Last summer I finally snapped about that cracked concrete slab in my garage. Got obsessed with building a legit practice court after watching too much NBA highlights. Figured if I’m gonna hoop at home, might as well do it right on real hardwood. Ordered maple planks online thinking “how hard could this be?” Spoiler: real damn hard.

Prepping the Garage Pit

First I ripped out everything from the garage – old lawnmower, broken bikes, random junk piled since 2010. Found two dead mice and a petrified frog behind some boxes. Hosed down the entire floor twice just to get rid of that mildew stink.

Had to fix those massive cracks too. Bought epoxy filler from the hardware store, squeezed it into every crevice like frosting on a cake. Spent three whole days sanding the surface with this rented orbital sander that vibrated so much my teeth chattered. Still better than paying professionals though.

Moisture Chaos Disaster

Here’s where I screwed up big time. Spread the vapor barrier plastic like it showed on YouTube videos, overlapping the seams nice and tight. Then came the real head-smacker moment.

Laid the foam underlayment smooth as butter… only to realize I’d put the silver moisture-resistant side facing DOWN against the concrete. Felt like an absolute dumbass tearing up 400 square feet of glued-down foam at midnight. Sweat pouring down my neck while mosquitoes feasted on my ankles.

Wood Wrestling Match

The maple planks arrived smelling like a lumberyard heaven. Each piece had tongue-and-groove edges that needed serious persuasion to lock together. Slammed them with a rubber mallet so hard my neighbor came over thinking I was building bombs.

Kept measuring and remeasuring every row but still ended up with crooked lines near the garage door. Had to pull up half the boards when the gaps got wider than my pinky finger. That glue gets everywhere – ruined my favorite sneakers permanently.

Biggest fight was with the finish line:

• First polyurethane coat: Looked perfect until a leaf blew in and stuck to it like flypaper
• Sanding mishap: Went too hard near the edges and sanded right through to the foam layer
• Final coat: Ran out halfway through and the store closed so I patched it with mismatched gloss

Court Reality Check

Took three months total working weekends and nights. The three-point line looks slightly drunk when you stand close, and that patched corner is basically a hazard zone when it rains. Still though, that satisfying thud when the ball bounces? Priceless.

Wife says it’s ugly as sin. Kids love it. My knees hate me for kneeling on hardwood six hours straight. Worth every blister.