# 2021 Backyard Ice Rink



## bosox_5 (Jun 20, 2018)

So I figured I'd give the rink it's own thread this year instead of clogging up the cool season forum. Today we layed out the rink, rand the lines to determine the ice depth and painted lines for where we roughly want to put the boards. I'll probably start hammering stakes in this week.

Before:


Lines pulled






Painted




I always struggle getting perfect 90 degree turns, but because the boards are curved, there is a little wiggle room.

Dimensions are 72' x 24'. I wish I could go wider, but the slope prevents that. My high point of the rink will only get about a 1.5" of water on it for ice, but the "deep" end will get 13"+. The hight of the board is 16", so I wouldn't want to go any deeper, plus that is a lot of water. For those who are curious, it takes about 15-17 hours to fill the rink from the hose. Since I am on a well, I try and split it up over a couple of days when I see cold weather coming.


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## BobLovesGrass (Jun 13, 2020)

Check 90 by measuring diagonally, should be the same.
Thank you for posting this, I forgot this was a thing people did, and I should be considering.


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## bosox_5 (Jun 20, 2018)

BobLovesGrass said:


> Check 90 by measuring diagonally, should be the same.
> Thank you for posting this, I forgot this was a thing people did, and I should be considering.


I do that, and I try the 3-4-5 method, but I am always a few inches off. It shouldn't bother me, but it does


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## Wiley (Dec 2, 2019)

@bosox_5 Pumped to see this again and a great reminder to keep things fun in the lawn. You had a great season in the lawn and it'll be fun to follow along this winter.


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## Jeff_MI84 (Sep 28, 2020)

An ice rink in the backyard, that takes me back to my childhood. Enjoy it!


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## rhart (May 7, 2020)

@bosox_5 I do one as well here in Nebraska..still in the 60s here it's been an odd fall…I usually get my boards up at the end of Nov.


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## bosox_5 (Jun 20, 2018)

@rhart that looks fantastic. I love the lights setup. That location looks perfect for a rink with it being flat and away from stupid trees and their stupid leaves.


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## TN Hawkeye (May 7, 2018)

I love this project. Always excited to see when you start posting updates. Can't wait to see it take shape.


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## San (Jun 21, 2021)

Got me considering doing the same.

In your old ice rink topic you seem to be using some type of stands to hold up your boards. What are they?


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## bosox_5 (Jun 20, 2018)

San said:


> Got me considering doing the same.
> 
> In your old ice rink topic you seem to be using some type of stands to hold up your boards. What are they?


Someone who's kids aged out of Ice Rink building gave me them. They are from Nice Rink

https://www.nicerink.com/category/nicerink-brackets/22?sortBy=relevance&page=1


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## San (Jun 21, 2021)

Thanks!

Assuming the ones without spikes will be good enough/less damaging.


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## bosox_5 (Jun 20, 2018)

The damage from the spikes in minimal. I get dead rectangles from where the bottom lies on the grass. It fills back in by early May. If you are putting a rink on your lawn you need something to support the boards because the water will try and blow them out. Before I had these brackets, I would just use wood stakes and hammer them in, but I wouldn't trust that unless the water depth was less than 10 inches.


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## bosox_5 (Jun 20, 2018)

All four corner boards are in and three sides are done. Tomorrow we finish the fourth side (long side on the shallow side) and then put the light towers up and test the lights.


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## bosox_5 (Jun 20, 2018)

Finished the boards, lights, backstop netting and stairs are up. Now we wait for the cold weather to put the liner down. In the meantime the kids can use it to play outside after school when it's dark


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## bosox_5 (Jun 20, 2018)

Adjusted the lights. We are good to go for winter now.


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## Wile (Sep 17, 2020)

Wicked sick &#129305;


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## bosox_5 (Jun 20, 2018)

Quick update to this is... no update. Winter isn't in full swing yet, but temps at the end of next week look promising. I picked up my poly sheeting (40x100) for $263 this year from a local hardware store that caters to builders. Normally it is around $220 so COVID prices are still in full effect.


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## MNLawnGuy1980 (May 10, 2019)

I just checked my journal from last year and I am about 2 weeks past when we were skating last year...kind of a catch 22 as the temps here have been actually kind of decent, but that means no skating on the pond.

Good luck with getting everything flooded and the ice setting well.


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## bosox_5 (Jun 20, 2018)

Cold Weather is here. I think it might be time to put the plastic down this afternoon and start filling.


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## bosox_5 (Jun 20, 2018)

Pulled out the plastic and started to fill. It takes about 15-18 hours to fill. Since I am on a well, I like to break it up over a couple of days


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## Jeff_MI84 (Sep 28, 2020)

When is the expected opening face off?


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## bosox_5 (Jun 20, 2018)

Possibly Sunday, but likely monday


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## bosox_5 (Jun 20, 2018)

About 15 hours into the fill. Expecting a lot of snow tonight so I want the surface to be water so I don't have to shovel.


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## bosox_5 (Jun 20, 2018)

After the snow storm, it looks pretty but it isn't thick enough to skate on yet.


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## bosox_5 (Jun 20, 2018)

Could have skates yesterday, but we were running around and didn't have time. Today though….


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## bosox_5 (Jun 20, 2018)

First skate today


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## bosox_5 (Jun 20, 2018)

We have two fantastic weekends in a row skating. Below is a small sampling


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## MNLawnGuy1980 (May 10, 2019)

Love it, looks great!


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## bosox_5 (Jun 20, 2018)

17" of snow and counting. Just keep snow blowing the rink to save it for the rest of the year


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## bosox_5 (Jun 20, 2018)

Auger belt broke. This sucks


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## bosox_5 (Jun 20, 2018)

Replaced the belt but the auger won't spin. This means there is something wrong with the gearbox which is going to be an expensive repair


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## bosox_5 (Jun 20, 2018)

Snow, then 50 degrees, then rain… it's a mess out there



Nothing to do now except hope the additional rain and warm weather melts the remaining snow, then wait for the cold weather this weekend to return. Might have to break out the ice scraper to get it sort of level and then flood the whole thing. Probably do that 3-5 times and we should be back to skateable ice


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## bosox_5 (Jun 20, 2018)

Three straight days in the 50s here. The ice is slowly melting


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## bosox_5 (Jun 20, 2018)

Ice has completely melted and since the weather doesn't look like it will get cold again it's time to start removing things.



I cut the liner in the shallow end and took down the towers and lights. Might have been a little aggressive on the cutting of the liner since I pretty much flooded the side yard. I put the pump in the deep end and started emptying it down into the woods behind my house.



Tomorrow I'll start removing boards and hopefully find a place to dispose of all the plastic.


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## bosox_5 (Jun 20, 2018)

Cutting up the "deep" end liner and pulling up the boards. I'm seeing more damage to the grass than I ever have. I am guessing that mice got under the liner near the boards and started making homes and digging up the grass (since it is warmer under there). Once the ground thaws I will have to reseed some of this damage, but it should recover.



In the good new department, there appears to be almost no snow mold, which has also never happened before


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## ABC123 (Jul 14, 2017)

no worries just add some N and it should recover in 3+ months


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## bosox_5 (Jun 20, 2018)

My suspicions have been confirmed. Mice and their droppings


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