Okay, here’s my experience installing a keel basketball solid assembled wooden flooring.

So, I decided to put in a proper basketball floor in my basement. I’ve got a decent-sized space, and I figured, why not? It’s always been a dream of mine to have my own little court. I chose to do the flooring all by my self.

First, I cleared everything out. I mean everything. It was like starting with a blank canvas, which was pretty cool, but also a lot of work. My back was already sore just from moving furniture.

Next, I had to make sure the concrete subfloor was level and clean. I used a long level and found a few low spots. I grabbed some self-leveling compound and filled those in. It’s that messy, goopy stuff that kind of smells funny. But it did the trick. I let that dry completely, which took like a full day. I’m not the most patient guy, so that was tough.

Then came the moisture barrier. Because it’s a basement, you gotta worry about moisture, and that’s the enemy that ruin the hardwood. I rolled out this thick plastic sheeting, making sure to overlap the seams and tape them down really well. Think of it like wrapping a giant present, but way less fun.

Installing the sleepers(keel)

The keel is the Support System. I laid down these wooden sleepers , spacing them out according to the instructions. These give the floor some bounce and help with airflow. Getting them all lined up straight was a bit of a pain, but I just took my time, measuring and adjusting until they were all good.

• Cut the sleepers(keel) to the correct length.
• Position the sleepers(keel).
• Space sleepers(keel) 12, 16, or 19 inches on center.
• Ensure sleepers(keel) are level.

Putting Down the Flooring

Now for the actual flooring! I started laying down the solid wood planks, I chose assembled wooden,because easy to install. It’s like putting together a giant puzzle, you can say. I used a flooring nailer , which is kind of a satisfying tool to use, and you go thunk with each nail. But, man, it’s noisy! My ears were ringing after a while.

I made sure to leave a gap around the edges for expansion. Wood expands and contracts with the temperature, so you gotta give it some room to breathe, or it’ll buckle. It looks a little weird at first, but you cover it up with baseboards later.

• Place the first row of flooring.
• Use a mallet to tap flooring together.
• Secure flooring with nails or staples.
• Continue adding rows of flooring.

I kept going, row by row, until the whole floor was covered. It took a few solid days of work, and my knees were definitely feeling it. But seeing it all come together was awesome.

Finally, I installed the baseboards around the perimeter to hide that expansion gap. This made everything look finished and professional. I used a miter saw to cut the corners, which was a little tricky, but I got the hang of it. Then I added three coats of polyurethane to the floor.

And that’s it! My own basketball court. It was a ton of work, but totally worth it. Now I can shoot hoops whenever I want, without having to go to the gym. Plus, it just looks cool. If you’re thinking about doing something similar, just be prepared for some serious effort. But if I can do it, anyone can!