Help with outdoor ice rink!!!!!

[sk8bug72]

We just put up our skating rink in the backyard and started to fill it. We then realized that the plastic ripped in a few places and there are areas that are not submerged in water, this is probably because we didn't pack down the snow before we layed down the plastic . We tried to tape up the rips, but the tape wouldn't stick. Do any of you have a backyard skating rink??? What would you suggest that I do to fix this problem????? Thanks!!

 

[dbarker]

Sorry, but we don't get snow here. However, we have swimming pools. What kind of plastic is this? Is it a hard plastic or is it a softer vinyl? If it is a softer vinyl, try a vinyl repair (like for waterbeds) If it's a hard plastic, try super glue.

 

[Disney_Mama]

If you have a hole in the plastic the only thing to do is get new plastic. You must remove the old. Don't layer. For some reason it won't freeze as fast. We have had many an ice rink. Good luck. Hope for cold weather

 

[mudnuri]

Ive got one the size of a soccer field in my back yard. Granted its at a town playground but its in my back yard LOL

Being Rec Director for 5 years- this is how we build them

Build berms- use snow first- plow off the snow and build the walls...then take dirt and reinforce the berms. wait for a couple nights below freezing, and flood em with the fire hose....instant ice rink.

No plastic here

Brandy

 

[we3disneygo]

no advice--just wishing we had one in our backyard!!!!!! I guess some of them come with a mini zam, how cute!!!! we will just keep buying freestyle passes at our rink to skate! Have fun !

 

[sk8bug72]

thanks for the advise, but it seems that the rips are no longer the problem. Now the rink looks like the Grand Canyon. There is about a foot of snow under the plastic, but there are a few big deep rivers of water. Some water has already frozen, so we can't take the plastic off. What would you do???? Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Just ran this by DH who puts ours up in our yard. He says it will be difficult, but you'll have to start again. If there is snow you have to pack it down underneath (preferably, no snow). The rink must be level so he uses some sort of styrofoam insulation (bought at Home Depot, cut into "shapes") to level it (instructions came with our rink). To patch the plastic he uses pieces of plastic sealed all around with a hot glue gun. We wait for a very cold spell to get it going. On warmer days no matter what you do you get puddles, be careful not to rip plastic when that happens. It's a bit of a pain, but fun if you can get it right. HTH, good luck!

 

[sk8bug72]

I think we fixed it!!!!! It has been pretty warm for a few days, so we were able to break up the chunks of ice and take them out of the rink. Then we pulled the plastic off, packed down the snow, and patched up the holes with duck tape. Believe it or not, the duck tape worked!!! We put the plastic back on the rink and now we just have to wait for cold weather so that we can fill it! We used the big slabs of ice to make benches!!! I am so glad that we were able to fix it! Hopefully it will be a great winter for skating!!!!! Thank you all for your help!!!