Dock Owners - cedar vs synthetic help needed!

[Michigan boarder]

15 hours ago, Levi900RR said:

Looks great, I want a flag pole for my dock. 

Is that about the same distance from shore to the lift that you have Levi (on an average year)?

[Levi900RR]

44 minutes ago, Michigan boarder said:

Is that about the same distance from shore to the lift that you have Levi (on an average year)?

Yes that looks about right. I think I paced it off one time and I would have needed 200' to get to shore in the middle of a normal summer. That's $27,500 in Floe 16'X4' sections!!! 

I'll stick to wading out to my knees and climbing up the ladder (hopefully going to get some of the stairs next year) Like I've said before, there is no line of sight from any of the houses in our neighborhood to the beach so I like the added security of people walking by having to wade out into the water to get up on my dock. 

[sunvalleylaw]

It is not over the water, but I really love our Trex deck.  I know some people have had bad luck, but it has lasted nearly 20 years with absolutely zero maintenance, and is comfortable on the feet at all times.  

Edited March 29, 2017 by sunvalleylaw

[RayRay]

15 hours ago, obski said:

Looks good.

I used to have a huge mahogany deck at our old house, which looked gorgeous.  It got old cleaning and staining it every year.  I don't miss the maintenance with the new house having a synthetic deck.

 

These cedar decks don't really need any maintenance, you just let them grey naturally. There is no need to stain them.

[sunvalleylaw]

 

Here you see the old trex we installed in 1999 (with the steps), next to a new, add on section we added on in 2009, and did in a contrasting pattern to make it look better since we didn't couldn't get matching material.  Both have held up great.  If I was building a dock, I think I would want this on it.  Unless it was really wet and didn't get any sun ever.  Then it could probably get grassy and slick.  This deck is under snow, and subject to shoveling, all winter long.  This year, we finally gave up shoveling part of it as the snow was so constant this year.  Again, held up fine.  

Edited March 29, 2017 by sunvalleylaw

[CedarLakeSkier]

11 minutes ago, sunvalleylaw said:

 

Here you see the old trex we installed in 1999 (with the steps), next to a new, add on section we added on in 2009, and did in a contrasting pattern to make it look better since we didn't couldn't get matching material.  Both have held up great.  If I was building a dock, I think I would want this on it.  Unless it was really wet and didn't get any sun ever.  Then it could probably get grassy and slick.  This deck is under snow, and subject to shoveling, all winter long.  This year, we finally gave up shoveling part of it as the snow was so constant this year.  Again, held up fine.  

Trex may be great for a deck, but that stuff is heavy.  If you made normal dock section out of it, it would probably be too heavy to lift on your own.  I would consider it for a permanent dock, but if you have to pull it in and out every year like I do, I would look for something else

[sunvalleylaw]

1 hour ago, CedarLakeSkier said:

Trex may be great for a deck, but that stuff is heavy.  If you made normal dock section out of it, it would probably be too heavy to lift on your own.  I would consider it for a permanent dock, but if you have to pull it in and out every year like I do, I would look for something else

Well yes.  I would not use it for something you had to pull.