Wisconsin Winter Can’t Crush Lifetime All Seasons Piers
Doubters said no pier could stand up to Midwestern ice heaves. We believed otherwise. Now, there’s proof it works.
Standing tall on Lake Mendota
This winter, Lake Mendota locked up under nearly 24 inches of solid ice — almost two feet thick. The sheer mass of an ice sheet that large is well known to crumple aluminum piers like a soda can. The power behind that volume of ice is known to crack seawalls and crush nearly anything in its path.
But the Lifetime All Seasons Pier isn’t just any pier. This highly engineered, modern marvel didn’t shrink under Mendota’s wrath. As lake ice piled up and heaved against her pilings, the Lifetime All Seasons HD Pier did’t flinch all winter, emerging from the spring thaw straight, stable, and stunning. No damage. No compromise. No teardown. It’s proof positive that the Lifetime All Seasons Pier has set a new standard for permanent piers on big Wisconsin lakes.
Why Mendota is the ultimate test
We’ve heard it plenty: “That pier won’t make it through winter.” Just look at some of these comments from our Facebook page.
But the ice tells a different story. Nearly two feet thick. Over 100 days locked in. Zero damage. Still standing tall.
Lake Mendota isn’t just any body of water:
Size & depth: With nearly 10,000 acres and depths exceeding 80 feet, it generates significant wave action before freeze-up and retains cold water well into spring.
Long freeze: On average, Mendota stays locked in ice for over 100 days each winter — more than three months of stress on anything in the water.
Ice thickness: Records show Mendota can reach 20–30+ inches of ice in brutal winters. Our pier faced nearly two feet this year and stood tall.
Volatile conditions: Freeze–thaw cycles and shifting sheets of ice create shear forces that rip apart most piers. Surviving Mendota means you’re Wisconsin-grade.
Why this pier survives what others can’t
Our difference is in its build:
9-inch steel pilings driven up to 60 feet deep anchor the structure well below frost lines.
Heavy-duty welded steel framing shreds ice heaves and deflects wave forces with stunning ease.
HDPE decking resists cracking, swelling, and moisture damage while remaining environmentally stable.
Permanent installation eliminates the annual tear-out/reinstall cycle—saving homeowners $2,000+ every year in service fees.
This isn’t theory. This is Midwest engineering meeting Midwest conditions — and winning.
Proof across Wisconsin
Lake Mendota is only one example. Lifetime All Seasons HD Piers are standing strong today on lakes across the state:
Pewaukee Lake – enduring constant chop from ski boats.
Okauchee & Oconomowoc Lakes– withstanding deep-freeze shifts.
Geneva Lake – handling long-fetch ice travel in a deeply unforgiving environment.
Green Lake – handling heavy boat traffic and ice-heaves on one of Wisconsin’s toughest lakes.
Each installation reinforces what we’ve known all along: the pier is built for every season, not just summer. So, to anyone still wondering — yes, these piers last. And we’ve got the proof.
