ask This Old House

Backyard skating rink

We would like to build an ice rink in our yard to keep our four hockey-loving grandkids (and their parents) active this winter. We have the space and a relatively flat yard. How do we go about it? —SUE LEONARD, POMPTON PLAINS, NJ

TOH carpenter Nathan Gilbert:

The ideal time to construct an outdoor ice rink is in early winter, after the ground is frozen. You’ll need enough 2×12 lumber to surround the rink, some 18-inch-long form stakes to brace the sides, screws and hardware to hold the lumber together, and a single, white waterproof tarp to line the rink. (Because white reflects the sun’s heat, it will help keep the ice from melting.) Make sure the tarp is at least 2 feet wider and longer than the rink’s final size.

First, assess how level your rink site actually is by driving form stakes into the ground at each corner of your planned rink’s footprint. Wrap a string line around the highest stake 3 inches up from the ground (the minimum ice thickness). Stretch it to and wrap it around another stake, and hang a line level on it. When the string is level, measure the distance from the line to the ground at these locations. Ideally, you want the distance to be 8 inches or less. If the slope exceeds this amount, bring in some earth to fill in the area where the soil dips down.

To make each of the rink’s long sides, fasten two 16-foot 2×12s—end to end—with a pair of steel mending plates and 1½-inch screws. Tip