An extra liner for covering your rink of heavy precipitation

[david]

I'm totally new into this "backyard rink club", but was wondering if you have covered your rink with a liner on top before heavy snowfall, so you can "easily" pull off the snow when it has stopped snowing.

On the top of my head, that seems like a good idea, but there might be some problems I haven't figured. It depends on how large your rink is, but for a small rink, with next to nothing board on one side, it might be feasible, or?

What say you?

[Joe]

I wouldn't do it. Think about how heavy a shovel-full of snow is. 5lbs? 10lbs? Dunno. Then multiply that by 100. Doesn't sound so easy to pull that much weight off, and then if it's too heavy to pull off, what do you do? Shovel off the top of your protective tarp? Risk getting it stuck in your snowblower? Might this protective layer freeze to your ice? (Answer: yes, it might). It's a good idea in theory, but it would take more than just draping an extra liner of your ice to make it work.

One solution that has potential are those mechanical in-ground pool covers. I used to clean pools for wealthy folk, and make of them had this solar cover that had tracks built into the top inside of the pool. You'd press a button and the covers would roll up onto a spool at one end, out of sight. Of course, if you're going to build THAT kind of thing around your backyard rink, you might as well start looking into inexpensive roof systems.

[kevmac]

That's the last thing I would do; it's a lot easier to shovel the snow off the ice than it is off a piece of plastic. A quick flood after the snow is removed and you have perfect ice again.

[david]

Thanks guys! Really appreciate your comments! Then I'll stick with my shovel. I'm probably gonna die by my shovel by the end of this week. The forecast says A LOT precipitation tomorrow, up to 20 inch!

Wish me luck.. :)

[kevmac]

My strategy when we are expecting a heavy forecast of snow is to be at home and shovel it as it accumulates. I know most people can't plan to be at home when the snow is fall but if you can it's a lot easier to shovel 2-4" 5 times than it is to shovel 10-20" once. If I can't be at home, my snow thrower does the job for me. :-)

[Joe]

Yep. This method (shovel as it falls) also has the super-bonus-extra-special benefit of helping avoid the slush issue if you have a floating slab (which most who have a slope do). Less snow = less weight = less displacement = less slush.

[david]

I'm on my way out now to shovel, but since it's forecasted so much snow tomorrow, is s any use to flood the rink tonight? I won't be able to skate tomorrow before the snow hits, but are there any other subtitle advantages by flooding the rink?

[Joe]

I recently answered this exact question a rink mailing list I'm on:

"In my first or second year, I experimented with resurfacing before a snowfall. I did a third of the rink with warm water, a third with cold water, and left a third of the rink alone after a skating party. Then the snow fell. When I snowblowed, it was impossible to see what I did underneath, and the entire rink needed a new coat to get smooth. To this day, I never resurface before a snow event and always wait until after."

[david]

Ok, thanks! Now this is what I call scientific testing. I like it!