backyardrink.net

Build a Backyard Rink in Six Easy Steps

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.

BYR

Brackets

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.

Winter 2012 - 2013

Last Updated on 02 February 2013

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

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

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 ...