by World Wide Ice Professionals (WWIP)

How to easily maintain a backyard ice rink

Article by David Knowles

I built an ice rink in my yard, and let me tell you, it is an absolute BLAST! There are some wonderful advantages to having a rink in your backyard. Its great exercise, its a fun family activity, you can make it any size you want, and it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to build a good one! Plus you can easily customize it and put logos in the ice to make it more ‘official looking’.

I’ve discovered, though, that the hardest part of the ice rink is definitely maintenance!

For example, how do you fix crooked ice? Cracks? Gouges? Tears in the liner? Bumps? Rough spots?

And how do you maintain the rink to keep it looking great once its built?

Let’s start with fixing some of the problems I started off with. Ice is just frozen water, remember, so most of the problems with the ice can be solved with water. Cracks can be easily fixed by pouring cold water into the crack. Cold water is used because it will sink to the bottom of the crack and fill in the gap completely, whereas warm water will melt surrounding ice and adhere easier to the edges. Now, once the cold water freezes you do finish it off with warm water for a smooth surface.

Gougles are fixed about the same way, except you use snow or ice shavings to fill the gouge. Smooth the area over with a hockey puck, then put some water on the top. Good as new. This is how referees in the NHL repair divots in the ice during a game.

The best way to fix rough spots or bumps is to skate over it to smooth or grind it down a little, then put a layer of hot water over the ice. This will melt away the remaining high points and smooth everything over.

Crooked ice is a little more difficult. Water given time will freeze straight for the most part. Crooked ice means there is a problem with the foundation or frame of the rink, or a problem underneat the rink. If you have space, flood or fill the lower part of crooked ice with water until it reaches a level point with the rest of the surface. You may have to do this in layers if there is a gap more than 1/8″ thick.

Tears in liner are difficult to repair if they are under the ice. Chances are you will have to wait until the ice melts then repair the liner in the offseason. Above ice tears can be repaired with adhesive tape or a pool liner repair kit.

Now, onto routine maintenance. You should clear off your rink after snowfall much like you would your driveway. The reason is because as temperatures fluctuate, the snow will adhere to the ice causing very rough ice. Always clear the snow with a push broom, never a shovel. This can ruin your liner if you get too close to the edges.

Routine, hot water floods are needed (especially after times of heavy skating) to maintain the ice surface. Hot floods are used because they freeze faster, repairs surface marks better, and tend to provide smooth ice that is very fast.

I hope you enjoy your ice rink as much as I’ve enjoyed

Hockey incoming search terms

• how to repair rough spots in backyard ice rink

Concerned posts:

1. Top Ten Tips for the Perfect Backyard Ice Rink
2. Gorilla Playsets Offers Swing Sets You Can Easily Install Right in Your Own Backyard
3. Aviva Sports Oval Ice Rink, 12 ft
4. Braum’s Ice Skating Rink in Oklahoma City
5. Maintain Your Hockey Equipment on a Regular Basis