Rink

We are interested in purchasing new plastic kickplate for our boards. What should we look for? The main advice we have is for you to buy 1 /2 inch thick yellow kickplate If you buy the 1 /4 inch thick kickplate, it will only have about a third of the lifespan that the 1 /2 inch will. The other problem with a 1 /4 inch kickplate is that it can become wavy and will not stay close to the boards, which will give bad bounces. The playability is much better with 1/2" kickplate. Yellow is the color for kickplates, as recommended by the USA Hockey and NHL rulebooks. In the IMEO class, we talked about using the Bobcat to get the ice off the slab. We're a little concerned that the tires will mark up the slab and cause problems for ice adhesion for next season... any suggestions? Keep in mind that every time one of the big arenas takes out their ice they usually do it with a Bobcat-type machine. They will then have trucks and other things on the concrete surface loading in and out from concerts. Tire marks are not an issue: clean them up by using a floor scrubber on the concrete. Using TSP (Tri-sodium Phosphate) with water is also a good cleaning choice, followed by a good rinse with the pressure washer. This will get the floor as clean as possible. When taking the ice out, turn off the compressors and let the slab temperature get up above freezing. Once this happens, the ice will separate from the concrete surface and come off in sheets. The time it takes will vary by facility and the time of year, but waiting for this to happen and using this method to remove the ice is the way to go. Is reading the electric, natural gas and water meters every day a good idea and worth the time? This month I am going to share with you the answer we received from a STAR member who found this exercise to be worth $100,000: Just because your readings are the same every day doesn't mean they are OK. When I started monitoring my water usage on an hour-to-hour, day-to-day basis, I discovered we were using the same amount of water day-in and day-out, opened or closed. This led to the discovery of a two-inch water line that had broken and found its way to a sewer drain. We saved millions of gallons of water each year. I began monitoring my gas and electric the same way and found $100,000 in savings in a two-year period. You are absolutely right! Monitor, monitor and keep on monitoring. If you think you can't afford a utility monitoring system, think again! ★ — Geary Baxter, Hamilton Center ask dave 50 R INK MAGAZ INE november/december 2007 ■ You have rink questions. Dave has rink answers. Send your questions to AskDave@rinkmagazine.com. Have the kickplate routered on both sides when purchasing it, so all you have to do is flip it over. Most companies will do this for next to nothing and it makes it much easier to flip over. STAR PHOTO STAR PHOTO 2651 Peck St. | Muskegon, MI 49444 | www.graphicshouse.net Dasher Graphics Reusable Ice logos Wall Banners Rink Wraps Make a game winning choice with GH Sports! Call us for your all graphic needs 1.800.678.4041

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