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10 February 2010
Posted in
4) Winter Wisdom
Building a backyard rink doesn’t need to be difficult. Try out these tips and get ready to lace up your skates!
People have been building outdoor rinks for ages. And you can too! We’ve provided some “how-to” details and tips below, summarized from our memories as youth, and from GreenLivingOnLine.com:
1. Wait until the winter cold snap hits. Once the snow is here to stay, you’re ready to start.
2. Find a level site that is accessible to an outdoor water faucet.
3. Delineate your rink. (See also Tip #6 below RE size.)
4. Build side-‘boards’, either by using snow to form snowbanks, or by building a frame from wood or other materials.
5. Pack down the snow. If you want to get fancy, you can use poly/ plastic or tarp-style material on the base to contain the water. (Search the Internet for more on making a ‘high-grade’ backyard rink.)
6. Water the snow to form a base.
7. When a solid base is established, put on numerous coats of water for a smooth, thick ice surface, otherwise known as “flooding the rink”.
8. You may need additional floods from time to time to keep the rink smooth, thick and better able to withstand mild spells.
A few other tips include:
1. Use slush (NOT snow), to repair holes and crack.
2. Once ice is smooth enough, skate on it to work out the last few bumps.
3. Applying warm water every two or three days can be helpful to really build up and smooth out the rink.
4. You can make a simple re-surfacer with PVC piping.
5. Night time is the best time to flood your rink since it’s colder.
6. Don’t make the rink bigger than you can easily maintain since shoveling, flooding and repairs are required on a regular basis.
7. A 25’ by 40’ (7.6 m by 12 m) rink will provide children with plenty of room to skate and play hockey. Even 25’ x 25’ is a good size, or smaller if that’s all the room you have.
8. Exterior lighting can extend the use of your rink at night.
9. Building up snow banks prevents pucks from getting away.
Although backyard rinks require water and some energy to create, they are an environmentally-friendly place to play, which provide good exercise and fresh air, for ‘kids’ of all ages. They can become a wonderful gathering spot day or night, for children, parents, friends and neighbours. Though their presence may be short-lived (2-3 mos. max.), once they are established their upkeep is fairly simple. And the memories their enjoyment will create will be cherished long after the spring thaw!
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