So you want to build a backyard rink do you? Well you should know before hand it is a labour of love and a lot of work, so be prepared for some long nights.
You may become the favourite parent on the block as it seems most of the kids will wind up congregating in your back yard almost like in the summer when you own a swimming pool. A backyard rink provides the advantage of many extra skating hours for budding figure skaters, or hockey players. If you’re one of those parents that have your kids enrolled in these activities you’ll enjoy the leg up it gives your kids in their sport of choice. Not to mention it will provide lots of exercise for the kids and you if you’re so inclined.
The primary thing you need to know is the same thing as plumbing, “water rolls downhill”. Of course you need to have enough cold weather too. Temperatures should be at least a steady 5 or 6 degrees below Celsius or 20 degrees Fahrenheit roughly. A few other requirements are a fairly flat yard area that should be away from the house or at least provide some protection from anything you don’t want damaged by flying pucks, should you have a budding slap shot expert.
There are a few different ways to start the rink off depending on how much money you want to spend. Preparation is the key to how far you want to take this adventure. You can get plywood sheets and put up a backboard at each end. You could also add side boards one or two feet high at the most. You could put a large sheet of plastic down if you want to spend a little over a hundred bucks or you could do nothing other than round up a pile of kids to flatten the snow with their boots and break out the garden hose when the cold temperature arrives. Generally if all you will do is figure skating on it then there really is no need for back boards or side boards. If hockey is the passion then boards are preferred to pass off of and stop the puck at the ends. One tip for sure is to use the pressure treated plywood sheets if you can find them. The wood won’t rot and can last many years. I paint mine white so they don’t absorb any heat if the sun is shining on them. Usually the ice will melt where it touches the wood on a sunny day otherwise. Of course it looks neat having all those black puck marks on them too. If you are just tamping down the snow and not putting up boards another tip would be to use one or two ¾ inch thick sheets of plywood and lay it down on the snow and get a bunch of kids and adults to jump on it to squash the snow down.
The initial flooding should be a light spray to make an ice skin that will grow with each preceding flood. Of course this is usually done at night once the sun goes down. Depending on the temperature this first flood should take at least 2 to 3 hours depending on the size of the rink. Don’t worry about stepping on the flooded areas as you hear the crunch. Just make sure anywhere you have stepped is re-flooded.
Once you have the initial flood done let the rink sit with no one walking on it for 12 – 24 hours. If it’s really cold like -10 or better Celsius you can get a second flooding in around 12 hours otherwise wait until the next evening. Make the second flooding spray a little stronger, again making sure you flood over the last place you step, kind of like painting a floor. Make the third flooding spray even harder. Finally the 4th spray should be full spray.
Don’t let anyone step on the rink until the ice is thick enough. Test it by putting your boot on it and put some pressure. If it doesn’t crack then put two feet and your full body weight. By this time if you’re kids are like mine they are dying to try their ice skates out on it, almost like going for a car ride… are we there yet, are we there yet!
The first few skates will be rough but are necessary to shave off bumps and high areas. Don’t worry the kids will look after this grooming rather quickly. Make sure they sign a contract stating they need to shovel the rink off after 3 or 4 hours of use, or everyday at least before a flood. If you want to extend the skating time install a few flood lights at each end of the rink, up fairly high so they don’t get picked off by a puck
After a few skating days and floods the rink should be in prime shape and you are the super parent! Slap on your ice skates and give it a try! Your kids will remember the backyard rink and all the good times enjoyed by all. If you want to extend the skating time install a few flood lights at each end of the rink, up fairly high so they don’t get picked off by a puck.
