Getting Started

My garage dance sessions were wrecking my knees on that concrete floor, so I hunted for some portable wood flooring. Local stores wanted stupid money for prefab stuff, so I decided to build my own damn floor. Grabbed birch plywood ’cause it’s cheap and sturdy at the lumber yard – eight 4x2ft sheets. Measured my dancing area twice, figured I’d need six panels total.

The Annoying Part

First disaster happened right when I fired up the circular saw. Turns out birch plywood splinters like crazy if you cut it wrong. I learned fast: gotta score the cut line with a knife first. Spent hours sanding all the edges smooth after that mess. Stained the tops walnut ’cause bare birch looks too sad, threw three coats of varnish on while cursing the drying time between layers.

Fixing the “Portable” Nightmare

Biggest headache was figuring out how to connect these suckers without making ’em weigh a ton. Tried regular hinges first – terrible idea. They buckled when I stepped on seams and left dangerous gaps. Switched to heavy-duty strap hinges mounted sideways under each panel, test-fitted ’em one by one. Added these little rubber feet pads underneath so it won’t slide around on concrete.

• Battle #1: Tried nailing connectors – split the wood edges like firewood.
• Battle #2: Drilled pilot holes too small, screws snapped halfway in.
• Victory: Used clamps + pre-drilled bigger holes + slow-screwed everything.

Final Test & Flaws

Unfolded the whole thing in my driveway for a test spin. Panels lock surprisingly tight when connected – no gaps or toe-catching spots! But damn, each 4x2ft panel weighs nearly 20 pounds. Folded ’em up like giant books to stash in the garage closet. It’s not “grab-and-go” light, but slides under my bed when I need floor space back. Still cheaper than buying pre-made, and my knees stopped sounding like popcorn.