DOCK & MARINEDECKING FIELD GUIDE
Planning & field resources

Sources and editorial standards

Trace technical guidance to its source, understand its limits and see how this publication separates evidence from claims.

Evidence you can inspect

Dock & Marine is operated by Ipe Woods USA, which may also fulfill material requests. Our guides must be useful before a visitor contacts sales. Commercial relationships do not replace product documentation or project-specific professional review.

Sources below support limited statements within the guides. They are not endorsements of every material or detail discussed here. Dates identify a document edition where known; a supplier must provide current instructions for an actual installation.

USDA Wood Handbook — Moisture relations and physical properties (2021)

General wood science. Does not establish a spacing schedule, structural span, or performance guarantee for a supplied decking product.

Used in: Saltwater dock decking · Replacing dock boards · Ipe dock decking · Dock decking board spacing · Wood vs. composite dock decking · Wood vs. PVC dock decking · Dock decking dimensions · Dock decking weight: information for the designer

USDA Forest Products Laboratory — Fastener corrosion and moisture

Research on moisture and corrosion of metals embedded in wood. Not a saltwater alloy approval or a product-specific connection schedule.

Used in: Saltwater dock decking · Replacing dock boards · Dock fastener compatibility · Stainless fasteners for docks · Ipe dock decking · Fixed dock decking · Hidden fasteners for dock decking

US Army Corps of Engineers — Section 10 jurisdiction

US federal jurisdiction over work in navigable waters. Local district review and other approvals may also apply; this is not an individual permit determination.

Used in: Floating dock decking · Fixed dock decking · Dock codes and permitting

Howe Sound / Átl’ḵa7tsem — Dock best practices (April 2025)

Regional British Columbia guidance. Useful environmental questions, not a universal construction code.

Used in: Saltwater dock decking · Dock codes and permitting

USDA Forest Products Laboratory — Wood Handbook

General wood and wood-based composite background. Does not establish installation limits or marine suitability for a manufactured decking product.

Used in: Dock decking board spacing · Wood vs. composite dock decking · Dock decking and framing coordination

How we publish technical information

We distinguish measured evidence, supplier catalog information and unsupported claims. This edition does not publish unverified product-density tables, structural spans, fire ratings, lifespan promises, durability classes or insect-resistance claims. Product-specific figures need an identifiable source, scope and review before publication.

Our calculator uses visitor-entered geometry and assumptions. Its defaults are illustrative, not product specifications or installation instructions. Editorial workflows help organize decisions; they are not engineering approvals.

Our topical boundary

This publication owns dock and marina surface decisions: water exposure, dock-specific assemblies, replacement and waterfront quantity planning. General deck installation, species encyclopedias, hardware reference databases and boardwalk procurement belong to their respective specialist resources. We summarize a related topic only when it helps a dock decision; we do not reproduce another site’s library or add a network-wide footer link directory.

Original content and clear limits

Guides and workflows are written for dock projects. Generated waterfront visuals are not completed customer project photographs; their scope is explained in the Disclaimer. We do not invent case studies, reviews, certifications or test results. Genuine project examples can be added when their documentation and permissions are available.

Corrections and commercial inquiries

Use the contact form to identify a page, the disputed statement and the evidence that should be reviewed. Material and pricing requests are handled through the same site’s request path, with Ipe Woods USA disclosed as the fulfillment team.

Contact the dock team →