. backyardrink.net .

Have you ever wanted to play hockey or just do some skating, but didn't feel like packing up all the gear to go to the local rink or that pond out in the woods where you have to be part mountain lion to get to? Well I use to have that problem, but not any more. I decided to put a rink in my backyard. After a season of having my very own backyard rink I found a Yahoo Group dedicated to just such a thing. I decided to build this site to keep track of my journey and see if I can inspire others and help them on their journey as well.

BackyardRink.net is dedicated to all those crazy fanatics out there that go through the time and effort to build a rink in their backyards every year. This site will highlight some of the trials and tribulations, tips and tricks and share some pictures of my rink and rinks that others have done. This site is intended to be a resource for those just starting and a place to get new ideas for those already seasoned vetrans.

As one of those crazy fanatics I can say it is a labor of love that we do this. My wife thinks I am 100% off my rocker, especially when I go out to resurface the rink @ 11:30 pm, but the kids love it. Winter 2013 - 2014 will be season 9! I wonder what this season will bring?

Build a Backyard Rink in Six Easy Steps

Created on 02 February 2013

Asking "How to build a rink" is kinda like asking "how to make meatloaf." Everyone has their own recipe and they all work. It is a matter of what works for you. If you have an unlimited budget and are not as handy you can buy all the stuff you need from NiceRink. If you live somewhere REAL cold all you have to do is flood your yard and watch it freeze. This article is for those in the middle of the two extremes.

Winter 2013 - 2014

Created on 27 November 2012

The nineth season has begun!

Last season the guys @ Iron Sleek sent me some of their brackets to test out and review. Well this year I got enough to frame the rink exclusively with them, so I guess that means I like them. They are real easy to install, can be installed before the frame goes up OR AFTER when you realize you need more bracing in the deep end. My 30x47 rink got some new corners this year due to the true round corners all rotted beyond repair. As of today (November 20, 2013) the frame is up, level and just waiting for the temps to drop so I can drop in the liner and fill.

Winter 2012 - 2013

Created on 27 November 2012

The eigth season has begun!

Put up the frame the Saturday after Thanksgiving and added 4 feet to the long sides. This brings the overall dimensions to 30x48 (minus the tree). Had to make some repairs to the corners after they sat outside since being used in the 2010-2011 season (2011-2012 was a total bust and didn't even assemble the frame).

Here is a pic of the frame with the added 4 feet (and all the leaves that need to be dealt with).

December 21st dropped in the liner and filled it up. Ran rope lights (red) at center ice under the liner beforehand.

December 25th no ice for Christmas and snow in the forecast, this could get messy before we even have our first skate

December 29th blessed us with a nice rain/snow mix, which put about 2 inches of slush on top of the 3/4 inch of ice. Supposed to be very cold the next couple day, so I should be able to recover quickly.

December 30th red lights under the liner (unfortunately the surface is a mess thanks to the snowstorm).

Kickplates

Created on 25 January 2008

Protecting the liner from skates, pucks, shovels and so on has become a pretty important thing for me.As I reuse my liner for at least a second season it is important to keep it hole free (well as much as I can anyway)....

Ice Resurfacer

Created on 13 February 2007

We have all seen the machine at the local rink or at a Hockey game that cleans the ice (at companies request their name has been removed from this article as to "protect" their brand name). We all know what it does (to a certain extent). A homemade version will do some of the same ...

Brackets

Created on 31 January 2013

I know I have stated that I started out by using 2x2 stakes to hold my frame and they worked "fine" for the first couple years. I then moved to 1/2" rebar and again they served me well. Now "well" is a relative term here. By that I mean that I never had a blowout because they didn't hold up to the pressure of holding back a little under 6,000 gallons of water. I did however have the frame lean from the pressure.