"This was my second year building a rink. The sides are made of 5/8" plywood attached to 2-3' long posts driven into the ground. The land pitch is approximately 14" and I used a laser level at night to determine how high to make the boards for the deep end. The liner is a 40'x100' string reinforced plastic roll which I bought from a building materials supply company. I will try to patch holes around the boards and use it for another season. Four 500 watt halogens provided adequate light from the nearby deck.

The biggest problem I faced this year was the depth of water in the deep end. It took weeks to freeze solid and the water would seep up to the surface causing a ridge running almost the entire length of the rink. Also, the surface water would mix with newly fallen snow to cause a slushy mess. I learned the hard way to remove all of the slush bumps before they froze. This year I plan to have the land graded to reduce the amount of water needed for filling.

Next season I plan to work on a resurfacer, build higher boards for the shooting end and raise the lights up on each end of the rink. In addition to painting the boards white, I'm considering trying white paint below the ice surface to help extend the short Connecticut season. There was no skating this year until January and I had the liner pulled up by the first week of March."

Nice job Tom. Thanks for the pics. I am sure the visitors to this site will find them helpful.