Tools for the Rink

We wanted to make a few suggestions of some items you should keep around the rink for when it’s time to do some maintenance on the ice. These come from experience of myself and tips I have picked up from others along the way. Shovel – To remove the snow both from mother nature and … Read more

Making Ice!

I seen have a common question asked among some of the backyard rink building groups: How long does it take to make ice? Well, this can be a loaded question, as it varies greatly by the weather and depth you are trying to freeze. You can really dig into the science behind how ice freezes, … Read more

Resurfacing Your Rink

People use different words for resurfacing. Some call it flooding and others call it watering. In the end, the goal is to clean your ice and also build up your ice. Once you finish your resurface you should have a beautiful glass like surface. It is truly and ultimately a thing of beauty. You should try to … Read more

Common Ice Maintenance Problems

The following chart describes some of the common problems with outdoor rink ice and suggests some remedies for consideration. Problem Cause Remedy Shell or Shale ice Heavy flooding, leaving ponds of water which freeze on top and run away underneath Scrape away, and fill with wet snow, or gradually build up with warm water resurfacing/flooding. Cracked Ice … Read more

Cracks in the Ice

One of the scariest feelings is resurfacing/flooding the rink and the ice is cracking. The sound puts a pit in your stomach the first time you experience it. I immediately went and started to research to make sure I didn’t do anything wrong. I luckily found a Facebook post by the guys over at NiceRink. The short answer is … Read more

The Joys of Shell Ice

A topic I see come up frequently on a Facebook group (Backyard Ice Rinks) I am a part of is shell ice. It is a big pain and there are various methods for taking care of it. So lets get into this. So what exactly is shell ice? Shell ice is created either naturally or … Read more