Over the last couple of years between 2019 and 2021 synthetic ice has become a hot commodity among hockey players and ice skaters around the world. One of the occurrences that tipped the scales for its popularity was the pandemic. Since it is pretty easy to install in a home or garage skaters have built ice skating rinks in their own homes in order to ice skate during the pandemic without even having to leave the house. Although the pandemic is beginning to fade away, people have found that having an ice skating rink that they can use any time they want is pretty cool. Because of this, people are still ordering their ice panels and building their own skating rinks.
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Light and Durable
One of the best things about synthetic ice is that it is made out of polymer plastic that is built to last. Not only are the panels lightweight, easy to install, but they also last a very long time. Depending on the quality of the manufacturer, you can install an ice rink in your home that will last over 10 years, then turn the panels over and use the other side of them for another 10 years.
When you lay the panels on the floor side by side in order to merge them together, there are sockets and tabs that allow for an almost air-tight bond between each panel on the flooring. They snap together easily, and strongly in order to build a strong and slick platform for ideal ice skating.
Ice Rink Headaches
It is no secret that having a frozen water ice rink is a lot to keep up with. Although in the winter months, if the temperatures stay below freezing, keeping an ice rink is not much of a challenge, when you try to keep that same rink frozen when it gets warmer you are in for a lot of work. The amount of energy that it takes to refrigerate an entire building to the point where it will keep an ice rink frozen is enough to run several apartment complexes. On top of the exuberant amount of energy that it takes to keep the rinks frozen, the emissions that escape from the equipment that is used in order to deliver the cooling atmosphere are dangerous and toxic.
The truth is that natural ice is great for skaters because when they ice skate across the surface, the blades on the skates emit enough energy to melt the ice and leave a thin film of water on the surface. This thin film of water acts as a natural lubricant for the ice blades and allows the skaters to easily flow across the rink without much resistance.
As easy and natural as ice is to skate on, the costs of keeping a rink up and running for extended periods of time can be extremely high.
Ice Panels Are Cost-Effective
If you think about it and do the math, it is easy to see that in the long run, the ice panels are going to save more money, more energy, and more of the planet than an ice rink. Although there is a cost to the environment when factories manufacture synthetic ice panels and other plastics, the end result is an ice flooring that you simply install and skate on without any extra energy costs. Instead of having thousands of ice rinks flowing full blast through the hot months to keep the ice frozen, there will be none.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, what matters most is that we all do our parts to help the environment and keep the economy as smooth as we can. Whether you would prefer to use regular ice rinks for your skating needs and are open to supporting the costs of the rink, it is up to you. Other people love synthetic ice rinks and hockey tiles more because they are cheaper and better for the environment. They also allow you to practice and train at home, whenever you want.
***Sniper’s Edge Hockey loves Canada! We proudly ship all of our products to Canada and offer the same return policies as we do for everybody else. We realize the exchange rates for the Canadian dollar are not the best right now, so we’re trying to help by giving you free shipping and no customs/duty.***