Okay, so I’ve been wanting to redo the flooring in my little home gym for ages. The old stuff was just… sad. Scratched, dinged, and definitely not inspiring any workout motivation. I finally decided to bite the bullet and go for it. I settled on batten basketball pine wooden flooring. Sounded sturdy, looked good in the pictures – you know how it is.

Getting Started

First things first, I measured the room. Twice. Because I am not about to run out of flooring halfway through. Then, I cleared out everything. Weights, yoga mats, the whole shebang. It was a mini-workout in itself, honestly.

Next, I got down and checked the existing subfloor. It was pretty level, thankfully, just a few minor dips. Nothing a bit of self-leveling compound couldn’t fix. I poured that stuff on, smoothed it out, and let it dry overnight. Felt like a real pro, using that giant trowel thing.

Laying the Battens

The battens! These are basically the support beams that go under the floorboards. I laid them out, making sure they were evenly spaced according to the instructions. This part was kind of like a giant puzzle. I used a measuring tape and a level constantly. Gotta make sure everything is straight, or the whole floor will be wonky.

Once I was happy with the placement, I screwed the battens down into the subfloor. My power drill got a good workout that day! I made sure to use screws that were long enough to get a good grip. No wobbling allowed!

Time for the Floorboards!

This was the exciting part. Finally, time to lay down the actual pine floorboards! I started in one corner, working my way across the room. I used a rubber mallet to gently tap each board into place, making sure they were nice and snug against each other. It’s important doing this to be make sure the boards are really well fitted, and I’m doing it with my bare hands.

Between each row, I staggered the joints. You know, so it doesn’t look like a checkerboard. Gives it a more natural, flowing look. I also left a small expansion gap around the edges of the room, because wood expands and contracts with changes in temperature and humidity. Don’t want the floor buckling later on!

For the tricky cuts around the door frame and some pipes, I used a jigsaw. I’m not gonna lie, I was a little nervous about this part, but I took my time, measured carefully, and it turned out okay. Not perfect, but hey, it’s a home gym, not a museum, right?

Finishing Touches

Once all the floorboards were down, I gave the whole thing a good sanding. Started with a coarse grit sandpaper, then moved to a finer grit to get it really smooth. Then I vacuumed up all the dust – and there was a lot of dust.

Finally, I applied a few coats of polyurethane sealant. This will protect the wood and give it a nice, durable finish. I let each coat dry completely before applying the next. Patience is key, people!

And… that’s it! My new gym floor is done. It took a few days of work, some sweat, and a few near-misses with the jigsaw, but I’m super happy with how it turned out. It looks so much better than before, and it feels great underfoot. Now, time to actually, you know, use the gym…