladder is square.

Step 3: Make a second Ladder

RD Dock Tip: Tack a couple of pieces of scrap wood on the ends of the 16’ft ladder already made (one end is enough) and make the second ladder on top of it. This is particularly efficient if you are building multiple docks of the same length. If you are doing this the measurements in step 1 need only be done for the first ladder.

Step 4: Attaching the Pontoon Floats to the ladders

• • Securing the floats to the ladders. With the ladder sitting on a flat surface place the pontoon upside down on top of the ladder. Ensure the float is positioned equally from each end. At 2 foot intervals drill a straight pilot hole with the ¼” drill bit through the float flange into the ladder. Drill the pilot hole as deep as you can. Where you see the joint in the float near one end ensure you drill a hole on each side of the joint.
  • With the 3/8” bit in your drill ream out each hole in the float only. This is for the lag bolt to fit only so do not drill into the wood.

• Place a flat washer over the lag bolts and secure the float to the ladder in each hole. You can use a 9/16” socket wrench with a ratchet or an impact wrench with adapter. Make sure not to over tighten lag bolts. Just snug enough so the washer does not spin. Do not crush the flange by over tightening. Make sure the holes are straight. Some impact wrenches are too wide causing the lag bolt to angle in. If this is the case, take your time and put each one on with a socket ratchet.

 

Step 5: Squaring up and Framing the Dock

 

• • Flip each float ladder combination over and line them up 6’ apart (outside to outside). Take three deck boards and tack them across the ladders approximately in the middle and five or six feet up from each end. It is easier to get the frame straight and in-line starting from the middle. Next, take two 6’ boards and attach them across the face of the two ladders. Remember, your next step will be drilling the boltholes for the brackets. Try to keep the screws securing the end piece to the outside (ladders rails), out of the line of fire. You should now have the basic frame together.

• • Measure diagonally from outside corner to outside corner to get the dock as square as possible. At this point everything will move easily so just shove on the longest end until the measurements are the same. This being done, your 6 x16 foot dock frame is now square.

  

  Step 6: Installing Corner Brackets

  • Place the corner brackets in each corner and mark out the eight holes. Drill all 32 holes with the 9/16” drill bit. All these holes have to be square and straight so take your time.
    Dock Tip. Using a small square, transfer the hole locations to both sides of the boards being drilled. By lining up the shank of the drill bit with transfer lines it is easier to keep the hole straight. If you come out off center, ream the hole out a bit. You do have play in the brackets, so do not get too carried away.

  Step 7: Installing Hinge Brackets

  
  If you are using hinge brackets put one half of a set on each corner with the bolts being tightened from the inside. Make sure you use a lock washer on the inside also. The other side of the bracket will have a backing plate on the outside of the rail. If you are using Anchor plates they will be bolted on the inside of the corner bracket. In other words the corner bracket will be between the anchor plate and the backing plate. Anchor plates are installed on the outbound end of the dock while hinge brackets are installed on the inbound or shore end. Once all f our corner brackets are snug, check again your diagonal measurement. If you are satisfied the dock frame is square tighten everything down. Finish nailing the end plates and cross pieces on the ladders if you haven’t already.

   

  Step 8: Installing the Decking

  • Screw on the two end boards first. On the hinge end extend the board over the edge by the required amount for the hinge type you are using. On the outboard end, the last deck board should be flush to the outside faceplate, unless you are adding more hinges and dock sections.
  • Lay out about 10 boards starting from one end pulling them tight. Measure the remaining distance from the end of the dock to the outside ends of the last board. Divide that measurement by 5.5” (width of one board). This will give you an idea if you should put a slight crack between each board to come out even. If you keep laying your boards down and checking this as you go you will come out using an even number of boards. If not you may have to rip a filler board to compete the deck. Note you cannot lay all your boards out at once because the three spacer boards you placed when laying out the frame initially can only be removed as you get up to them with the decking.

  RD Dock Tip. Laying the deck down goes very quickly if you have a person on each side with their own tape checking to make sure you are square and even as you go. We generally put 8 deck screws per board. If you want to keep your lines perfectly straight, just tack the boards down on the ends and run chalk lines up marking the joists.

  Step 9: Installing the Peripherals

  Now that your basic 6 x16 foot dock is complete, it is time to make it functional.

  • If you are putting on a ladder install it as per the instructions.
  • Next install the two corner bumpers on the anchor end of the dock using the 1” stainless steel self-tapping screws. We normally use 6 or 8 screws for this.

• Next, starting from the corner bumper, put the side bumper lengths on. Secure the bumpers on top and along the bottom using pan head ¾” SS screws. Place them every second board. Put the next length on cutting off any excess using a sharp knife. You can also mark it and cut it with your chop or sliding saw if you have one. Cut and install the last bumper section across the end between the corner bumpers. Do not install bumpers on the shore end or between dock sections.

RD Dock Tip: If you are putting on a solar light consider putting it between the corner bumper and the side bumper on the end piece. The light can be hard to see if it is hidden behind the corner bumper.

• • Dock Cleats. Screw down your dock cleats as per the instructions. We normally use 3/8” x 3 ½” lag bolts ensure we drill a pilot hole first.