All About Barrel Pontoons

How wonderful it is to walk near the river in the evening, walk along the bridge that connects the two banks. Take a boat trip, enjoy the fresh air, think good things. If you can afford it, then you are a happy person. Dreaming is never harmful, if you want to become the owner of romantic evenings on the bridge, then you need to act. To build a real concrete bridge will take a lot of money and time. However, there are alternative options for building a bridge from scrap materials at home.

The most widespread and available material at the present time is plastic. He's everywhere. In this case, it is advisable to use plastic barrels and bottles for the construction of the bridge and pontoon.

The most convenient way is to arrange a pontoon berth. It is an alternative to multiple buildings. It is convenient to use for swimming, walking, fishing, water recreation. The pontoon is necessary in places where there is no entrance to the reservoir of great depth. The bottle pontoon will also serve as a floating bridge, which is easy to transport and store indoors in winter due to its low weight.

Before starting construction, it is necessary to prepare the territory of the reservoir, select the desired area, free from fallen branches, reeds. The berth is cleared and leveled. It is recommended to concreted the area for the elastic support of the pier or pontoon. Calculate the number of plastic bottles based on the desired berth size.

Let's analyze the scheme of building a pontoon from barrels with our own hands.

You will need wood to create a comfortable surface. Larch is the best in use. Such a pontoon will last longer due to the fact that the larch does not rot from water. But if this is not possible, then pine and oak are considered analogs. Before construction, you need to prepare the plywood, coat the ends with resin. But if you decide to use wood with metal barrels, then the latter must be primed and covered with anti-corrosion paint. Do not forget that you will have to do this procedure every year before the start of the beach season.

After plastic pontoons, pontoons made of iron pipes or barrels are considered relevant. They are highly resistant to various loads.

But before making a pontoon from any material, it is important to calculate the carrying capacity. Safety depends on it.

The easiest way is to measure the carrying capacity of one element, what the berth will be from, then calculate the overall coefficient from all the material used. It is advisable to leave a margin of 30-50% when calculating. But you can turn to specialists - then they will carry out an accurate calculation of all elements. But this will require additional costs, and the purpose of such a construction is comfort and minimal investment.

To make a pontoon from plastic bottles, you will need a large number of bottles. This is calculated based on the desired dimensions. But it is recommended to use at least 350 pieces. It is important that they are the same size, with a recess for fastening, without holes.

During preparation, check that all bottles are tightly closed with a cap, without liquid. The base of the berth is made separately - so it will be convenient to transport it. At the base, three blocks are used, each consisting of 80 bottles of 1.5 liters. The top of the pontoon is covered with wooden planks, as recommended above, you can use larch, oak or pine. Next, you should fix the pier near the shore.

A berth of four 200-liter barrels at home. The weight of such a structure is decent, it is recommended to engage in construction near the place of operation.

The first step is to check the barrels for holes. Then tighten the caps tightly, you can add sealant and paint the barrels with anti-corrosion paint for long-term use. We put the finished barrels parallel to each other and connect them with ropes, for this we drill six holes in each barrel and send the structure to the water. We strengthen the structure with metal piles and make a wooden surface. Wooden boards are used - and a bridge is obtained. The pier is ready for use.

For more information about the pontoon from barrels, see the video below.