Okay guys, let’s talk gym floors. Our community center gym looked like a war zone – scuffed, splintered, felt like running on concrete. Someone donated real maple planks, and I thought: “How hard can it be?” Spoiler: real hard.

Measurements First

Dragged my laser measure across that giant room. Did it three times ’cause the walls weren’t straight. Saw my numbers didn’t match the blueprints? Grabbed chalk and drew lines right on the concrete. Found out one corner dipped like a soup bowl. Had to scribble adjustments everywhere.

Old Floor Nightmare

Peeled up the nasty rubber tiles. Underneath? Black glue cement. Used a scraper attached to my drill – took two days. Wore three masks ’cause that stuff smelled like rotten eggs. Dust flew everywhere. Sweat poured. Threw that mess into 50 contractor bags. Worth it? Nope.

Concrete Surprise

Once clean, puddles appeared after rain. Found a crack near the fire exit. Bought this putty stuff from the hardware store, mixed it in buckets. Felt like frosting a giant concrete cake. Let it cure for a full week. Taped plastic sheets over it like a weird art project.

Wood Puzzle Time

Laid out the planks for two days to see their shades. Split them into three piles:

• Too dark? Back wall
• Too light? Middle court lines
• Just right? Smack in the center

Stacked ’em crooked by the window like Jenga blocks. My cat thought it was her new playground.

Hammering Fiasco

Started nailing boards at dawn. Thought I’d be done by lunch. Ha! The nail gun jammed every fourth plank. Bounced off knotty wood twice. Bent 60 nails – my thumb still has a purple bruise. Ended up hand-nailing the stubborn ones with a hammer. That echo? Pure torture.

Halfway Panic

Got to center court at sunset. Realized we hadn’t aligned the maple grain direction. Scratched our heads for an hour. Called my uncle who does cabinets. He said: “Just point the tongues toward the main entrance.” Why? Tradition. We flipped 30 planks sweating bullets.

Finishing Touches

Sanded for three days straight. Looked like a flour bomb exploded. Wiped every inch with wet rags – changed water 18 times. The varnish? Huge mistake. Bought the cheap one. Had to redo corners when it peeled like sunburn. Second coat at midnight using rollers on sticks. Slid out once. Didn’t fall.

Done? Two months later. Kids played basketball yesterday. That thump-thump-thump sound bouncing off real wood? Best paycheck I never got. Still finding wood chips in my hair though.