The Lofted Overhang Boathouse Project

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I. Introduction:

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A. Project Name: The Lofted Overhang Boathouse

B. Project Overview: This project focused on designing and constructing a pier and boathouse that was capable of housing a larger center console boat while still keeping a small floor footprint to achieve a cost savings.

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II. Project Details:

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A. Project Scope:

The structure is to be constructed based on the following dimensions:

A walkway from land to the main platform - (4) four feet in width &(48) forty-eight feet in length.

A main platform - (16) sixteen feet in width & (24) twenty-four feet in length  with two sets of (3) three foot in width stairs. The main platform is to be covered by a stick framed hip roof with sheet metal covering & sheet metal hip & ridge capping. The roof is to be - (28) twenty-eight feet (1-3/4) one & three-forth inches in width & (28) twenty-eight feet (1-3/4) one & three-forth inches in length. The roof is to be a (4:12) four:twelve pitch with rafters spaced (16)sixteen inches on center.

Walkway to right of the boathouse - (4) four feet in width & (24)twenty-four feet in length with a vertical drop of (20) twenty inches below themain platform. Front walkway (14) fourteen feet in width & (4) four feet inlength

A front drop-down from left platform - (20) twenty feet in width & (8)eight feet in length with a vertical drop of (20) twenty inches below the main platform. A left drop-down (4) four feet in width & (24) twenty-four feet in length.

A boathouse - (12) twelve feet in width & (24) feet in length with an electric boat lift .laminated beams on both sides to distribute weight of larger capacity boat. (2) two foot overhang extension on roof to cover the engine of a larger footprint boat.

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B. Key Features: Custom designed 6 foot wide loft storage overhang to double as additional cover for the longer boat.

C. Challenges and Solutions: This project presented the unique challenge of supporting the additional overhang without adding additional pilings to support the overhang. This required us to think outside the box and dig into our engineering specification books to determine a fastening and hardware solution that would freely support the dead-load weight of this section of the roof overhang, while additionally supporting extra weight of stored items in the loft, as well as resisting lift created by the strong winds off the water during storm season.

D. Project Duration: 4 weeks.

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‍III. Construction Process:

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A. Planning and Design: The planning and design took multiple revisions to create the perfect structure that also delivered the clients ideal budget.

B. Construction Phases: As with many of our Marine projects, first the site is scanned for geotechnical specifications. It is important to understand the soil and subsurface ground structure to properly drive piles to completion. Once the site is fully understood, pilings are driven based on size, load requirements, and soil conditions. Once the pilings are in place, the exterior timber framing can be installed and minor adjustments can be made to bring any of the pilings back into square per the blueprints. Then the internal framing structures may be installed and waterproofed to add additional life-span to the timber before the decking and roofing are placed. Once the complete framing of the structure passes a rigorous inspection process, the flooring and roofing products can be installed. Once the roofing product is in place, auxiliary components may be installed if selected by the client; such as mechanical boat-lift systems, railings, lighting, electrical, plumbing, audio-video, and much much more.

C. Materials and Techniques: Treated round timber pilings, structural anti-backing lag screws, specialty hidden decking screws for a clean flooring finish, rough-cut treated timber beams used for the boat-lift exterior structure, 4" Steel I-Beams used for the internal structure, 220V electric mechanical boat-lift using 3/8" stainless steel cable.

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