Table of Contents
Build A Banquette
A football stadium isn’t the only place you’ll find people congregating these days. With the explosion of sports, people are choosing to gather and watch their favorite games indoors. If you’re reading this, I assume you’re pretty familiar with the pleasures of an outdoor sports arena. If not, maybe it’s time for you to venture out there and give one a tour.
Indoor arenas are anything but desolate places. The light from the TV screens and the decorative lanterns give the space life. Whether you’re cheering for the home team or booing the other team, there’s always something to look forward to in an indoor sports arena.
While it might not seem like a difficult feat to build an outdoor hockey rink, you’d be surprised by how many people consider it a pipe dream. Having an outdoor rink might seem like a luxury, but for those who consider themselves realists, an indoor rink might be the ideal solution. What is an indoor rink, you ask? It’s simply an enclosed space where people can come together to play hockey. If you happen to live in a place with moderate climates, you can even enjoy ice skating in the winter months. In the summer, an indoor rink is the perfect place to spend a few hours away from the sun’s harsh rays. This is why more and more people are choosing to build these spaces indoors. It provides comfort and security in a way that an outdoor arena cannot. In addition to the above, indoor rinks provide the advantage of being able to regulate the temperature. When the air is cold, you can be sure that the ice is going to be just the right temperature. You won’t overheat or underheat it, so it stays at the right level for the whole year. These are just some of the reasons why so many people are choosing to build their own knee hockey rinks these days.
The Materials
Aside from the banquette, the other crucial element to having an indoor rink is the materials. It’s important to have a surface that’s going to be easy to maintain as well as look good for the crowd. Hard floors with non-slip surfaces are something of a rarity in today’s home arena. Instead, sports arenas usually have concrete or marble floors which are very easy to clean and maintain. It would be best to choose a ceramic tile, as they’re easy to clean with simple household cleaners and they look good for a long time without needing any special services.
For the walls, you’re going to need wood. Although they’re more expensive, you might consider using wood panels instead of drywall for the interior walls. The reason behind this is that they provide a textured, organic appearance which fits the setting of an indoor arena. What type of wood you’ll need will depend on where you’ll be playing. If it’s going to be a formal affair with tuxedo-wearing hockey fans, you might want to go with lamination wood which provides a tuxedo look with a nice texture. What’s great about these options is that you can find them in any home improvement store. They’re not that hard to install and they provide a fast solution for anyone looking to make a quick indoor hockey rink. Lamination wood might not be the cheapest solution, but it’s definitely one of the most popular ones today.
Design
Just how you lay out the space is as important as what you use to build it with. You might want to include some sort of decorative element on the walls, such as a picture or a piece of art. You can find a variety of frames in any home improvement store which can be used to mount these items. A great place to find art is at affordable prices is at artisans’ galleries like this one. What’s important is that the design of the space match the nature of the games you’ll be having there. What type of lighting you’ll need will depend on where you’ll be playing. If it’s going to be a formal affair with a lot of leather-wrapped frames and chrome, you might want to look into some of the elegant and stylish lighting options available today. A lot of men’s clothing stores offer a great solution for this as well. They sell stylish yet functional LED lights in a variety of fun patterns which can be used to great effect in any space.
What’s great about this space is that it doesn’t just provide a good location for hockey games. It could also be used for a variety of different activities. For instance, you might want to stage some sort of talent show that’s open to the public. Or, you could use it as a place for kids to ice skate or play in while parents watch them from the stands. This is all possible with an indoor rink, because of its versatile design. People are choosing to build them, because they know they can use them for so many different things. It’s good for any type of event or activity that needs a place to happen.
The Experience
Lastly, we have the experience. The way people interact with the space is just as important as the actual space itself. You’re not just providing one location for hockey, you’re creating an entire experience. You’ll want to ensure that everyone who comes in contact with the space has a good one. This means that the seats need to be of good quality and they need to provide comfort for those who decide to come in and watch the games. An excellent place to find stadium-style seating for this purpose is at a wholesale furniture store. Another option is to build a row of bar stools along one of the walls and have patrons sit on these when they come to watch the game. This brings us to our next point.
Security
Indoor arenas also provide an extra layer of security due to their location. They’re not exposed to the elements, so they’re always safe from bad weather. You won’t have to worry about flooded floors or rained out games. This makes them a desirable option for venues which host large crowds or events outside of traditional hockey hours. If you happen to be hosting an event outside of the traditional hockey season, you might want to consider an indoor arena as a solution. It provides protection from the elements as well as the occasional security guard should something happen.
Where To Play
Where you decide to play the games is another important aspect to consider. You’ll want to have the rink somewhere close to the seating area so that people don’t have to travel far to attend their favorite games. If it’s a case of choosing a specific location, you might want to look into some of the suburban schools which have gotten together to provide their students with the best possible learning environment. If you need inspiration, you can always visit some of these schools’ websites to get a look at their hockey rinks. Their outdoor areas are impressive, yet simple and elegant.
At the end of the day, it isn’t enough to just have a good space for hockey. You also need a good team of hockey players to make it worthwhile. However, if you do happen to have a good space and a good team, it’s worth it to just enjoy the game.