Dock Ladders - How to build
Simple construction, uses standard 2"x4" pressure treated lumber.
Parts - easy to order right online through our secure shopping cart.
This is the easiest, step by step way to create a sturdy, long life, dock ladder for your dock, slip or bulkhead. Read disclaimer
here.
Benefits of our Dock Ladders:
-
Aluminum castings are made from a marine grade alloy with a tensile strength of 35,000 pounds per square inch.
-
Corrosion resistance is suitable for either fresh or salt water applications.
-
Made in the USA.
-
Order online and save with no tax.
-
Simply screw in the pieces to assemble.
-
Low cost, sturdy construction.
-
Purchase only the parts and the amount of steps you need.
-
Do it yourself with just a few simple tools from around the house.
-
A fraction of the cost of prefab or catalog dock ladders and easier to customize to your needs.
Parts: |
|
|
Ladder Mounting Bracket -
Bolts to Dock or Deck as a means to attach 2"x4" ladder. |
|
|
Optional 12 degree Angled Mounting Bracket -
Bolts to Dock or Deck as a means to attach 2"x4" ladder. |
|
|
Ladder Step outside mount -
Attaches to vertical 2"x4" ladder side rails. 20" length; 17" inside edges and 3 1/2" width on the tread. |
|
|
Ladder Step inside mount -
Attaches to any size ladder side rails. 17" length and 3 1/2" width on the tread. |
|
|
Pipe mount step measures 20" to the outside edge and 4" width on the tread.
Aluminum castings are made from a marine grade alloy with a tensile strength of 35,000 pounds per square inch.
Corrosion resistance is suitable for either fresh or salt water applications.
Made in the USA.
Screws: |
|
|
|
|
Mounting Bracket Screws |
Ladder Step Screws |
Screws are optional and can be purchased by you at your local hardware store or in our store.
How to figure what parts you need:
-
Measure the depth to the bottom of the area where you want to place the ladder.
-
Calculate how many steps you would need for the ladder.
-
Calculate how many Mounting Brackets you will need depending on the places where you can mount them. (In our
bulkhead mount example ladder above we used two at the top; you may need multiple mounts for a floating dock set up, see below.)
-
Order the total number of Ladder Steps and Mounting Brackets from our online store.
How to mount on a bulkhead (as above):
-
Purchase 2" x 4" pressure treated lumber in the desired length (normally 8', 10' 12' and 14' in most lumber yards)
NOTE: we left several feet above the ground level as support handles and allowed for about 6 inches to sink into the sea bed.
-
Place one of the 2" x 4" upright in the area where the ladder will mount. Push the bottom firmly into the
ground. Mark the place on the 2" x 4" where the mounting bracket will go at the cross beam.
-
Now mark the place on the 2" x 4" where the steps will go on 10" centers.
-
Take the board out and up to a level area. Put both 2" x 4" side by side and transfer the marks so they are
the same on both.
-
Attach the steps and make the ladder.
-
Finally attach the mount to the cross beam on the bulkhead with the large screws.
How to mount on a floating dock:
-
Same as above except do not measure to the sea bed. Instead figure the desired depth of the ladder so it will
not touch the ground during low tide.
-
For short ladders 2 Mounting Brackets should secure the entire ladder to the dock.
-
For long ladders use 4 Mounting Brackets to secure the ladder to the dock. Position the mounts 2 high and 2
low and as far apart as possible to get the most distance between them.
-
If the above is not possible, mount the ladder close to an end of the floating dock so a third single mount can be
placed low and to the side of the ladder for support.
Disclaimer:
These Specifications are intended to provide general guidelines as to installation. The builder/purchaser may not rely on this document
for any guaranty as to product performance, merchantability, or fitness for a particular purpose. The author of these specifications and this web site disclaim any
warranties, expressed or implied, relating to these specifications.
|