With the NHL season now in full swing, you might be looking for ways to occupy your time and keep up with the hockey craziness. Building a hockey stall is a great way to connect with your community while supporting your favorite team. It can also be a great hobby or a business venture for those looking to get into the hockey world. In this blog post, we will discuss the basic process of building a hockey stall in your backyard.
Table of Contents
Start By Sketching Out The Design
One of the first things you need to do before starting any project is to sketch out the design. This is far more important than you would think and it goes a long way to making your project look amazing. You can take your time with this step and go through a number of different designs before finding one that you like. You can use whatever method you want to get the design down, but a good idea would be to use cardboard and tape to create something simple but effective. You can use a design app like MyPaint or Photoshop to help you with the process. These kinds of apps are great for coming up with multiple designs and helping you see how each one looks next to each other.
Choose The Right Site For The Stall
The next step is to choose the right site for the stall. This is going to be the base of your project and it’s important to pick a flat surface with relatively even ground. This will make it much easier to build the structure and give you a stable base for the operation. You can use grass or dirt for this base, as long as it’s not on an incline or a slope. This is vital for keeping the ice safe and preventing injuries. If you live in a region where winter is a real possibility, then you can use sand or gravel to make the surface more stable. Remember: you’re building a hockey rink, not a ski resort!
Assemble The Right Equipment
Now that you have your site picked out and the design planned, it’s time to start collecting the necessary equipment. This is going to be a big step and it’s going to require some serious thought and preparation. Luckily for you, we’ve done most of the thinking for you. We’re going to list out all the necessary equipment from top to bottom and you can follow our instructions to the T. When you’re done, you’ll have a functioning and looking hockey rink in your backyard.
Paint The Walls Blue
The first thing you need to do before you start any work is to paint the inside walls of your hockey rink blue. This is going to be the ice and it needs to be a light color so it doesn’t distract from the puck or the action. Remember: you’re playing surface is for decoration so you want to keep it simple yet classy. If you live in a region where winter is a possibility, then you can use a light blue for the walls to keep the rink looking fresh and clean. If this is not an option for you and you’d rather keep the ice natural, then you can use white for the walls. Just make sure that everything is completely dry before moving around the rink.
Install The Steps And Stalls
Once you’ve got your walls painted, it’s time to move around the rink and install the steps and stands. You’re going to start at the corner where the walls and the net meet and work your way around. Once you get half of the corner done, you’ll know exactly where the other half needs to go. Remember: things don’t have to be perfect, it’s all about the look. You can also use this step to start installing the boards for the rink. The board height can vary from four feet to five feet and you can find them in a number of different widths as well. Once you’ve got the boards up, you can start placing them into the corners to make them flush and even. You can also use the boards for the basis of your design, as it will make creating patterns or scenes on the ice easier. Patterns and scenes are really cool ways to add character and spice up your game day experience. You can find all sorts of materials at a craft store to make your own decorations or you can buy them pre-made from a craft store too.
Build The Scoring Area And Other Surfaces
The final step before you start playing is to build the scoring area and the other surfaces around the perimeter of the rink. This is where you’ll be sitting during the game and it needs to be in a location that’s comfortable for you. You can also use this step to build an outdoor kitchen, if you have one, or just add some extra seating if you don’t. Make sure that everything is level and smooth before moving on to the next step.
That’s it. You now have a functioning and looking hockey rink in your backyard. You can take your time with this step and do it over multiple sessions or you can do it all at once if you’re feeling ambitious. Either way, this step is going to be well worth it and it’ll allow you to enjoy the NHL season the right way.