Okay, here’s my attempt at writing a blog post in the style you requested, about installing batten basketball hard maple assembly wooden flooring:

Alright, so I decided to put down some new flooring in my makeshift home gym. Figured I’d go all out and get that real basketball court feel, you know? So I went with this batten, hard maple, assembly-type wooden flooring. Let me tell you, it was a project, but totally worth it.

Prepping the Space

First things first, I cleared out everything. Like, everything. We’re talking weights, mats, that old exercise bike I never use… the whole shebang. Then came the fun part (not really): making sure the subfloor was level. My place is pretty old, so the concrete floor was a little uneven. I Got some self-leveling compound and got to work pouring and spreading it around. It was messy, but hey, gotta do what you gotta do. I let that dry for a good day or two, just to be sure.

The Batten System

This wasn’t your typical nail-down flooring. This stuff had a batten system. Basically, these wooden strips (the battens) that I had to lay down first. These create a grid and give the floor some bounce, like a real court. I measured everything out, made sure it was all square, and then screwed those battens down into the concrete. Took some time, my back was killing me, but it was important to get it right.

• Measure twice, cut once. Seriously, this is key. I nearly messed up a couple of the batten placements.
• Use good screws. Don’t cheap out on these. They’re holding the whole thing down.
• Take breaks! My knees were not happy with me after a few hours.

Laying the Maple

Once the battens were in, it was time for the actual maple flooring. These pieces were tongue and groove, so they fit together pretty easily. I started in one corner and just worked my way across, row by row. I used a rubber mallet to tap them into place, making sure everything was nice and snug. There’s a special tool, like a floor jack, that helps push the last few rows tight against the wall – lifesaver!

I had to cut some pieces to fit around the edges and a couple of weird corners. That was a bit tricky, but I managed. A good jigsaw is your friend here.

Finishing Up

After all the flooring was down, I had to put down some transition strips where the new floor met the other flooring in the house. Just to make it look clean, you know? And of course, I cleaned up all the sawdust and scraps. A LOT of sawdust.

The final step? Admiring my handiwork! Seriously, it looks amazing. Feels amazing too. Like I’m ready to play some serious ball (even though I’m terrible). It was a lot of work, but seeing the finished product made it all worthwhile. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go shoot some hoops…or at least try to.