I built my first backyard rink this winter in Sussex County NJ. An elevation of 1200'+ enables me to keep ice a bit longer. I went with a straightforward approach this year, 1' plywood strips, paving stones for support and a roofing tarp. My rink's dimensions are 20'x55' which is perfect for my 6yo ...

Here is an updated image of our rink from a week or so ago. With the heavy snow that fell yesterday I made a ramp and got my snowblower onto the ice which made quick work of the snow. Looking back at the first pic, I am amazed how clear my ice was. Now it is much more cloudy.

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Are those LEDs in the water? Will they hold up? They don't short out?

Looking at the long term forecast here in NW New Jersey and there is no sign of cold coming anytime soon.

I would kill for those temperatures! My 15 day outlook does not fall below freezing at all.

Looks great! I place my pipe insulation/pool noodles directly on the wood, underneath the tarp. My main thought is to provide a bit more rip protection for the tarp from the wood.

Does anyone else have issues with rodents nibbling through their liners? Any advice on how to to prevent them from draining all my water? Traps?

We got our first skate of the season in last night. It was only a few days later than last year, but it felt like forever. This year's model is 25'x55' which is a bit bigger. I probably should put the umbrella away... https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/12400833_10153716930721206_233...

I have used traps with peanut butter as bait exclusively this year, 5 or 6 surrounding the rink and have solved my issues from previous years. I have caught over 25 mice in the past month which is crazy to think about.