Swimming Pool to Skating Rink

[Rob]

Not sure if this is the right forum, but I'm assuming it would involve equipment, so here goes...

We live in Canada, giving us about 3 months of swimming in a pool that might hit 80 (which is actually fine with me, I like it cold!) We have in inground vinyl liner pool.

Anyone ever convert their pool to a skating rink for the winter months? I'm trying to figure out a safe way to do it. I'd need something to protect the exposed liner from skates, and then would need to figure out a way to get a layer of ice while still covering the pool. For protecting the liner, I could make up boards for around the pool, or maybe sand bags.

Thoughts?

 

[Hotrod30]

Since no one answered your post, I'll give it a try.

My answer would be no. I never tried to make a rink out of my pool but I also never will try. There are lots of products to buy to make a rink without using a pool as a start.

Here is one:
http://www.cheappoolproducts.com/Backya ... plies.html


If you are really thinking about making your pool a rink, just go to your local pool store and get an estimated cost of replacing your liner; just so you know where you stand.

You could build a rink out of 2X4s and plastic sheets.

Do what you think best.

 

[Butch]

I put a rink up every year for my son who plays hockey.
I don't use the pool too much chance for damage of all types.
I frame it with 2X10's and purchased a liner from nicerinks.com.
Last year sucked for ice but we have had many good years for it. I try
to have the rink set up before closing the pool to recycle the water from the
pool to the rink. I would imagine you can make some awesome ice up there...

 

[danwis]

We live in Wisconsin and when I was a kid, my Dad let us use the pool for ice skating one winter. We had an inground, vinyl-liner pool that he had built himself from a kit. We didn't do anything special to protect the liner, just piled snow around the outside edge to keep us from hitting the sides of the pool. We had a great time as kids ice-skating on the pool. My parents were pretty carefree about it. Today, I have my own inground vinyl-liner pool, and I don't think I would ever try to do this to my own pool.

 

[Rob]

Oh yeah, it worries me too. Thing is, our entire backyard is basically pool. If we had a larger lot with the option of setting up a rink somewhere else, I'd probably do that.

Thanks for the feedback though, and I know the price of a liner, we just replaced it, and I wouldn't want to go through that again

 

[PoolDad2]

I wouldn't do it. We had an above ground pool back when I was little in Pa. The top 4 inches froze and we thought we would get on top of it and play. It worked great for a while, then the one huge piece of ice, the entire thing started to turn in the pool and it ripped the liner and down it went, fast. What a mess. At those temps, it doesn't take much to put a rip in the liner.