Okay, here’s my blog post about putting together some laminate basketball court flooring. It’s not as fancy as the real deal, but it works!

So, I’ve always wanted a little spot to shoot hoops indoors. Problem is, my “gym” is also my workshop/storage area/man cave. Real hardwood was way out of my budget, and frankly, overkill for my casual use.

I started looking around, and found these laminate planks that are supposed to look like maple – you know, that classic basketball court look. They were on clearance, which made it even better!

The Prep Work (The Not-So-Fun Part)

First things first, I cleared out the area. This involved a lot of moving boxes, tools, and that old treadmill I swear I’ll use “someday.”

Next, I checked the concrete floor. It wasn’t perfectly level, but it was close enough. Laminate is pretty forgiving, especially with a good underlayment.

Speaking of underlayment, I rolled that stuff out. It’s basically a thin foam sheet that helps with sound and a little bit of cushioning. I taped the seams together so it wouldn’t shift around.

Laying Down the “Court”

This is where it got kinda fun. The laminate planks had this click-lock system. You basically angle one plank into another and then snap it down. It took a few tries to get the hang of it, but once I did, it went pretty smoothly.

I started in one corner and worked my way across the room. The most annoying part was cutting the planks to fit around the edges. I used a jigsaw, and let’s just say my cuts weren’t exactly pro-level. But hey, it’s a workshop, not a showroom!

The click-lock system is pretty user friendly. clicking and locking, pushing, I did these actions repeatedly.

• Clear the area.
• Check the floor.
• Roll out underlayment.
• Tape the seams.
• Angle one plank.
• Snap it down.
• Start in corner.
• Work across room.
• Cut the planks.

The Finishing Touches (Almost There!)

Once all the planks were down, I installed some quarter-round molding around the edges to cover up my less-than-perfect cuts. It’s just thin strips of wood that you nail into place. It made the whole thing look a lot cleaner.

And that’s it! It’s not a regulation-size court, but it’s big enough for me to practice my free throws and dribble around a bit. The laminate feels pretty good underfoot, and it definitely looks the part.

Total cost? Way less than a real hardwood floor. Total time? A weekend of work. Satisfaction level? Pretty darn high!