Some people look forward to winters as that is when they can go ice skating or playing ice hockey or going for a skiing vacation. Ice skating is a sport that one can now indulge in their backyards. Making a backyard ice skating rink is not all that difficult. Once winters sets in all one needs is that the backyard should be level as one does not want to go through the effort of making an ice skating rink and after turning on the yard hose discovering in the morning that the neighbor’s backyard has an ice rink as the water ran off and accumulated there. So find a space that is relatively level then measure it.
After this one will know how many plywood boards to buy and the amount of liner required. One will need to get ¾” thick plywood boards that come in the standard size of 4’x8’. Measure up how many will be required to cover the rink. One will need sides to hold the water in so get ready to dig posts and put 2”x 4” posts that should be at least 1’ in the ground. All this has to be done before winters actually sets in. As digging the ground to put in the posts in the winter can be quite a tedious task. Get some of the plywood sheets cut horizontally in 2’ x 8’ sheets this will be for the sides of the ice rink. After putting up the side posts and firming them in the ground layout the plywood sheets on the ground and get them as level as possible so that there are no sharp edges sticking out. Also close all the gaps between the sheets. This can be done by stuffing pieces of old carpets under the boards.
Now nail the side boards into the posts so that the sides of the ice rink are formed. Get any home synthetic ice rink material to use as a liner and any industrial plastic liner should do which should not be very expensive. Staple the liner into the floor boards and into the side boards. When winter starts then fill the rink and keep checking that there are no leakages. If there is any leakage ice rink floor repairs can be done by stapling the liner where there is a leakage or using plastic adhesives. Once the ice rink is half full turn off the water and let the ice set. Check to make sure that the ice is firmly set before you start using it. Now the backyard ice rink is ready for skating and for playing ice hockey. Ice rink construction is not all that difficult if one has the will to make one.
Having your own backyard ice rink lets you use the rink at anytime one wants to and one does not have to go to a public place for skating. Children can take their first wobbly ice skating steps in their own ice rink without facing the embarrassment of falling in a public place. In the back yard ice rink one can have ice hockey games or ice skating competitions or even an ice skating competition.
If one is not up to making an ice rink but one wants to get one. There are sporting goods stores that sell ice skating rinks and instructions. All one needs to do is to follow the instructions and setup the ice rink. If one has a backyard pond then during winters that will become an ice rink. If there happens to be a natural depression in the backyard then one just needs to fill it with water and let nature do the rest. Draining out an ice rink after winters are over is another thing that one has to watch out for as one does not want to flood the neighbor’s yard or one’s own cellar. So make sure that the rink is drained out properly. The ice rink boards and sides and the liner can be taken down and stored for the next winters. The liner will most probably have to be discarded but that will be worth all the enjoyment that one has got from the ice rink.
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