There are multiple ways to add perimeter rink boards to your home synthetic ice rink. There is everything from do-it-yourself handyman to dropping some serious coin on a professional looking system. Some of the usual common sense approach criteria apply when you are considering what works best for you.
If you are a handy person, then you can easily enough build your own. If you want the detailed description and photos of how best to do this then contact us directly. The quick description though is to construct a 2×4 wood frame screwed together. If you are going to build radii, then ideally use a double layer of ¾ inch glued and screwed plywood so that it will never warp or twist. Then you would clad the frame with a white 3/8 inch HPDE sheet trimmed to fit your frame. You can even buy colored HDPE sheet and have it ripped to fit a top hand rail and bottom kicker plate. Looks real nice especially if you are also handy with a router and can round of the edges (this also makes for a safer rink to avoid injuries).
So what other options exist for boards for your home synthetic ice rink? I mentioned the professional version. We have done systems with upper containment made of acrylic and lexan and have even installed score clocks. Some people want the whole experience so we give it to them. At some point however budget comes into play. You can easily spend up to $250 per linear foot installed for a professional set of boards. However, that is overkill and almost never needed. We have developed a “Pro-Lite” series of boards including a nice tight little 36” radius corner that hardly takes up any space. The welded aluminum frame is light but strong so they are easy to ship and easy to handle with one person if need be. We have also developed various stabilizer systems that work with raised platforms, basement or concrete floors. These lighter weight systems are so strong and versatile that we have even sold them to commercial rink facilities where they use them for full scale hockey drills.
The last perimeter board system to talk about is also an easy do-it-yourself system. This is a hollow molded plastic option which is popular because they are so easy to assemble. The down side is that if you have a real tight space they only come in fixed standard sizes and can’t be customized as they are plastic mold as opposed to fabricated.
So the bottom line is that there are a few great options. Boards aren’t always wanted or needed but they can really provide that real look and feel some folks want for their home synthetic ice rink.