We've got you covered if you’re looking to build a backyard ice rink to keep yourself active with the family this winter! With the right weather conditions, you’d be surprised at how easy it is to maintain a DIY ice rink for the entire winter season - a long one in Canada!
So, what exactly do you need to get started with building a backyard ice rink this season?
Prepare the Base of Your Ice Rink
Before creating your backyard surface for the ice, you need a 1-to-2-inch base of packed snow, which will become the barrier between the grass and the ice. To do this, spread snow over the rink area and rake it into a smooth layer.
When determining the position of your backyard ice rink, ensure convenient access to water for flooding the ice rink with your garden hose. Also, if your backyard has a slight slope, ensure it’s located no more than a few inches from one side to the other.
Build the Border of Your Ice Rink
Next, you want to build a raised border around your backyard ice rink area. This border must be at least 3 inches high - and consider going higher if your backyard has a slight slope to it. To build the edge of your backyard ice rink area, you can use lumber edging or large-diameter PVC piping. Alternatively, you can pile snow in a mound around the rink area.
Solidify the Base of Your Backyard Ice Rink
The next step is to lightly spray the snow with water several times, ensuring that you leave some time for the water to freeze after each spray application. Note that the first time you spray the water, you should do so lightly to avoid the layer of snow from melting. For an on-demand hot water supply, check out Eccotemp’s L10 portable outdoor tankless water heater–no electricity needed. Just connect to a standard propane tank.
Once you spray the base of your backyard ice rink, you’ll have a layer of water-saturated snow - which will form the barrier you need that’ll prevent the water from soaking through to the ground once you start flooding your rink. You can use a large plastic sheet (or tarp) as a liner to prevent the water from soaking through to the grass.
Flood Your Backyard Ice Rink
After completing the above steps, your backyard ice rink is ready to be flooded! To achieve the best possible results, take your time while spraying thin layers over your ice rink - and don’t allow the water to simply accumulate in a large pool. Note that the temperature should be 20 degrees Fahrenheit, or colder, for at least three consecutive days.
Maintain Your Backyard Ice Rink
Once you flood your backyard ice rink and have your rink ready, be sure to maintain it regularly throughout the winter season! Eccotemp’s Portable Water Heaters are also great for resurfacing the ice- no Zamboni needed!
For product information on Eccotemp’s L10 and other portable outdoor tankless water heater, check out this link here.