Guaranteed that no one has even considered this one

[Yooper]

Gang,

Enclosed are two pictures. The aerial one is from the 2 on 2 tournament last year during the national anthem. The second one is flooding from this year. The city of Marquette allows you to hook up to a hydrant with a 2 inch hose that filled our rink in under 2 hours. 55x75 for this year's season. As you can see from the flooding, over the summer the home owner added a basketball court that leveled the backyard and gave us a little more space. We flooded a few weeks ago and have enough ice for the kids to skate on. The adults have a drop in league every Thursday night and Sunday morning starting this Thursday. Here is the issue: When we had our last warm spell, there was about an inch of water over the ice. However, you could see b-ball court underneath with the 3 point lines and such and it did look kind of crappy. However, the homeowner then took white paint and mixed it in with all the water to make it look nicer. Upside, it looks abolutely incredible, like an artificial rink. Downside, we dont know how the freezing process is going to handle it. He has a liner so it should theoretically just coat the liner and not the backyard. Anyone have any input? I wouldn't have done it, but what's done is done. The homeowner is a handy guy and hasn't had many bad ideas before, so I gotta back him on this one too.

Dave

[kevmac]

I think as long as it's latex paint and he didn't use too much of it, you should be fine. The added paint may lower the freezing point a bit but you should still be fine. I've painted lines in my ice in previous seasons and never had issue of the water freezing or paint staying on the tarp, let alone damaging grass or anything else around. If there's a tarp in between the concrete and the ice, even better.

Can't wait to see some final pictures!

[Joe]

Two concerns, neither of which may end up being a big deal:

-If the paint ends up on or near the surface, are you guys going to get covered in frozen flakes of paint while you play? And will those frozen paint flakes become legit paint all over your gear when it thaws?

-Where's this water going when he drains? Hopefully not into a sewer system that doesn't get treated. I'm not an eco-nazi, but I wouldn't dump a gallon of paint into a stream either.

I've had clear ice before, typically right away after the first freeze. Then, after one session of skating or a snowstorm, it turns white and stays that way all year.

[Yooper]

There is a tarp between the court and the ice. I know it was latex paint, but I am not sure about the amount. I don't think it was excessive. It drains to the woods. The 3rd annual ball and chain 2v2 co-ed hockey tourney is the weekend before the super bowl. 70 players and about 100 spectators. Live band and proceeds from chuck a puck go to a scholarship at the high school for an alumni friend that passed.

[HaleSkater]

I read somewhere that mixing milk with water can work pretty well to turn things white. No personal experience here...

Also not an eco nazi, but using milk would do away with any concerns there. Also, no issues with getting paint on your gear...

[kevmac]

I tried this once and had a herd of deer pitch a tent in my backyard for the winter. (just joking, I could never afford that much milk)

[Matt]

you're talking about a massive amount of milk to turn that much water white colored. i know that you can buy the same white paint that rinks use online, and i think some types of it are eco-friendly.