Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Selecting a site Building a Pier

Ragu (I hope someday I know you well enough to call you Carmine):

Maybe 3-6 months ago there were some BIG discussions on pier/dock construction, with emphasis on post material selection. I will try to summarize what I can remember and hopefully someone will know where to find the thread(s). I also recommend you search for them or try reviewing titles to look for likely threads.

Some people really worry about putting any kind of treated posts in their pond, figuring that whatever (creosote, etc.) is use to kill insects and agents of decay would be bad for fish and fish-eating humans. One non-wood alternative which was mentioned was plastic pipe (PVC?) filled with rebar and concrete. There was a fair amount of detail on different kinds of posts and at least a couple of diagrams showing dock construction plans with a discussion on what sizes of lumber would cover different length spans. We have also had discussions on floating docks of various materials (commercially available and do-it-yourself).

Personally, for my small dock I used Hedgeapple (Osage Orange, aka Bois d'Arc) posts for in the water. This wood, untreated, will outlast any treated softwood in wet conditions (I have 100 year old Hedge fence posts on my farm with the below-ground portions still solid). Downside is it's harder than hell, doesn't grow everywhere, and tends toward being crooked (requiring a large selection of posts in order to find ones straight enough for a dock and limiting the length of straight sections available for such use).