# Buidling an outdoor ice rink



## Westlakedrive (Feb 25, 2005)

Anybody put together an outdoor ice rink in their yard?
I saw some kits online that you could order 20 x 40 that were around $300 but seems it wouldnt be that difficult to construct.


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## mparks (Sep 4, 2001)

I did it once and it was a lot of fun but way too much time and money. I tried to get by with 2X6's on the flatest spot on my lawn but it turns out it was not that flat! Had some real deep spots and a high spot in the middle. Had to stack another 2X6 in a deep corner. I did have some great skating ice though if I avoided that spot. Pain in the butt to keep all the hose from freezing to fill and resurface.

The plastic is expensive and a real pain. Most guys have to get new plastic every year. I bought a roll that was I think 20'X100' and cut it in half and did an overlapping seam to get about 39'X50'.

Yahoo has a 'backyard rinks' goup that has a lot of info. I found quite a few links on the net when I built mine.


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## Flyhack (Jul 12, 2009)

mparks said:


> I did it once and it was a lot of fun but way too much time and money.


It was the Zamboni wasn't it. Those darn things are pricey.


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## mparks (Sep 4, 2001)

Flyhack said:


> It was the Zamboni wasn't it. Those darn things are pricey.


Nope, Karen Newman raised her rate for singing the Star Spangled Banner and it finally broke me.:lol:


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## Topshelf (May 24, 2005)

with the temps we have been having you should be good to go right on the grass. Hopefully your lawn is fairly flat but its not absolutly nessasary. If you have a real low area you may have to use plastic with 2x4's to hold the water in but if its cold enough it may not be nessasary.This is how we did it when my kids were younger.

Start out by wetting the grass down at like midnight when its real cold. Try to get a good layer of ice down to start with.

Work on it every day adding layers until you have about an inch or so. It may take you a week or more to get a skate-able surface.

Once you get it skateable, then you can add edges like 2x4's to keep pucks in. Cover any windows in the area or you will be buying them. 

Once or twice a week add water to it to get it smooth and to build it up so if you get a warm spell you wont lose all the ice. We use to use a floor squeegee to move water on the rink to the bad areas.

*** Dont try to flood the whole thing in one day. If you do, all you will do is flood the low spots and not get a good base.

Buy hot chocolate, marshmellos and a dozen pucks.

In the words of Red Green "Keep your stick on the ice"


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## bigcountrysg (Oct 9, 2006)

Depending on how big you want it, go to harbor frieght buy a cheap tarp. They have some very big ones for a good price. 

Get some cinder blocks, then fill the tarp with water in a couple days you will have a big block of ice in your back yard. 

The cinder blocks go under the tarp around the edges every couple feet.


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## Lizette (Dec 10, 2010)

These backyard ice rinks are dependant on Mother Nature and unless you have an unlimited budget this is the kind for you.


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