One of the greatest things about synthetic ice, besides being great to ice skate on, is that it is incredibly versatile and easy to install. Before you go out and buy a bunch of panels or tiles there are some things that you need to know in order to get the most out of your investment. Artificial ice flooring is a fantastic solution for skaters and hockey players that want to enjoy the feel of ice in their own backyards. If you install your flooring in the correct fashion you will be able to enjoy the benefits of having your own rink for years to come.

In Your Home

If you would like to install synthetic ice flooring in your home you need to make sure that the surface that you install it on is flat, hard, and level. If you want to install your flooring on the carpet, or some other softer surface you must first lay down a layer of plywood so that you can properly set your tiles. If you try to install the ice panels on a soft surface you can end up causing more problems than you want to deal with. You can crack the surface, warp the panels, or even cause yourself injury. The best way to ensure that you will get the correct platform for your panels is to make sure that it is flat and strong enough so that the panels won’t bend under your weight.

In Your Garage

The garage is probably the best place to install synthetic ice flooring. In most cases, the floor is on a concrete slab that is already level and ready to go. If this is the case, you can install the flooring right there on the concrete. If you have carpet, or some other less than a solid surface, you can do as above and lay down a layer of plywood to build upon. A solid surface to practice on will help with training aids such as hockey shooting tarps and hockey rebounders.

In Your Backyard

If you already have a concrete patio in your backyard where you can simply lay down your ice panels and get to skating, you are in businesses. If not, you will need to measure out an area that you would like to transform into an ice rink and lay down your plywood. One of the great things about installing synthetic ice is that you can use an area big or small to build on. If you wanted to turn your whole backyard into a huge ice rink, it is possible to do just that because synthetic ice panels are designed to build on and keep building on them as long as you want. The key is to place your first panel in the center of the flooring area and build out from it. If you try to build from the outside in, unless you have everything precisely measured out, you will end up with a hole in the middle that will not allow for a whole panel to fit into.

The Platform is Key

As we mentioned earlier, you can install synthetic ice panels virtually anywhere. The most important fact that you have to remember is that the platform that you build the rink upon is very important. If you build your rink on an unlevel surface, you may end up with major problems. However, if you build it in your driveway that has a slight slope, you can make it work. If you build it on a platform that has a bunch of soft spots, dips, cracks, or bumps in it you can ultimately ruin your flooring or, worse yet, cause yourself or somebody else to become injured. Use a little foresight and critical thinking as you build, and you can’t go wrong. Synthetic ice is amazing and will help anybody keep the skills sharp, and the body in shape.