How to Make a Hockey Rink in Your Backyard

Build Your Own Hockey Rink from Start to Finish

• 1

  Pack down the snow where your ice rink will be. You can use your feet or a heavy lawn roller. If there is less than 2 or 3 inches of snow on the ground you will need a sheet of plastic liner placed over the earth to ensure the water you use doesn't just seep into the ground.

• 2

  Add a perimeter. If you are using a liner or if you prefer not to chase your pucks into the bushes, you may want to build perimeter boards out of 2-by-6 lumber. The boards should be at least 4 inches high. Stand these on edge, screw in the corners and support each joint. Cover the ground and the edges of your boards with a plastic liner. If you are not using a liner, pack snow around the edge of your boards or use snow in place of boards to prevent leakage.

• 3

  Flood your rink. Plan your first flooding for when the weather forecast indicates the temperature will stay below freezing for the next two or three evenings. Your base layer should be 3 inches when complete, according to backyard-ice-rink.com, a Web site dedicated to the making of perfect ice. Fill your entire rink with 1 1/2 inches of water once in the early evening. Check for leakage and repair if necessary. Provided it's cold enough and not too windy, you will wake up the next day with a decent base layer of ice. Repeat the process the second night, remembering to patch and scrape before every flood.

• 4

  Even out any surface irregularities. Examine your 3-inch minimum base layer for any patches or low spots. These can be filled with snow that is then patted down with a flat shovel. If there is any debris or ice chunks, try scraping the surface with a plastic shovel as this will not damage the ice.

• 5

  Add another coat of ice that is 1/8 of an inch thick to your rink. Be sure to work backward with the hose so the layer is untouched. Repeat this process after each freezing until you have applied between 1 and 1 1/2 inches of thin layers. Once this has been completed, one hockey net at each end is all that is required.