Why Back Yard Rink Lighting Matters In Toronto
Evenings in Toronto nights get darker and darker as the winter wears on – good lighting on the backyard rink not only means more skating hours and but a safer and backyard rink use.
Choosing the right lighting is critical for a winder full of hockey, figure skating and pleasure skating. In this article we will go over the pros and cons of all the rink lighting options on the market, and give our expert rink light recommendation for a long winter of skating
Lighting Options For Your Backyard Rink
- LED Flood Lights
- String Lights
- Solar Lights
- Portable Work Lights
Lighting Type Pros & Cons
LED Flood Lights Pro’s & Con’s
Pro: Provide amazing light quality and strength, hockey arena feel and easy mounting
Con: At some point the neighbours will complain, loss of authentic feel and promotes noise
String Lights Pros’ & Con’s
Pro: Provide good lighting, safe , cost affective, neighbour friendly and looks beautiful.
Cons: Not as good lighting as flood lights.
Solar Lights
Pro: Do not require batteries or extension cords
Con: Provides terrible short lasting light.
Portable Work Lights
Pro: Can be moved easily, provide decent light
Con: Does not provide full lighting to the hockey rink, can be easily knocked over, requires prep work and dismanteling.
Installation Tips
- position lights to reduce shadows on the ice
- Reinforce the lights to avoid injury
- Position the lights away from hockey nets
- Avoid glare in rink users eyes
- use waterproof and outdoor-rated fixtures
Bonus: Add Colourful or Festive Lighting
Pro Tip: Remember your rink lights need to be secured to last a potentially brutal winter ( thats actually what we want). At rinkbuild.com we use EMT Conduit secured to our frame. This supplies a cost effective post that is unaffected by the wind with easy and quick out door rink installation.
Our Recommendation
We always recommend shatter proof, LED string lights. They provide the perfect amount of light, contain no glass that can shatter and look wonderful. These rink lights can also be strung together for any length you need to light your rink.
The lights we install for our customers are LED shatter proof string lights. We secure the to the rink boards and hang the rink lights 9-10 feet above the ice to avoid glare.
Need Help With Your Rink Lighting
Weather your a long time Rinkbuild client, DIY ODR enthusiast or went with another rink building company, we are happy to supply and install lights to your rink.
We can fit the lights at any time during the rinkbuilding or skating season!
***Looking to save on your back yard rink lighting, have the lights installed on the same day as the liner is fitted***