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
In 2025, Lake Mendota’s ice froze to nearly two feet thick. The Lifetime All Seasons Pier remained locked in that ice for more than 100 days.
During that 100 days. the lake flexed its muscle, trying to destroy the pier.
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.
And of course, everyone had their own opinion on whether the Lifetime All Seasons HD Pier could make it through the winter. Just look at some of these comments from our Facebook page.
When the ice started to move as spring neared, ice heaves built up around the pilings of the pier and did their best to crush the Lifetime All Seasons HD Pier, but to no avail. When the ice finally cleared, the pier had sustained no damage whatsoever and remained standing just as it had all summer.
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 pier’s 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. Check out our article on pier ROI for more.
This isn’t theory. This pier has proven itself against Wisconsin winter year over year. 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 many lakes across the state, including the following:
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 stay in the water year round. You never have to take them out. They are impervious to ice heaves, heavy weather, and constant traffic. And we’ve got the proof. Let us show you the way.
