2023-12-05 19:48:02
By Agence QMI and Roby St-Gelais
Updated December 5, 2023
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If you’ve always dreamed of building an ice rink in your backyard for the whole family, here’s a complete guide to making it happen in seven easy steps, with a few tips along the way. Follow the leader!
What you need to know before starting to build your ice rink
Ideal size : 8 ft x 16 ft to introduce children to skating. 16 ft x 40 ft for playing hockeyNecessary material : wood, polyethylene, screws, support legsTools : hammer, drill, saw, square, measuring tape, clampsBudget : environ 1000 $The location : we look for a shaded place (in the sun, the ice softens and melts more quickly) and located near the water outlet. If you plan to skate in the evening, you should also think regarding choosing a lit area. The backyard or side of the property are usually good choices.La surface : our option is grass, with the use of polyethylene. This should not be damaged if removed early in the spring.
Here’s how to make the ice rink, in 7 steps
1. Level the land
A. The rink must be installed on a relatively flat surface, but it is possible to do so with a slope.
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B. After the first few snowfalls, the snow must be removed from the area to be iced.
C. Make this area as smooth as possible.
2. Install the strips
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A. Provide strips at least 60 cm high to protect the icy surface from the sun’s rays. A strip of snow is not recommended. For hockey, it is better to provide a wooden board.
B. Before assembling your strips or during the summer in preparation for the next season, give the strips a little paint to help keep them in good condition.
Courtesy photo
C. To form our water basin (mini pool), the installation of strips held by strip supports will be necessary.
Courtesy photo
3. Install the polyethylene (canvas)
A. Clear or white polyethylene protects the turf from freezing and thawing ice by creating a watertight basin to accommodate the water. It must be large enough to cover the entire surface and height of the strips. At the same time, we prevent water from flowing into the lawn each time there is a slight thaw or a more severe spell.
Courtesy photo
B. Before putting on our polyethylene, we wait until the ground is frozen and the mercury is between –10°C and -15°C for three consecutive nights (generally between the end of December and the beginning of January, depending on the regions).
C. To prevent our polyethylene from swelling and flying away, we install it on a beautiful windless evening.
D. The polyethylene is spread on the smooth surface free of debris.
E. Once the polyethylene is installed, do not walk on it.
4. Make the ice cream
A. Connect the garden hose and let the water accumulate on the polyethylene to have a thin layer of water (1/4 inch).
B. While the water accumulates on the polyethylene, position the canvas in place as best as possible and temporarily attach it to the top of the rink boards using several removable clamps.
C. To continue the initial flooding, you can proceed in two ways:
Either we flood the rink all at once, until the water reaches 4 inches; the ice can take up to 3 or 4 days to set solidly. Make sure that no one (children, animals) can access the surface before it is completely frozen. Either water one inch at a time, allowing the ice to solidify between waterings; the ice then sets more quickly, but there are more interventions to do since you have to reinstall the garden hose each time.
5. Maintain the rink
A. We clean it following each skating session or snowfall. A steel snow plow shovel is used to clear the snow. If you have a snowblower, that’s ideal.
B. We finalize the work by passing a large broom over the entire glazed surface.
6. Resurface the ice
A. Even well-maintained ice will need resurfacing during the winter to stay beautiful. Using a homemade resurfacer will be very helpful.
B. Here once more, we have two choices, either cold water or hot water:
The cold water technique is simple and quick to do. We start by connecting the garden hose to an outdoor tap and spraying it with 3 to 4 mm of cold water. Hot water requires connection inside the house. But it is the best way to obtain very hard ice cream: it is in fact with hot water that the Zamboni works in an arena. We start by connecting the garden hose to an indoor tap and spraying 2 to 3 mm of water.
7. Be careful of thawing
In the spring, when the water thaws, if the water remains trapped in the polyethylene, the sun’s rays passing through it risk having a magnifying glass effect and burning the grass. To facilitate the flow of water, armed with scissors, we cut the polyethylene as the ice melts.
With the special collaboration of Stéphane Kirouac, founder of the site Building an outdoor ice rink is easy.
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