Okay, so I’ve been wanting to redo my home gym floor for, like, forever. Finally got around to it. The old one was just… sad. Concrete with some ratty old mats. Decided to go all out and do a proper sprung wooden floor. You know, like the ones they have in actual basketball courts. Figured, hey, why not?
Getting Started
First thing, I spent a good chunk of time just staring at the space. Trying to, you know, visualize. Gotta get a good mental picture before you start ripping things up. Then, I cleaned everything out. Moved all the weights, the bench, everything. Gave the concrete a good sweep. Twice.
The Materials
I went with soft maple. Seemed like the best option, it’s durable, i look it up before. Got a bunch of 2x4s for the battens – that’s the under-structure, the part that gives it the “spring”. And, of course, the maple flooring itself. It came in these long strips, tongue-and-groove, so they interlock.
Building the Batten Frame
This was probably the most time-consuming part. I laid out the 2x4s on their sides, spacing them out evenly. I think I did about 16 inches apart? Something like that. Eyeballed it, mostly. Then, I screwed them together to create these long, ladder-like frames. Made sure everything was nice and level. Used a level, you know, the bubble thing. A lot.
- Cut the 2x4s to length.
- Spaced them out evenly.
- Screwed them together.
- Important: Check for level constantly!
Adding the “Spring”
Okay, this is where it gets interesting. I used these rubber pads, Some of the videos i watched some guys are use old tire rubber, But i think is’s hard to find, so i used these rubber pads, placed them under the battens. They’re what give the floor its bounce. I put one every foot or so, again, just eyeballing it. Seemed about right.
Laying the Flooring
Once the batten frame was down and all springy, it was time for the actual flooring. Started at one wall and worked my way across. The tongue-and-groove thing made it pretty easy. Just tap them together with a rubber mallet, and they lock in place. Had to use a saw to cut the pieces at the ends of the rows, obviously.
Tip: Leave a little gap around the edges of the room. Wood expands and contracts, so you need to give it some breathing room. I used some little spacer blocks to make sure the gap was consistent.
Finishing Up
After all the flooring was down, I gave it a good sanding. Started with a coarser grit, then went finer and finer until it was super smooth. Took a while, but it was worth it. Then, I applied a few coats of polyurethane. That’s the stuff that protects the wood and gives it that nice, shiny finish. Let it dry completely between coats, of course.
And… that’s pretty much it! Moved all my equipment back in, and now I have a sweet, sprung wooden floor in my home gym. Feels amazing to work out on. Way better than that old concrete. Totally worth the effort.
