Considering a skating rink in the backyard?
Who hasn’t wished they could have their own skating rink in their backyard? It’s not that hard to bring about, so it’s up to you to make your dream come true.
The site
The first step is to decide whether you’ll use the rink for skating or hockey. For the latter, you’ll need a bigger area of ice, about 5 x 13 metres. The ideal location is close to a source of water and not in full sun.
The structure
To build a level skating rink, you’ll need level ground. If your backyard is covered in grass, protect it with a polyethylene sheet. Of course, a concrete surface (not asphalt) is ideal. If you want your rink to have sides, they can be made of wood, to which the polyethylene ground sheets can be stapled, or snow.
The surface
Temperatures have to be at least -10° C for several days in a row in order to make the ice. Then all you have to do is cover the surface to a depth of 10 cm with water from a garden hose and wait for it to freeze — it may take a few days. Be sure to empty the hose and turn off the tap when you’re finished so that the pipes won’t freeze and burst.
Maintenance
Maintenance is the secret to a successful ice rink. All fresh snow has to be removed regularly and about 3 mm of water added to the ice surface from time to time. Remove the polyethylene ground cover as soon as the ice melts at the end of the winter.