Best Management Practices for Houseboats and Floating Homes in Seattle

Living in a houseboat or floating home has its own unique set of rules. Jumping into the lifestyle by buying real estate on the water can be daunting on your own, but there resources to give you a head start.
Bob and Molly Cadranell created this set of Best Management practices that are a great primer for those new to the community. They've been reviewed by the City of Seattle, Department of Ecology, and many other agencies.

From the simplest tasks to intricacies that would only be apparent to a seasoned owner, here are a few interesting bits:

• When prepping the house or deck for paint, stain or varnish, tarp your work area to trap any paint chips or dust, thus preventing anything from falling into the lake.
• Consider vacuuming decks instead of sweeping to minimize dirt from entering the lake.
• If using fertilizers on your plants, do not overwater so that the toxins spill over into the lake.
• Use absorbent pads under engine or in bilge when changing oil
  

See the full document at the Seattle Floating Homes Association web site