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* in si de ha lt on .c om O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, F eb ru ar y 8, 2 01 8 | Advertorial How to build an epic backyard hockey rink By Chris Palmer Our long winters can be tough, espe­ cially when you have kids to entertain and you're on a budget, which is why this backyard hockey rink project is such a great one to take a stab at. Cost-effective and easy to achieve, building a backyard rink is something that will quickly become a much-loved tradition - one that can be repeated for many winters to come if you utilize the right materials. And even though winter is half over, there's still time to build a backyard hockey rink you can use this year. Here is my guide for building a 28- foot by 46-foot rink in eight easy steps. Be sure to choose a pressure-treated wood product sturdy enough to cope with the many slap shots that are sure to hit the wood (my go-to is MicroPro Sienna). Materials needed: • 8 4'x8'x3/4" plywood - used for the end boards • 24 2x4x8' lumber - used for braces, frames the end boards • 13 2x10x10' lumber - used for skirt boards for the rink frame • 1 2x10x8' lumber - used to splice board for the rink frame • 18 2x2x48" balusters - used for skirt board stakes • 10 2x4x10' lumber - used as end board bracing • 2 4x4x8' lumber - used for corner braces • 1 box 3" deck screws • 1 box 2" deck screws • 1 32x50 hockey rink liner Steps: 1. Find a flat space to lay the rink out. You want it to have a nice level grade to it so that when you fill it up you'll have a level rink. 2. Mark out the area for the rink us­ ing corner stakes. Putting in the spikes and then inserting the posts will help identify where to put the boards. The key factor to remember when you're do­ ing any survey is knowing how big your tarp is. The tarp I used was 32 x 50 feet. Keep in mind that you need to al­ low for excess to go over your board. If I'm using 2x10s, that means that I want two feet on each side to flap over. So, a 32x50' tarp is actually going to make a 28x46' rink. Once you've figured out A m assive th a n k yo u to a ll m y c lien ts , fa m ily & frien ds fo r y o u r tru s t, lo y a lty & su p p o rt th ro u g h o u t th e years a nd fo r h e lp in g m ake 2017 such an a m azing year, a lw ays an h o n o u r & p riv ile g e , I lo o k fo rw a rd to se rv ing yo u in 2018 a n d beyond. "Success means doing the best we can with what we have. Success is the doing, not the getting; in trying, not the triumph. Success is a personal standard, reaching for the highest that is in us, becoming a ll that we can be" -Zig Ziglar R F/M AX A B O U T O W N E Office# 905-842-7000 MOBILE EMAIL WEB 289-937-1005 neeshb@mac.com www.neesh.tv AlL . * 4 - 4 *'CHAIRM AN'S^ 'P L A T 1N U M ' 1 0 0 % REftfK* H A L L 'S FAME your square do a quick diagonal corner to corner measure to make sure of your measurements. 3. Stake four corners and run the skirt boards. 4. Insert ground stakes for skirt boards. 5. Install corner spikes, then run boards and splice plates Then, install corner posts into corner spikes. 6. Build the end board and install stake boards and add in bracing. Don't forget to check that the end board is plumb before hammering in the bracing at an "X" angle. 7. Lay out the rink liner and secure in place. Remember, with excess liner over the edges, you won't have any leakage. 8. Fill rink with garden hose and wait for ice to form on your epic backyard hockey rink. (Be sure to drain your hose bib after filling so your pipe won't freeze. If you do have snow on the ground, pack it down to create a flat base for the water. For great outdoor DIY inspiration and project how-to guides, visit handcraft- edbychrispalmer.com and follow me on Instagram @handcraftedbychrispalmer. O ften b ille d as C anada's Favourite Handym an, Chris Palm er has qu ickly becom e a household nam e through h is th o u g h tfu l and crea tive DIYs. W ith a s tron g focus on handcra fted w oodwork, Chris has tu rn ed h is passion in to a ca­ ree r - c rea ting custom p ro jects through h is com pany "H andcra fted by Chris Palm er". He m ade h is na tio na l debu t on the h it HGTV show C anada's Handym an Challenge, and is now a regu la r guest e xpe rt on the G lobal M orn ing Show in Toronto. mailto:neeshb@mac.com http://www.neesh.tv How to build an epic backyard hockey rink