Alright, so I’ve been meaning to get this project done for, like, forever, and I finally tackled it. We’re talking about putting down some serious flooring – LVL Basketball lvl larch assembled wooden flooring. Sounds fancy, huh? It’s basically this engineered wood stuff that’s supposed to be super durable, perfect for a high-traffic area, or in my case, a makeshift home gym/basketball court (don’t judge!).

Getting Started

First things first, I cleared out the space. This involved a lot of heavy lifting and a surprising amount of “where did all this junk even come from?” moments. Once it was empty, I gave the concrete subfloor a good sweep and vacuum. You don’t want any little pebbles or dust bunnies messing with your perfectly level floor.

Prepping the Subfloor

My subfloor, thankfully was already pretty level. So I didn’t have to use the leveling compund, if I had to, I would have mixed the compound according to the instructions, poured it onto the low spots, and used a long level to spread it evenly.

Laying the Underlayment

Next up, the underlayment. This is like a thin, foamy layer that goes between the concrete and the wood. It helps with sound dampening (important when you’re bouncing a basketball) and provides a little extra cushion. I rolled it out, making sure to overlap the seams by a few inches, and taped them down with some heavy-duty tape.

The Main Event: Laying the Floor

Now for the fun part! I started in one corner, laying down the first row of planks. The LVL stuff I got had this click-lock system, so it was pretty straightforward. You just angle one plank into the other and snap it down. It’s kind of like adult LEGOs, but way more satisfying.

• Click and Lock: Seriously, the click sound is so rewarding.
• Stagger the Seams: This is important for both looks and stability. You don’t want all your seams lining up in a row. Think brick wall, not perfectly aligned squares.
• Use Spacers: These little plastic things go between the flooring and the walls to leave an expansion gap. Wood expands and contracts with temperature changes, so you need to give it some room to breathe.
• Tap, Tap, Tap: I used a tapping block and a rubber mallet to make sure everything was snug and tight. Don’t go crazy with the hammer, though, or you’ll damage the planks.

The Final Touches

Once I got to the last row, I had to rip some planks lengthwise to fit. that to cut them to the right width. After that, it was just a matter of installing the baseboards and transition strips.

And boom! Done. My own little basketball court/gym. It took a good weekend of work, but honestly, it was totally worth it. The floor looks amazing, feels solid underfoot, and I can finally practice my jump shot without worrying about ruining the carpet. Now, who wants to play some one-on-one?