So I ran out of time last night with the discovery of frozen garden hoses. It is still bitterly cold with temperatures in the low teens during the day so I think I still have a good chance of making the ice rink.
I’ve broken up my DIY Backyard Ice Rink project into multiple posts: Day 1 – Initial Planning, Day 2 – Construction, Day 3 (you are here), Day 4 – Second Layer of Ice, Day 5 – Skating Time and Day 6 – Finally Ready..
ANOTHER TRIP TO THE LOCAL HOME IMPROVEMENT STORE
- (1) Residential Garden Hose, 150 ft = $35 plus tax
- (2) 1/2″ x 4′ x 8′ 3-ply plywood sheet, cut in 2′ wide strips (for additional retaining walls) @ $ 21 = $ 42 plus tax
BUILDING STEPS
- There was a decent amount of wind, which was causing the liner to bubble up so I placed several 2×8 studs around the perimeter to prevent wind penetration (these studs will be removed as soon as water starts to fill up)
- I also made sure that the liner butted up squarely against the studs with extra wiggle room (as water fills up, it will begin to stretch out the liner so if the liner does not have any wiggle room, it might rip)
- After making sure that the liner was properly stapled (staple nearest to the edge!), I installed a 20 feet long 2×10 lumber at the midpoint to minimize the risk of rupturing the walls
- Finally got a chance to hook up the hose and let it the rink fill up! (at 11:30 AM)
- I did not worry about the hose freezing because of the water movement (though I might have changed my mind if the temperature fell below 0 degrees)
- Note: Make sure to shut off the water valve from the inside and drain the exterior faucet (unless you have a frost-free valve) and bring the garden hose inside.
- I am exhausted at this point. Time for a quick hot shower and go to bed
NEXT POST: visit Day 4 – Second Layer of Ice
