Okay, so I finally got around to installing that rubber basketball beech floor everyone keeps asking about. My old court surface was basically concrete covered in dust, and my knees were screaming after every game. Needed a change, you know?

The Hunt Begins

First thing, I had to actually find the dang flooring. Went to three different stores looking for this rubber-beech combo stuff. Sales guys kept pushing fancy expensive floors at me, but I stuck to my list. Finally found this interlocking kind – came in big square tiles with rubber on the bottom and smooth wood tops.

Surprise Unboxing Party

Truck dropped off like twenty heavy boxes. Opened one up thinking it’d be ready to slap down. Nope! Each tile had these plastic wrap layers screaming “REMOVE BEFORE INSTALLING” in three languages. Spent a whole morning just peeling stupid plastic off every single tile. Felt like opening 500 phone cases.

Flat Floor Dreams

Thought my garage floor was flat. Hah! Got down with a level and nope – bumps everywhere. Swept like crazy, then spent hours pouring self-leveling concrete goop. Watched it dry for two days. My cat left paw prints in it. Had to sand those out.

Click-Clack Assembly

Started clicking tiles together at the corner. The rubber bottoms gripped concrete like velcro – good sign! But halfway through, realized the pattern looked crooked. Had to yank up half the tiles because I didn’t measure right. Pro tip: start from the middle, not the wall. Lost three fingernails pulling those tiles apart. Worth it though.

Battle of the Edges

Then came the cursed edges. Needed to cut tiles to fit around doorways. Bought a cheap hand saw – big mistake. Wood splintered everywhere, rubber bits flew in my hair. Upgraded to an electric jigsaw but got too confident and hacked a tile diagonally. Had to hide that wreck under the bench.

Sweat and Victory

After two weekends of swearing and Band-Aids, finally clicked the last tile in. Swept the whole thing three times just to admire it. Then grabbed my ball. Dribbled. That thump-thump sounded so dang satisfying – like an NBA broadcast! Ball bounced even, knees felt cushioned. Did a layup just to celebrate. Neighbor probably thought I lost it.

Was it perfect? Heck no. Got gaps in two spots where tiles don’t sit flush. Might duct tape those. But playing on it? Absolute game changer. Worth every splinter.