What Size Rink Liner Do I Need? Backyard Rink Liner Size Calculator
Getting the liner size right is key to a successful rink. Your rink liner is not the same size as your rink. It should run up and over the boards on all four sides, and it has to have enough left over to hold down. Order the exact size of your rink and it will not reach.
Enter your rink dimensions in the calculator below and we will tell you the exact liner you need, and why.
Rink Liner Size Calculator
Canadian sizes, real prices, ships free across Canada
How liner sizing actually works
There are only three numbers involved.
Your rink. Measure the inside of your frame, not the outside of the lumber. A "20 by 40" rink is 20 feet of ice across and 40 feet of ice long.
The climb. The liner has to come up the inside face of every board. Two by ten lumber laid on edge is 9.25 inches tall, so that is roughly 10 inches of liner used up on each side before any water goes in. If your yard slopes, the low end of the rink is deeper, and taller boards there eat more liner still. We have a whole page on building a rink on a sloped yard if that is your situation.
The lap. Once the liner clears the top of the board it needs about another foot lying flat over the outside so you can weight it down with rocks, sandbags or snow. Without that lap there is nothing holding the liner in place, and the weight of the water will drag it into the rink.
Add it up and a standard 2x10 backyard rink needs roughly two extra feet on every side, which is four extra feet on the width and four on the length. Then you round up to the next liner we actually make.
Our own worked example: a 20 by 40 frame built from 2x10 lumber needs a liner at least 23.5 feet by 43.5 feet. The next size we make is 24 by 45. That is why the chart says what it says.
Being a foot over is fine. Being a foot short ruins the build. Excess liner just folds over and gets buried under the snow bank. A liner that will not reach the top of the boards cannot hold water, and there is no fixing it once the frame is up and the weather has turned. When you are between two sizes, take the bigger one.
Rink liner size chart
The quick version, for rinks built with 2x10 lumber on level ground. If your yard slopes or your boards are taller, use the calculator above instead.
| Your rink size | Liner you need |
|---|
Replacing the liner in a RinkMaster kit
RinkMaster kits use low tube walls, so the liner is smaller than it would be for the same rink built in lumber. Match your kit to the liner below.
| Your RinkMaster kit | Replacement liner |
|---|---|
| 15' x 20' | 20' x 25' |
| 15' x 25' | 20' x 30' |
| 15' x 30' | 20' x 35' |
| 20' x 25' | 24' x 30' |
| 20' x 30' | 24' x 35' |
| 20' x 35' | 24' x 40' |
| 20' x 40' | 24' x 45' |
| 25' x 30' | 28' x 35' |
| 25' x 35' | 28' x 40' |
| 25' x 40' | 28' x 45' |
Common questions
What size liner do I need for a 20 x 40 backyard rink?
A 24' x 45' liner. A 20 by 40 rink built with 2x10 lumber needs at least 23.5 feet by 43.5 feet of liner once you allow for the climb up the boards and the lap over the top, and 24 by 45 is the next size made.
How much bigger than my rink should the liner be?
About two feet bigger on every side, so four feet on the width and four on the length, for a rink with standard 2x10 boards on level ground. Taller boards or a sloping yard need more. The rule is the height of the board plus roughly one foot of lap, doubled, added to each dimension.
Can I use a liner that is too big?
Yes. Extra liner simply folds over the outside of the boards and gets held down with snow or sandbags. It is not a problem. A liner that is too small is a problem, and it cannot be fixed once the rink is built, so always round up.
Do RinkMaster liners come in the exact size stated?
Yes. All RinkMaster liners are the actual size stated. A 20' x 40' liner measures 20 feet wide and 40 feet long. They are a single sheet with no seams, welds or weaves, bright white on both sides, and 6 mil, which is 20 percent thicker than the 5 mil liners most competitors sell.
My yard is not level. Does that change the liner size?
Yes, and it is the most common reason people end up short. Water finds the low side, so the low end of your frame has to be taller to hold the same depth of ice, and taller boards use more liner. A 12 inch drop across the rink typically pushes you up one size in each direction. The calculator above accounts for it, and there is more detail on setting up on a sloped yard.
What size liner do I need for a 24 x 44 rink?
A 28' x 50' liner for a rink built with 2x10 lumber on level ground.
Before you build
A few other things worth reading while you are here:
- Shop all RinkMaster ice rink liners, 6 mil, seamless, white on both sides
- Rink liner care and setup tips, how to lay it out without tearing it
- Building on a sloped yard
- Replacement liners for RinkMaster kits
- Backyard Rink 101, the whole build from scratch
- Rink liner guide, mil, ply and what actually matters
RinkMaster is a Canadian company, based in Guelph, Ontario. We have sold more backyard rink liners than anyone else in Canada, and shipping is free right across the country, with a few exceptions for remote locations.