Okay, so yesterday I decided to tackle that old basketball court project I’ve been putting off. You know, the one in the backyard that’s more weeds than court at this point? The title of my little adventure was “keel Basketball rubber tree portable wooden flooring”. Ambitious, I know.

First, I cleared the whole area. I mean everything. Pulled out weeds, moved rocks, even dug up some stubborn roots. It was back-breaking work, I tell you. My back is definitely feeling it today!

Then came the leveling. This part was tricky. I don’t have any fancy equipment, just a shovel, a rake, and a long, straight board. I moved dirt around, checked the level with the board, added more dirt, checked again… It took forever, and I’m still not 100% sure it’s perfectly level, but it’s a heck of a lot better than it was.

Next, I laid down a layer of landscape fabric. I think this is to keep the weeds from coming back up? I’m not entirely sure, but the instructions I cobbled together from various websites said to do it, so I did. I secured the fabric with some landscape staples.

The Rubber Tree Part

I’m not sure the relationship to Rubber Tree, maybe the material feeling?

I rolled out the rubber flooring tiles. These things are heavy! I got them used from a friend who was renovating their home gym. They clicked together pretty easily, which was a relief. I arranged them in a square, making sure to leave some space around the edges for expansion.

The Portable Wooden Flooring Part

• I found these old wooden pallets behind a grocery store. They were just throwing them away!
• I took them apart carefully, trying not to break any of the planks.
• I cleaned the wood and sanded down any rough edges. This took a while, but it was worth it. No one wants splinters while playing basketball!
• I built, and constructed a small frame, fitting some wood and portable setting.

Finally, I placed the wooden flooring sections on top of the rubber. I didn’t nail them down or anything because I want it to be “portable,” I guess. I just laid them out in a pattern that looked decent. I might add some kind of border later to make it look more finished, but for now, it’s good enough.

It’s not perfect, but it’s a huge improvement. My kids can actually bounce a basketball on it now! I might even try shooting some hoops myself… once my back recovers, that is.