I started flooding last night. I am trying to overcome an 8" drop over a 30' run so I filled about 6" worth of water in the deepest end.

We got -12 temps overnight.

This morning, I have about 1/2" of ice and then a lot of water underneath. In a few areas along the sides, I also have an air gap between the ice and water.

Should I crack the ice to get back to water? I am still well below the fill line so I'm not worries about irregularities.

I guess my main question is: Will the surface layer prevent the water below from freezing?

Note: I also lost some water to a leak (I presume) somewhere.

Thanks for signing up - easier to communicate here rather than the blog comments.

While I think some air bubbles are normal, it can also be the result of a leak. Since you got -12 temps overnight, I'm assuming you're in a very cold area, and that is a very good thing. Two years ago I had many holes on fill day, but luckily it got cold and stayed cold and my slab froze solid.

Also, I'd hurry up and finish filling ASAP. I am not a fan of filling at different times, as it can cause big problems (the new water bores a hole and gets under the original layer, pushing it up, and the edges can damage your liner).

You can verify whether or not you have a leak by looking for wet ground. :-) Unfortunately, if you have air between your surface ice and water level below, there is a good chance that you have a leak. Try your best to locate the hole, no matter how small and patch it right away. Use TuckTape as a cheap option, it sticks to everything, even liners under water (it sticks extremely well to itself). Or you could use a pool liner patch kit, this seals underwater as well.

The surface layer of ice will not prevent the water below from freezing. Don't worry about cracking the ice, water will find the path of least resistance to the area below and if you leave your hose running, the warmer water from the hose will form the required path.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I still have a leak. A lot of wet ground under the liner (darker). I taped one up and now there's no water pooling nearby. Temps are -10c so I have my fingers crossed. About 5" to go to get a 4" base at the shallow end.

So I managed to patch one leak earlier and then I patched four other small ones that I spotted later on. That tuck tape works miracles!

One lesson learned is that I should've stapled the sheet ABOVE my intended water level. I have a number of below-ice drip sounds that I can hear coming around some of my staple spots but I hope that the -12c weather helps freeze those slow leaks in a hurry. Lesson learned for next year (also will tape my tarp in a gym instead of my concrete garage).

I had shoved snow all around the outside of my frame so that has frozen solid and while some water has leaked through (helping me find where the leaks are), it's also slowing down the water and damming/freezing up.

It's going to peak over 0c for a few hours tomorrow before crashing back to -9c. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Thanks for the help!!

Each year is a learning process for sure, even for us old(er) farts. Two tips, if I may:

-Don't staple at all, at least not until your slab is frozen. Use a temporary method to secure your liner...spring clamps, binder clips, or Nicerink bumper caps work great and allow the liner to be adjusted.

-Try to find a liner that doesn't need to be sealed. If you ask early enough in the season, I could help you locate one. Where are you located?

Hi Joe, I'm in Ottawa, Ontario. My rink is 20' x 30' so I made the liner out of 6-mil Polytarp Vapour Barrier. I ran four 8' segments in parallel with a bit of overlap (Tuck Tape both sides of the overlapping seams).

The one advantage to my method is that with the 3 red seams, I unintentionally created nice rink lines at centre and for the zones :)

Whereabouts in Ottawa? I'm just south of the city in Metcalfe.

I have some leftover tarp from my 6ml 50'x100' tarp that I would be willing to part with - like any good Canadian I can be paid in cash or beer. I believe it measures 24'x50' which might be perfect for your rink next year.

Thanks Krusher. I'd definitely take Kevin up on his offer, or we can help you find a full sheet next year. You'll definitely have fewer problems. I know costco.ca sells Nicerink liners, though in limited sizes, and not sure if there's one near you.

Hi Kevmac, I'm just over in Greely so not far from you at all. That does sound good! What do you drink?