Okay, here’s my blog post about assembling the LVL Basketball birch wooden flooring:

Alright, so I tackled a pretty big project recently – putting in a birch wooden floor specifically designed for basketball. It’s that LVL stuff, which I guess means Laminated Veneer Lumber? Sounds fancy, but honestly, it was more about the function for me. I wanted a solid, reliable surface for some serious hoops action.

Getting Started

First things first, I cleared out the entire space. This was a bigger job than I anticipated. I moved furniture, rolled up old rugs, and basically made sure the subfloor was completely bare. Then I got on my hands and knees, giving the subfloor a thorough scrubbing. I used some basic cleaner, and made sure there wasn’t any dust, dirt, or any sticky garbage.

The Materials Arrive

The flooring arrived in these long planks. They looked really good – that light birch color is very nice, I have to say. It all came packaged up really neat, which was a relief. I had prepped my tools before they delivery, things I had were a good measuring tape, a powerful circular saw, a rubber mallet, and a whole bunch of those spacer things to keep the gaps between the planks consistent.I borrowed a strong nail gun that can shoot directly to concrete from my neighbour.

Laying Down the Planks

I started in one corner, following the instructions that came with the flooring. The first row is super important – get that straight, and the rest is way easier. I used the spacers to keep a small gap between the planks and the wall, apparently for expansion, so the wood doesn’t buckle when it gets hot or humid.

The planks had this tongue-and-groove system, which is kind of like a puzzle. You slide the tongue of one plank into the groove of the other. It took a little wiggling and some gentle taps with the rubber mallet to get them snug, but it wasn’t rocket science. Then I shot the nails with the nail gun through the planks to the concrete floor.

Cutting and Fitting

Of course, you can’t just lay down whole planks forever. I had to cut some to fit around the edges of the room and any weird corners. This is where the circular saw came in handy. Measure twice, cut once, that’s what they say, and it’s true! I messed up one plank early on and had to use a spare. Lesson learned.

Finishing Up

After all the planks were down, it was time for the finishing touches. I went over the whole floor, making sure there weren’t any loose nails or splinters. I also made sure it can resist moisture for the cleaning in the future, I used a special sealant recommended for sports flooring. It added a nice, subtle sheen and supposedly protects the wood.

• Clear the area: Get everything off the subfloor.
• Clean the subfloor: Seriously, make it spotless.
• Measure and plan: Figure out your layout before you start.
• Use spacers: Keep those gaps consistent.
• Cut carefully: Measure twice, cut once!
• Seal it up: Protect that beautiful wood.

The whole project took me a good few days, working on and off. But honestly, stepping back and seeing that finished birch floor was super satisfying. And playing on it? Even better. It’s got a great feel, solid and smooth. Definitely worth the effort.