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How to Turn Your Garage Into a Safe Indoor Rollerskate Arena for the Kids
A garage can be used for so much more than storing your car. If you have kids who love to skate, for example, you might want to consider turning the space into your very own indoor skating rink. If you want to create a safe skating space, you’ll definitely want to consider making some of the additions discussed below.
Padded Sides
Long before you think about how the kids are going to skate, you’re going to need to think about how they are going to stop. Even the best skaters have moments in which they go out of control, and your goal always needs to be to minimize injuries. One of the best ways to do this is by putting padding on the wall – thick mats or even foam pads can help to reduce the impact on out-of-control skaters and turn what could be major injuries into painless bumps.
Floor Coating
While you absolutely can skate on most flat surfaces, the truth is that garages can be a bit dangerous because of the cracks and holes in the floor. The best way to deal with this is to fill in the imperfections and to coat the floor with a garage floor epoxy in order to create a perfect finish. Doing so not only makes things safer, but it helps to reinforce the image of your garage as a dedicated skating space.
Resting Places
It’s very important that you provide places for your young skaters to rest as they get tired. A few benches can provide not only a great place for them to take a breath but a safe spot for them to take on and off their skates as the day goes on. It might be a good idea to consider building the benches into the wall if you’re looking to save space, but even removable benches are better than nothing.
Improved Lighting
Finally, you’ll want to ensure that everyone who skates is actually able to see what they’re doing. Replacing your garage lighting with better overhead lighting is a good way to allow skaters to be more aware of their surroundings. If you want to get particularly fancy, you can enhance the new lighting fixtures with color-changing smart bulbs that give the whole space more of a roller-rink vibe.
Making a dedicated skate space in your home can be a great surprise for your kids. Before you dedicate the time to doing so, though, you must make sure that you’re building the space with safety in mind. If you can add the small additions above, you’ll create a safe and fun home skating rink for your kids in your own garage.
Author Bio
Meghan Belnap is a freelance writer who enjoys spending time with her family. She loves being in the outdoors and exploring new opportunities whenever they arise. Meghan finds happiness in researching new topics that help to expand her horizons. You can often find her buried in a good book or out looking for an adventure. You can connect with her on Facebook right here and Twitter right here.
