Starter guide
Turn a flat patch of lawn into your own sheet of ice.
A backyard rink is a shallow wooden frame lined with one big sheet of white plastic, filled with a garden hose and left for winter to freeze. You build it once in late fall, then spend the season tending it: clearing snow, laying thin coats of water at night and watching the surface turn to glass. The appeal is ice a few steps from the back door, with no rink schedule and no fees, plus the quiet satisfaction of a surface you made yourself. It only works where winter delivers steady freezing weather, so the forecast is as much a part of the craft as the lumber.
Build once, flood once, tend it all winter
There are three phases. In late fall, before the ground freezes, you measure the yard and set up a frame of boards held upright by stakes or brackets. When the forecast shows several days in a row that stay below freezing, you spread the liner and fill the frame from a hose, which takes most of a day. After that the work is light and regular: ten minutes of shoveling after a snowfall and a thin coat of water on cold nights. In spring you drain it, pull the liner before the grass wakes up and stack the boards for next year.
Flatness matters more than size.
Water levels itself, so a yard that drops 6 inches from end to end holds 4 inches of water at the shallow end and 10 at the deep end.
Measure the slope before buying lumber
Drive a stake at each corner, run a string between them with a line level, and measure from the string down to the ground.
If the drop is more than about 6 inches, move the rink, shrink it or turn it 90 degrees.
Deeper water needs taller boards and much heavier bracing.
Favor shade.
A spot north of the house or a tree line keeps ice weeks longer than one in full afternoon sun.
Stay within hose reach of a spigot, and away from the septic field and low spots where meltwater will pool against the house in spring.
Fill when the forecast shows at least three days with highs below freezing and nights near 20°F or colder.
A 20 by 40 foot rink with 4 inches of water takes about 2,000 gallons.
What you can build in your first month
A first frozen sheet
A 20 by 40 foot framed rink, filled in one go and frozen solid enough to skate on.
A glass coat
A thin night-time resurfacing layer that fills skate cuts and leaves the surface smooth by morning.
Snowbank seating
Shoveled snow packed along one side into a bench for lacing skates, which also stops stray pucks.
Start here
Stake out a rectangle about 20 by 40 feet on the flattest part of the yard and measure its slope with a string and line level. That one number decides how tall your boards need to be.
Start here
Plan the long sides at least 40 feet so there is room to shoot, and decide which end the net sits at so missed shots fly toward a fence or snowbank rather than a window.
Start here
Stand in the yard after dark and find the nearest outdoor outlet with ground-fault protection. Measure the run from it to the rink so you buy a cord that reaches without joining two together.
Open a setup to see what to do first. Hockey Rink and Night Skating each end in a button that adds their gear to the kit, and you can switch on both.
Clear snow the same day it falls.
Snow insulates the ice and, once skated on or rained on, freezes into a bumpy crust.
Resurface at night when it is below about 25°F and the wind is calm.
Sun and wind both ripple a fresh coat.
Lay water thin, about a sixteenth of an inch.
Thick floods freeze from the top down and leave a hollow shell that shatters under a skate.
Scrape or sweep before every coat.
Water laid over snow and shavings freezes them in as bumps.
Pick leaves and twigs off promptly.
Anything dark absorbs sunlight and melts its own hole.
Drain the hose and bring it indoors after every use, or it will be a solid tube of ice the next night.
What to expect
Mistakes to skip
Before you drive a stake
Rink builders are a generous crowd online. Search social media for backyard rink groups in your region, where people post build photos, argue about board heights and share which nights were good for flooding. Logging your own skating days with a citizen science project is a nice way to compare your season with rinks nearby and see how local winters are trending.
Log your skating days
The liner and the boards are the rink, and they take most of the budget. Liner price follows size, so settle your dimensions first. Lumber comes from a local yard and is reusable for many winters, while a liner that has been skated on is often good for only one or two. Everything else on the list is for the season of upkeep that follows: getting water to the ice, smoothing it and moving snow off it. Skates and helmets are not included, since most families building a rink already own them.
Every line, with its options side by side
The first line, the boards, is not something you buy online: it comes from a lumber yard. For the rest, compare the options on each line, then set your tiers and check out from the cart. Clicking a card selects it there, and clicking the selected card again takes that line out. The liner, supports, layout tools, clamps, hose, pusher and repair tape start in the kit. The goal, pucks and backstop join when you switch on Hockey Rink, the lights and cord join with Night Skating, and the resurfacer stays out until you add it.
The boards are the walls that hold the water. Their height sets how much slope your yard can have.
Not sold on Amazon · buy at a lumber yard
Not sold on Amazon. Buy from a local lumber yard or home center: 2x10 or 2x12 boards, or 3/4 inch plywood ripped into strips, enough to go around the rink perimeter (120 feet for a 20 by 40 foot rink). Untreated framing lumber is fine and typically runs $80 to $300 depending on height and rink size.
One seamless sheet of white plastic is what turns a wooden frame into a pool. White reflects sunlight so the ice lasts longer.
White 7 Mil Ice Rink Liner -Backyard Ice Rink Kit Liner- Outdoor Ice Rink Liner DIY Backyard Rink Tarp for at Home Hockey Practice & Ice Skating Training
4.7(29)
$115.99
Iron Sleek - White Plastic Ice Rink Liner - 6 Mil - Backyard Ice Rink Kit Liner, Ice Skating Rink for Backyard, Ice Rink Liner for Backyard
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$199.98
Heavy Duty Ice Rink Liner - Triple Layer Backyard Rink Protection Durable Long Lasting Premium Cold Crack Resistant - Home Hockey and Skating Rink Liners - Made in USA and Canada
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$201.63
Buy one piece at least 5 feet longer and 5 feet wider than the rink (25 by 45 feet or larger for a 20 by 40 foot rink), and more if one end is deep. Never tape two pieces together. Each listing comes in many sizes and the price shown is for one of them, so choose your size on the product page.
Water pushes outward hard on the boards, most of all at the deep end. Supports on the outside keep the frame from bowing or tipping.
Rebar Stakes 24 Inch Straight Metal Spikes (40pcs) Ground Anchors
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$57.98
Backyard Ice Rink Accessories - Brackets, Boards, Kick Plates, Bumper Caps, and Netting - Made in USA and Canada Build Repair and Upgrade DIY Hockey and Skating Rinks
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$115.46
Plan one support every 4 feet and every 2 feet where the water is deepest. Count how many come in a pack before ordering: a 20 by 40 foot rink needs 30 or more. Wooden and steel stakes are driven into the ground before it freezes. Purpose-made brackets cost more but set up faster and come out cleanly in spring.
This is how you measure the yard's slope before buying boards. It is the cheapest item here and prevents the most expensive mistake.
LURKA Mason Line String,#18 540 Feet Braided Construction Nylon Line with 5 Built-in Levels and Spool Fluorescent String Line for Precision Work, DIY, and Gardening (Fluorescent Orange)
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$9.99
#18 Braided Mason Line String,580FT Nylon Twine with Handle,Construction String,Professional String Line Level Tool Kit with Post Level & 6 Line Levels & Storage Bag(Fluorescent Orange)
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Mason Line String Kit with Adjustable Magnetic Post Level – Includes 6 hanging line levels, 2 rolls 540FT #18 mason line & reel, 2 beech wood blocks. Works on metal & non-metal posts. High visibility.
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Clamps hold the liner over the top of the boards while the rink fills, and let you reposition it as the water pulls it tight. Staples below the waterline would cause leaks.
PONY 6-Pack 6" Heavy Duty Spring Clamp Set, Squeezed Metal Spring Clip
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$22.99
SWANLAKE 16-Piece 6 inch Spring Clamp, Heavy Duty Metal Spring Clamps, Backdrop Clips, 2.4 inch Jaw Opening
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6" & 4" Heavy Duty Metal Spring Clamps with Protective Tips, 10-Piece
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$23.99
Choose large clamps with jaws that open 2 inches or more, so they fit over a board with the liner folded on top. Small craft clamps will not reach around framing lumber.
You will be handling a hose on the coldest nights of the year. Ordinary vinyl hoses turn stiff and kink or crack below freezing, and rubber stays workable.
Flexzilla Garden Hose 5/8 in. x 100 ft., Lightweight All-Weather Water Hose, Durable and Flexible, Leak-Free Connections
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Continental Premium Garden Black Heavy Duty Cold Water Garden Hose, 5/8in Inside Diameter x 100ft Length, Male x Female Garden Hose Thread…
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Measure from the spigot to the far corner of the rink before choosing a length.
A wide pusher clears a rink in a few passes and scrapes skate shavings off before resurfacing. A narrow digging shovel takes several times as long.
VEVOR Snow Pusher Shovel, 36 inch Wide Push Snow Shovel Plow for Driveway
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$46.90
Suncast 36" Snow Pusher with Steel Core Shade and Non-Stick Blade Surface
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Choose a plastic or poly blade edge. Bare metal edges gouge the ice.
A skate blade or stray stick can nick the liner above the ice line. Tape on hand means a small hole gets patched before the next thaw finds it.
T-REX Brand Waterproof and Pool Repair Tape, 1.88 in x 30 Ft, Clear, 1 Roll
4.3(2.6K)
$10.20
Vapor Barrier Tape - 4 inch x 180' Roll, Made in USA, White Polyethylene Tape for Crawl Spaces & Moisture Barriers, Waterproof Seal & Seam Tape for Underlayment, Insulation, and Plastic Liners
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$23.95
Tape sticks best to a dry, clean liner, so patch on a mild day and warm the spot with your hand first.
A net gives shots somewhere to go. Steel posts survive frozen pucks, which crack thin plastic frames in the cold.
Franklin Sports NHL Championship Steel Street Hockey Goal - 72"
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$175.50
A full-size net is 72 by 48 inches. On a rink under 40 feet long, a smaller net leaves more room to skate.
Pucks vanish into snowbanks all winter and reappear in April. A bulk pack keeps the game going.
18 Pack Ice Hockey Pucks with 3 Reusable Mesh Bag, Official Regulation, Diameter 3", Thickness 1", 6oz, Black
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Missed shots leave a backyard rink fast. Netting behind the goal protects windows, siding and the neighbor's fence.
VEVOR Barricade Backstop Net,Multi-Sport Barrier Netting with Carry Bag
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20x10 Lacrosse Backstop – Heavy Duty Lacrosse Backstop Netting, 200 Sq Ft Ball Stop Net for Backyard | Baseball, Soccer, Softball, Basketball, Hockey & Multi-Sport Training | Easy Setup, Portable
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A net 12 feet wide covers the area behind a full-size goal. Wider nets catch more of the shots that miss by a lot.
In midwinter it is dark by the time anyone is home. A pair of flood lights aimed across the ice from opposite corners lights a small rink without deep shadows.
CREATESTAR 2 Pack 100W LED Flood Light Outdoor, 10000LM Bright LED Work Lights Plug in, IP66 Waterproof Exterior Floodlight, 6500K Security Light for Patio, Backyard, Lawn, Stadium, Playground
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Olafus 2 Pack 130W LED Flood Light Outdoor, 13000lm LED Work Light with Plug, IP66 Waterproof Exterior Security Lights, 6500K Daylight White Outside Floodlights for Playground Yard Stadium Lawn
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Leddictive 2 Pack LED Flood Lights Outdoor, 100W 10000LM Outside Work Light
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These are sold in pairs. Mount them high and angle them down so they light the ice and not the neighbors' windows.
The lights need power at the rink. A cord with a cold-rated jacket stays flexible and does not crack when it is coiled at 0°F.
50ft Heavy Duty Outdoor Extension Cord, 12/3, 3-Prong, Waterproof, Yellow
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POWGRN 50 ft 12/3 Outdoor Extension Cord Waterproof Heavy Duty with Lighted Indicator End 12 Gauge 3 Prong, Flexible Cold-Resistant Long Power Cord Outside, 15Amp 1875W SJTW Yellow ETL Listed
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Pro Extension Cord, 12/3 AWG SJTW, 50 ft., Lighted Plug, Indoor/Outdoor, ZillaGreen - FZ512830
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Buy one cord long enough for the whole run, and keep the plug connection off the ground and out of the snow.
It connects to the hose and drags a wet cloth behind a spray bar, laying a thinner, more even coat than spraying freehand. It is for later: a hose with a spray nozzle is enough for a first season.
Backyard Ice Rink Resurfacer - Smooth Even Ice Finish Durable Steel Construction Easy Hose Attachment for Home Hockey Rinks and Skating Rinks - Made in North America
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Backyard Ice Skate Rink Resurfacer Pond Skating Master Portable Smooth Groomer
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