Okay, here’s my blog post about assembling a basketball court floor, written in the style of a seasoned blogger sharing a personal project:

Alright, so I finally tackled that project I’ve been putting off for, like, ever – putting down a beech wood floor in my new indoor basketball space. I’d seen these “keel” systems and figured, “Hey, I can do that!” Let me tell you, it was a bit more involved than I initially thought, but totally worth it in the end.

Prepping the Space

First things first, I had to get the concrete subfloor in the space ready. That meant cleaning it like crazy. I mean, really cleaning it. Any little bits of debris, dust, anything – gone. I used a shop vac, a broom, the whole nine yards. Got down on my hands and knees, people! It had to be spotless.

Then, I check the space is relatively flat. I don’t want no surprises later on. It needed it, no wobbles, no weird dips. That’s the foundation for everything.

The Keel System

Okay, so the “keel” part of this whole thing is basically a support structure. It’s like the skeleton of the floor. I got these pre-made wooden keel, which was pretty standard stuff. Laying those out was like putting together a giant puzzle. I started from one corner, making sure everything was square and level, of course and keep checking the level and alignment. Can’t stress that enough!

• I spaced the keels according to the instructions that came with the flooring.
• Used construction adhesive to fix them to the ground.

Laying the Beech

Now for the fun part – the actual beech flooring! These planks were beautiful, nice and solid. I’d let them sit in the space for a few days to get used to the humidity, you know, so they wouldn’t warp later on. Smart, right?

Starting the first row was crucial. I made absolutely sure it was straight. Used a chalk line, measured twice (okay, maybe three times), and used spacers to leave a gap around the perimeter for expansion. You gotta let the wood breathe, folks!

Then, it was just a matter of clicking the planks together, some required use of a rubber mallet to tap, tap, tap those planks into place, making sure the seams were nice and tight. It’s like a giant jigsaw puzzle, but way more satisfying when you hear that click.

Finishing Touches

Once all the planks were down, It’s really satisfying.I put down some baseboards to cover up that expansion gap and give it a clean look. And that was it! My very own beech basketball court floor.

I check again that the floor is * I clean it up.

Honestly, it took a good chunk of time, some sweat, and maybe a few muttered curses, but looking at it now, I’m super proud. It feels solid, looks amazing, and is ready for some serious hoops action. If you’re thinking of doing something similar, just be prepared for some work, double-check everything, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. You got this!