Where budget constraints are a high priority, it is feasible to install the ice floor on a sand base with plastic or steel pipes positioned on "chairs" (steel or plastic supports evenly spaced across the sand base). This system is considerably cheaper than a traditional concrete floor, is quick to install and there is no "curing" window to concern or prolong the construction phase. There is no loss in quality of the ice sheet itself and operating costs are comparable to that of a traditional floor. Most sand filled floors have concrete or timber surrounds to create the ice dam.