Man, this athletic hardwood flooring project turned out way trickier than I thought it would. Started simple – saw some dings on my basement court that needed fixing. Grabbed the tape measure first thing Tuesday morning, figured I’d knock this out quick.
My NJ Lumber Hunt Disaster
Drove around three towns hunting decent maple planks. First spot in Clifton had garbage warped boards. Edison supplier wanted an arm and a leg. Finally scored “athletic grade” stuff in Rahway after arguing with some dude behind a scratched plexiglass counter. Loaded the truck myself while it started drizzling.
Prep Work Nightmare
Got home ready to install, but nah. That old subfloor? Complete mess. Spent three hours just leveling concrete patches:
- Scraped up weird sticky gunk
- Jackhammered a stubborn hump near the wall
- Sweat through my shirt cleaning decades of dust
Almost tossed my circular saw out the window when I messed up measurements twice.
Nailing Down the Hardwood
Thursday I hammered for what felt like forever. Wood adhesive stank up the whole house. My forearm cramped when I hit a knot in the second row. Had to:
- Pre-drill stubborn planks so they wouldn’t split
- Shim the far corner ’cause the wall wasn’t square
- Constantly check with that stupid 6-foot level
Finished around midnight with sawdust stuck to my sweaty forehead.
Final Sanding & Finishing Touches
Woke up Friday feeling like I got hit by a truck. Sanding took four passes with different grits while coughing through my dust mask. Applied water-based finish thin and even using an old sock rag. Nearly tripped over the can walking backwards. Let it cure all weekend smelling like chemicals.
Was It Worth the Trouble?
Hell yeah it was. That smooth maple surface bounces perfectly now. Cost me less than hiring those overpriced installers from Morris County. Still hurts to bend my knees though. Next time? Might just pay the damn professionals.
