Okay, so I’ve been wanting to build a basketball court in my backyard for, like, forever. I finally decided to just go for it! First thing I needed to figure out was the flooring. I mean, you can’t just play on grass, right?

Digging into Options

So, I started researching. I spent hours looking at different kinds of flooring.

• Hardwood: This is your classic indoor court look. Think shiny and smooth.
• Asphalt: That’s your basic outdoor playground stuff. Super common.
• Concrete: Seemed like a solid, durable option.
• Modular Tiles: These are those plastic-y squares that snap together. They looked pretty cool.
• Acrylic:This can go over asphalt or concrete,it give courts a colorful, consistent surface.

My Backyard Court Journey

I started thinking about what I actually needed. My court was going to be outside. Inside hardwood is awesome, but it’s gonna get all messed up quick outdoors, rain would wreck it . Asphalt seemed okay, but kinda boring. I thought it’s rough and can scrape you up, so I wanted something a bit nicer.

I looked at concrete. It’s strong, and you can paint it. It would stand up to the weather. But, I was a little worried about it being too hard. I’m not getting any younger, and I didn’t want to kill my knees.

Then I started checking out those modular tiles. They seemed pretty cool. Lots of colors, and they had some bounce to them, which I liked. Plus, they’re designed for drainage, which is important where I live, because get some serious rain sometimes.

So the first thing I did was measure out the space in my backyard. I used some stakes and string to mark the area. Then, I grabbed a shovel and started leveling the ground. It’s more work and sweat, But it needed to be done!

Next, I put down a layer of compacted gravel. This is important for drainage,you don’t want water pooling under your court!

After the gravel I did put a weed barrier fabric, keep weeds growing up through the tiles, which no like.

Finally, I got to the fun part – putting down the tiles! They just snapped together, which was actually pretty satisfying. It was like a giant puzzle. I started in one corner and worked my way * tiles were easy to cut with a saw when I got to the edges.

I decided to go with the modular tiles, that is what I did. They seemed like the best balance of everything – cost, durability, comfort, and looks. I’m super happy with how it turned out! It’s not perfect, but it’s my court, and I built it myself. Now, time to go shoot some hoops!