Backyard rink thread.

[Bagor]

Might as well tap into the collective mind of CP for backyard rink thoughts, ideas and suggestions.

I'm going for a 10' x 20' job. First year trying. Ground is level enough to take that with about a 3" slope at most.

Plan is:

Get 2x10x10 s and brace them lengthwise with wood and do the corners with deck joints to make the frame.

Place a tarp on the ground, place frame over the tarp, wrapping the tarp over the outside of the frame and into the middle. Fill with water. Plan is that the weight of water will hold the tarp in.

I've also been told to throw some grass seed under the tarp but don't know if the seeds will still be viable after the winter. Whatever, doesn't do any harm. Also been told that once the water thaws in the spring get the tarp up as quick as possible.

Some people suggested the packing snow technique, and spraying water on top but I've been told that one thaw in the middle of the winter will wreck the rink.

Might think it is a bit early (I'm in Ottawa) but one of my neighbours says that he throws his out in the middle of October and had his kids on ice at the start of November last year. Personally, I'll wait until all the leaves are down.

Anyways ...... thoughts/critiques?

[Dion]

Be sure to post pictures when you have it made and the kids are playing on it.

[BOSSY]

I've done everything you have said except the grass seed and have had great rinks for the past six years... make sure you use a white tarp... and I always go with the snow route saves a ton of time and water not to mention is the easiest way to level... Never had any problems doing it that way.

Wait for a span with at least five days with -10 and colder then spray the snow in your frame until it is a heavy slush. Then I take a couple weighted 4x4s and get it as flat as possible... Heavy floods for a week or so with cold water, then hot water to level... Go out with a hatchet and bang out the bumps then flood with cold, next day with hot (light flood) and you are good to go.

Interested to hear how you make out...

[Methanolic]

This will be my 6th year for the back yard rink.

I checked the internets when I first started out 6 years ago and I learned a few things. The most important thing is the temperature!!!

These are a few tid-bits I have learned:

#A1
Do NOT flood your rink unless the temperature is -10 or lower. Any warmer and you will get the dreaded "crust" ice. This will result in a weak layer of frozen water that cracks,flakes and chips.


#1
DO NOT! rely on snow or "snow pack" to build the sides of your rink, It is essential that you have some sort of wood frame, whether it be 2x6's or 2x12's or even plywood. This method means you can have a designated area for your sheet of ice and it can be "formed" ahead of time prior to the freezing temperatures.

#2
TARPS: are absolutely NOT necessary. The "Tarp" method, although popular, is not necessary. You can apply water to your lawn and it will freeze, over a few applications of water, your ice will build up to a thickness where soon you will be "re-surfacing". Also, Tarps can be a pain, If not enough water is applied, they won't have the weight on them to eliminate voids, this will cause weakness between the tarp and the ground, this will result in flakey chipped ice surfaces. I have had far better results by just building my rink from"the ground up".


#3
Lighting: If you don't have suffcient light in you back yard, then get some!!! Winter in Canada means it's dark by 5:00 PM. If you don't have light over your back yard rink, then you are more likely not going to use it. I ran some aircraft cable between a couple of trees and then "T'd" off to my house. Then I ran an ext. cord and strapped 2 Halogen work lights. It lights up the whole rink perfectly.


#4
LINES: If you are going to apply lines (center,red,blue,goal) to your rink, use food coloring and paint them on the ice and then re-surface over them. I have heard stories of people using plastic tape or crape paper to create lines, and then on sunny days, the dark paper or plastic will absorb the heat of the sun and actually melt that area creating a groove in the ice. I used spray paint one year and it didn't stick very well to the ice so I would not suggest that.


Here is a pic of the rink I made last year. Framed over the entire back yard and flooded on ground. No Tarp.

[Dan02]

sweet rink man

[Sliver]

Yeah that rink is killer dude.

[metallicat]

Wow that is awesome. I have so many amazing memories from when I was a kid and my dad built a backyard rink for me and my brother. What great times. I long to be a kid again. Life was so much simpler!

[fundmark19]

Originally Posted by oilers_fan

I long to be a kid again. Life was so much simpler!

Life would still be simple if you would just cheer for a good hockey team such as the Calgary Flames.

[Gobsgraham]

10x20 is pretty small and is not really enough to skate on but is enough to teach a small child to shoot or stop and some other basic skills.

I did that last year as that is as big as I could go. I just bought the Redi-Rink from Superstore or Walmart. It is basically a 10x20 bag, you build your frame with snow or wood, fill with water, let freeze, cut off the top and then do some top levelling layers. It works pretty good and is relatively easy.

[Azure]

Yeah, you don't need the tarp.

Packing it with snow, from my experience just makes sure you get nice white ice. Some people I know don't, and their ice just looks hollow.

Once it starts hitting -10, what we usually do is use a garden hose to saturate the ground, so it creates a solid, frozen foundation. Not a lot of water at a time though. Once the ground is frozen solid, you can start flooding the rink. We usually do layers at a time. Layer, let it freeze, layer, let it freeze.

If you have holes or weak ice that chops up easily, clean out the hole and fill it with REALLY hot water. The hot water bonds to the ice better and when it freezes you get rid of the weak ice.

Of course, the rinks I used to flood are really big. 200'x85' big. In Manitoba where their winter stays consistent.

[Bagor]

Thanks for the replies.

Just remeasured. Can do a ~20x30 job with room for expansion next winter when I shift a mountain of topsoil next spring. Big enough IMO for two little uns that are just starting. Plus with the amount of snow we get here I need to leave some space to shovel it to.
A few questions. Actually ... quite a few.

Originally Posted by BOSSY

make sure you use a white tarp...

Any specific reason for a white tarp as opposed to a cheap and cheerful Canadian Tire blue job. For aesthetic purposes?

Originally Posted by BOSSY

I always go with the snow route saves a ton of time and water not to mention is the easiest way to level... Never had any problems doing it that way.

So are you saying, have the base ready for the first snowfall, then give it a good tamping, then water it? Couple of inches tamped base good enough?

Originally Posted by BOSSY

Heavy floods for a week or so with cold water, then hot water to level... Go out with a hatchet and bang out the bumps then flood with cold, next day with hot (light flood) and you are good to go.

What's your definition of a heavy flood? An inch/1/2 inch at a time? What's roughly your finished thickness of ice including the tamped snow? When you say a week or so ... are you flooding daily/every 2 days ...? I'm now thinking I might as well get 2x12s.

Originally Posted by Methanolic

TARPS: are absolutely NOT necessary. The "Tarp" method, although popular, is not necessary. You can apply water to your lawn and it will freeze, over a few applications of water, your ice will build up to a thickness where soon you will be "re-surfacing". Also, Tarps can be a pain, If not enough water is applied, they won't have the weight on them to eliminate voids, this will cause weakness between the tarp and the ground, this will result in flakey chipped ice surfaces. I have had far better results by just building my rink from"the ground up".

Firstly, that's one hell of a rink!

Are you applying the water directly to the grass or waiting until there is a layer of snow on it? Is the ground frozen when you're applying or are you saturating it? No ill effects to your grass the next year? (that's the main complaint I've been hearing from folks that don't use a tarp). Same question ... how much depth do you mean by an "application"?

You folks using treated wood or just regular?

Yeah, I'm planning to get a couple halogen work lights, attach one to the fence and build a stand for the other.

[Azure]

I would think treated wood would be better considering you're going to make it wet until everything freezes.

It can really get warped though, so you'll have to be picky about the stuff you buy.

[Dan02]

I wouldnt use treated wood, the wood isnt going to rot in a single winter

As for tarps, avoid dark colours because they absorb the sun and lead to premature melting.

[Bagor]

Originally Posted by Dan02

As for tarps, avoid dark colours because they absorb the sun and lead to premature melting.

I never even considered that!

[MacDaddy77]

Originally Posted by Gobsgraham

10x20 is pretty small and is not really enough to skate on but is enough to teach a small child to shoot or stop and some other basic skills.

I did that last year as that is as big as I could go. I just bought the Redi-Rink from Superstore or Walmart. It is basically a 10x20 bag, you build your frame with snow or wood, fill with water, let freeze, cut off the top and then do some top levelling layers. It works pretty good and is relatively easy.

How well do you get along with your neighbors? You should get together with them and make a big rink for the kids in that green space behind you in the picture.

[MacDaddy77]

This is awesome though!!

I was going to post this same question in a couple of weeks!!

What is everyone using to hold the boards in place??

[valo403]

Originally Posted by MacDaddy77

How well do you get along with your neighbors? You should get together with them and make a big rink for the kids in that green space behind you in the picture.

I'm assuming that green space is city property so building a rink there isn't likely an option.

[Gobsgraham]

Originally Posted by MacDaddy77

How well do you get along with your neighbors? You should get together with them and make a big rink for the kids in that green space behind you in the picture.

It is a hill that slopes towards our place so it wouldn't work. I love seeing the pictures of the big rink where neighbours have taken down fences and put in some huge rinks.



*Stupid Oilers!*

[FlamesKickAss]

the canadiens should start to play on that rink, they would actually look big

[Azure]

Thats pretty cool. Here are some more pictures I found.