Starting out with the beech planks

Last Tuesday I unloaded those beech wood boxes from the truck, man they were heavy. Like really heavy. Thought my back would snap carrying them up the driveway. Opened up the first crate and wow, that honey-colored wood smelled amazing – fresh cut forest kinda smell. Each plank was longer than my arm span, and smooth like polished stone.

Prepping the concrete jungle

Our garage floor was nasty. Oil stains, weird bumps, cracks you could lose coins in. Spent two whole days scrubbing with acid cleaner – burned three holes in my jeans. Then I laid that rubber underlayment, unrolling it like a giant yoga mat. Had to cut weird shapes around drain pipes with kitchen scissors because I couldn’t find my utility knife. Typical.

The click-lock nightmare

First row? Easy-peasy. Planks clicked together like LEGO bricks. Got cocky. By row three everything went crooked. The dang beech planks expanded overnight like they were breathing! Huge gaps appeared near the garage door. Had to rip out two rows with a crowbar, snapping three planks in half. Wasted half a day cussing at wood fibers.

Finishing touches and fails

Got smarter with spacers after that disaster. Used my kid’s building blocks when the store spacers ran out. Applied finish with this microfiber mop, sweating bullets not to leave streaks. Last plank needed trimming for the water heater corner. Cut it backwards first try – good thing I bought extras. Final reveal? Looks pro except near the toolbox where I dropped the stain can. Permanent dribble mark. Character, right?

Whole project took three weekends and here’s what stuck with me:

• Beech dents easy – dropped a wrench during install, left a moon crater
• Humidity matters – my “acclimation” day wasn’t enough, should’ve waited a week
• Knee pads are lifesavers – still finding wood chips in my hair somehow

Would I do it again? Yeah, but next time I’m bribing my carpenter cousin with beer. And maybe choosing a darker stain to hide my mistakes.