It is pretty amazing that we live in a society that is so technologically advanced that people can actually build ice skating rinks in their own homes, and ice skate on them. High-quality synthetic ice can be installed and used virtually anywhere that has a hard, flat surface with enough room to skate on. As long as you have enough room to skate, a flat, hard surface to build on, and the desire to ice skate, you are all set. Here is how to make it happen:
Scope Out your Area
The first thing that you need to do is to figure out where you want to install your flooring. Some players install the flooring in their garages, some in their backyards, and some even convert a living room or a family room into an indoor skating rink. As long as the flooring beneath the synthetic ice is level, flat, and solid it can be done. People have either torn out carpet and laid down plywood as a solid base, or laid out plywood over the carpet so they could build on top of it.
Measure Out Your Flooring Needs
Once you determine where you want to install your flooring, the next thing is to measure out where the place is. You will want to know the square footage amount so that you know how many boxes to purchase before you build. In order to get the square footage of an area you need to measure the width of the area by the length of the area, then multiply the two together. Remember to convert your fractions to decimals and convert inches to feet if necessary.
Laying Out the Flooring Panels
Synthetic ice panels can come in a variant of sizes. Sometimes they come in square foot sizes, and sometimes they come in 4 feet by 2 feet panels. Regardless of the way that they come when you get them it is always a good idea to start building your flooring from the middle and work your way out. If you start your flooring from the outer sides, unless you have everything perfectly measured, you will most likely leave a big gap in the center of the flooring. If you lay your first panel down in the middle and work outwards in a radius you will ensure a nice, solid flooring without gaps.
Interlocking Sides
You will notice as you put your panels together that they have interlocking tabs that link them together when you lay them down. As you install each panel, make sure that the tabs are tightly joined together and are snapped into place. You will go over the flooring again when it is all over, but if you make sure each one is tightly joined as you build you will achieve better results. Once each panel is securely installed on the floor, go over the whole area with a rubber mallet and gently tap down any areas that are not flush.
Get to Skating
Once your floor is properly installed and you have made sure that there are no dips, gaps, or raised edges in the way get your ice skates on and give it a whirl. Generally, skating on synthetic ice is much like skating on real ice, but with a little more resistance. You get used to that resistance shortly, and it helps to build muscle when you continue to practice on a daily routine. It is almost too easy to implement, install, and skate on your own ice rink at home. You can even incorporate hockey training aids like a hockey shooting tarp and a hockey rebounder to help you sharpen your skills even more. The best part is that synthetic ice is tough enough for you to continually practice every day for years and years to come.
***Sniper’s Edge Hockey loves Canada! We proudly ship all of our products to Canada and offer the same return policies as we do for everybody else. We realize the exchange rates for the Canadian dollar are not the best right now, so we’re trying to help by giving you free shipping and no customs/duty.***