PVC Rink Frame

[HaleSkater]

I elected to go with the approach outlined here on backyard-hockey.com. (http://www.backyard-hockey.com/2010/10/ ... under-250/)

Got the stakes in yesterday, electing to put them in every three feet. This was handy becuase my 6 year old son could just lay down a yardstick after each post and I'd know where to set the next one. I used the 24", 2 x 2 stakes from Home Depot...plunked them a good 11" - 12" inches in so they protrude about 12" - 13" from the ground. They are really in there and seem very sturdy.

The rink is really small (12 x 36), but my kid thinks it's "Huge!" This is so much fun.

This weekend we will attach 1' boards and then wait for the weather. We are in Minneapolis, so hopefully we don;t have to wait too long.

The rink goes right over a section of walkway...the walkway is recessed into the ground by about 1.5". I'm planning to recess the boards where it crosses the walkway to avoid any bulging and subsequent tearing of the liner. See attached photo...

I'm a bit nervous about the clear liner I have...vs. a white one. Some say no big deal others recommend white.

Any other tips out there...?

Thanks,
Bob in Minneapolis

[Joe]

Looks great Bob! My only recommendation would be to grab a few more stakes before you put the boards in. One thing I probably didn't state clearly enough in the article is that wherever two boards meet, you'll want a ground stake. If you can get both boards with the same stake, great. If not, put two stakes in about 4" apart. The reason being is that the junction where your boards meet will be the weakest point of your rink, so you want to make sure you have bracing there. Another batch of yard stakes won't break the bank, and having bracing at each board junction will give you piece of mind.

As for the walkway, you don't need to manipulate the boards too much - just press them down into the grass a bit more on that end. And if you see any daylight beneath them, you can use cardboard, old strips of carpet, or even a bag of topsoil, sand, or mulch to seal the gap.

Keep the pictures coming! Great work!

[HaleSkater]

Okay... Got boards on this past weekend. Our little experiment in the postage stamp urban yard is beginnnig to look like a rink. For now, the kids are playing soccer in it. It seems very, very sturdy with the 2 x 2 stakes every 3 feet and a few extras where board seams happen in between "regular" stakes.

I have a few fresh questions...hoping someone on the board here can chime in:

1) There are a few spots where I have what I deem to be a pretty significant gap between the bottom of the 12" boards and the actual ground. These gaps occur where the rink goes over a sidewalk, and in one or two other places where there is just an anomaly in the topography of the yard. I'm worried that my liner will start to bulge out under boards at these gaps and tear. What is the best practice for shoring these spots up? Dirt? Thin plywood? Anything?

2) There are also a few places where I ended up having screw heads and some brackets on the INSIDE of the rink (don't ask...). Can I just shear these off with a roto-tool and caulk or duct tape over them. Again, I'm worried about tearing the liner.

3) I've read about the importance of getting snow off the ice immediately, which makes sense. Also seem some advice that a pushbroom helps as well to get smaller fragments off. What about a leaf blower? Anyone had any success with that approach to a final cleaning pass?

I'm getting huge enjoyment out of reading the content on this site...so glad to have found it.

Thanks,
Bob in Minneapolis

[Joe]