| Feature: |
Function: |
Benefit: |
Competitors: |
| Structural Aluminum
Tubing |
All Section Members,
Legs |
Great rigidity and
strength |
Thinner, or open custom
sections |
| TIG Welding on Sections |
All Critical Welds |
Great strength, excellent
appearance |
Wire-feed welding |
| "Walking"
installation |
Patented installation
system |
Simple, one-person
installation |
Accessory items such
as wheels, floats, waders |
| Light weight |
40# sectional weight |
Easy carrying, installing,
stacking |
Heavier |
| Computer cut attachments |
Hook plates, wingplates |
Accuracy of 0.005"
for good fit-up |
Sawn or weld-up items |
| Hookplate
Holes |
Fasten
sections securely |
Locking
pins can provide positive connection |
Simple
aluminum lips |
| Leg Guide System --
Open sided |
Permits easy installation
or removal of leg |
Leg can be installed
without sliding it through a tube |
Must tip dock on side
to install or replace leg |
| Leg Guide System --
Clamping |
Clamps leg at top
and bottom of section instead of just setscrew |
More rigid connection |
Setscrews require
tapped holes, pin leg, rather than clamping action |
| Leg Guide Location
-- Set Back |
9" setback from
end of section permits full wrench swing |
Leg clamp can be tightened
without removing wrench |
Partial turns on set-screws |
| Leg Guide -- Nothing
to catch |
Leg Guide/Clamp clamps
leg with nothing sticking out |
Nothing snags legs
or boats |
Setscrews catch lines,
kids can hurt themselves on them |
| Leg Guide -- No tapped
threads |
Clamp uses easily
replaced U bolts |
No re-tapping due
to damaged or stripped threads |
Custom tapped holes
require maintenance |
| Leg Guide -- Bolted
to Section |
Guide attached with
3/8" bolts |
Easily removed/replaced
if damaged |
Return to factory
if a problem with leg tubes |
| Leg Guide -- No extension
above or below section |
Leg guide is 4"
high, same as section |
Permits compact stacking
and storage |
Tubular leg points
prevent stacking sections well |
| Leg Guide -- 1/4"
leg offset from section |
Leg sits outboard
1/4" from dock section |
Permits nesting sections
with legs attached |
Other docks will not
nest, sections must be stored separately |
| End Board -- pre-drill |
All end tubes are
pre-drilled to accept wooden dock ends |
No exposed aluminum
to damage boat or people |
Raw aluminum ends
pose hazards |
| Pipe Handle |
Schedule 40 aluminum
pipe handle for easy maneuvering |
Permits walking installation,
easy control |
No convenient way
to grip section |
| Internal Hookplate
connection |
Dock connections occur
inside tubes |
Nothing to snag lines
or legs |
Aluminum lip connections |
| Legs -- aluminum two
inch by 1/8" tubing |
Strong vertical support
and stiffness |
Excellent rigidity
and support |
Some use heavy steel
or smaller aluminum legs |
| Dock Feet -- pierced
where leg tubes attach |
Provides hole at bottom
of leg tube |
Permits insertion
of pipe or bar to anchor dock in slip applications |
No such feature |
| Dock Feet -- pierced
where leg tubes attach |
Provides drain at
bottom of leg |
No water retention,
freeze-up, and splitting |
Some do not drain |
| Dock Feet -- set outboard
of leg tubes |
Splayed feet provide
additional stability |
Outboard feet span
62" for great support |
Narrower supports |
| Dock Diagonal Braces
-- Adjustable |
Dock Braces provide
added rigidity on longer legs |
Adjustable in case
depth varies from one leg to the other |
Fixed braces won’t
permit independent leg adjustment |
| Dock Diagonal Braces
-- No protrusion |
Dock braces don’t
stick out beyond legs |
Avoids damage to boats
or swimmers |
Bolts and brackets
may protrude |
| Decking -- 2 x 6 cedar |
Natural, warm full
2 x 6 cedar |
Rot resistant, comfortable
to walk or lie on |
Aluminum or plastic
decking can be hot, reflective and slippery |
| Decking -- Full two
inch material |
Strong 2 x 6 decking |
Eliminates need for
costly additional bracing |
Nearly all others
use cheaper 5/4 cedar decking |
| Decking -- Screws
driven from bottom |
Fastened with galvanized
screws driven from underneath |
No holes in the tops
of planks to permit water to enter |
Others have exposed
fasteners and potential for rot |
| Decking -- All Sections
glued |
Glue, in addition
to screws, stiffens the section |
Excellent rigidity,
long life of decking sections |
Few others bother
to glue their decking |
| Decking -- 3/4"
slat spacing |
Slats are spaced to
permit easy lifting and moving |
Fingers fit between
slats, Sections tuck under arms, easy to carry, no backstrain |
Others’ sections are
heavier and hard to maneuver |
| Decking -- 40# section
weight |
Decking split into
three sections for each 10’ dock |
Weight and limited
length makes it easy to move or stack sections |
Others use longer,
heavier, unwieldy dock decking |
| Decking --Removable
decking pallets |
Decking lifts off
so that total weight is easily managed |
Lightweight decking
pallets also stack for easy, compact storage |
Fixed decking makes
the entire dock too heavy for a person to maneuver |
| Storage -- Compact
stacking and storage |
Sections stack only
4" high creating a compact storage box |
No unsightly "farm
implements" to look at all winter |
Most docks require
huge amounts of storage space |
| Parts Replacement
-- Bolts and U Bolts |
Hardware by National
Manufacturing |
Galvanized hardware
available in your hardware store |
Custom order from
factory |
| Professional Testing
|
Dock sections and
parts designed and tested by professional engineers |
Tests of each part
conducted with certified test equipment |
"By Guess"
engineering |
| Factory Direct |
All sales factory
direct, or through local lake representatives |
No enormous dealer
markups |
Money goes to dealers,
not to quality materials, workmanship |
| Range of Options |
Benches, basketball
hoops, ladders, flower pots, steps |
Virtually any required
option is available |
Some have limited,
"take it or leave it" designs |
| Design Flexibility |
Walk A Dock can accommodate
wings, L’s, T’s, finger docks |
Flexibility by design
or by custom work |
Some have limited
options |
| Custom work |
Sections manufactured
locally, with local design |
Any custom need can
be accommodated easily, and inexpensively |
Limited ability to
deal with change or custom |
| Aluminum Fabrication |
Walk A Dock can fabricate
nearly anything in aluminum |
Other waterfront needs,
or your own designs, can be achieved |
Other waterfront needs,
or your own designs, can be achieved |
| Friendly Folks |
Walk A Dock sales
and manufacturing staff is a small, cordial group |
Began the dock business
to meet our own needs -- focused on doing it better |
Large and impersonal |
