Okay, here’s my blog post about the LVL basketball plywood portable wooden flooring project:

Alright, so I wanted a decent practice space for basketball, something better than just the driveway. I looked at those plastic court tiles, but honestly, they felt kinda cheap and didn’t give the right bounce. I wanted that real wood feel, you know? So, I started digging around and came across this idea of using LVL plywood to make a portable wooden floor. Sounded crazy, but also… kinda perfect.

Getting Started

First thing, I needed to figure out the size. I didn’t need a full court, obviously, just enough space to work on dribbling and shooting. I measured out my garage – that’s where this thing was gonna live – and decided on a roughly 12ft x 12ft area. That seemed like a good starting point.

The Materials

Next up, the wood. Now, “LVL” stands for Laminated Veneer Lumber. It’s basically like plywood, but way stronger and more consistent, the core is made by many layers wood stick together. Normal plywood can have weak spots, but LVL is engineered to be solid. I found a local supplier that had 1 1/8″ thick LVL sheets. That thickness felt good – sturdy enough to handle the impact of a bouncing ball.

  • LVL Plywood Sheets: 1 1/8″ thick, enough to cover my 12ft x 12ft area.
  • 2x4s: For the frame, to give the floor some elevation and bounce.
  • Screws: Lots of ’em! To hold everything together.
  • Construction Adhesive: To glue the 2x4s to the plywood. I wanted this thing to be ROCK solid.
  • Some kind of cushioning: I ended up using some old rubber mats I had lying around, to put under the frame.

Building the Beast

Okay, this is where the real work began. I started by cutting the 2x4s to create a basic frame. Think of it like a giant picture frame, with extra supports running across the middle. I spaced the supports about 16 inches apart – that seemed like it would provide enough support without being overkill.

Then, I laid out the LVL sheets on top of the frame. This was a bit of a puzzle, figuring out how to arrange them to minimize waste. Once I had them positioned, I used a generous amount of construction adhesive on the 2x4s and carefully placed the LVL sheets down. Then came the screws – lots and lots of screws. I sunk them in every 12 inches or so, making sure the plywood was really secured to the frame.

The rubber mats went underneath the frame, to act as a bit of a shock absorber and to protect the garage floor. It also helped to level things out a bit, since my garage floor isn’t perfectly even.

The Finished Product (and Some Lessons Learned)

It took a weekend of solid work, but man, it was worth it! The floor feels amazing. The ball bounces true, and it’s solid as a rock. I can practice dribbling drills, work on my shot, and even get a little bit of a workout in without worrying about damaging the floor or annoying the neighbors too much (the rubber mats help with the noise).

If I were to do it again, I might consider adding a finish to the plywood. It’s pretty raw right now, and I could see it getting scuffed up over time. A coat of polyurethane or something similar would probably help protect it. I also would use a power driller instead hand tools,save lots time.

Overall, I’m super happy with how this project turned out. It’s not perfect, but it’s a HUGE upgrade from practicing on the driveway. And the best part? It’s portable! If I ever move, I can just disassemble it and take it with me.

Leave A Comment