So the other day I decided to finally fix up my garage gym. You know that crappy rubber flooring I had? Total garbage. Was tearing up and leaving black marks everywhere. Figured why not try hardwood gym flooring since everyone’s raving about it.
Getting Started
First I measured the whole dang space. Wasted like three hours because I kept messing up the numbers. Seriously forgot to account for the damn water heater sticking out. Had to redo it four times before I got it right.
Went to the home improvement store and nearly choked seeing the prices. Ended up choosing oak planks because the maple cost twice as much. Bought extra cause I knew I’d screw up some cuts.
The Real Work Begins
Had to clear out all my gym equipment first. That squat rack weighs a freaking ton! Sweat buckets just dragging stuff to the driveway. Then discovered the concrete floor wasn’t level at all. Had to buy self-leveling compound and wait two freakin’ days for it to cure.
Started laying planks from the corner. Hammered my thumb twice trying to connect those click-lock edges. Dropped so many F-bombs my neighbor probably thinks I’m insane. The cutting part? Absolute nightmare. Sawdust covered everything – looked like a blizzard hit my garage.
Problem Solving
Ran into major issues around the door frame. Pieces weren’t fitting right so I had to chisel out part of the trim. Also forgot about expansion gaps at first. Had to rip up like six rows when they started buckling. Almost quit right there honestly.
The biggest surprises?
- How dang heavy hardwood planks really are
- Why nobody mentions the insane amount of vacuuming afterwards
- That random scratch I somehow put dead center on the floor
Final Result
Took me two whole weekends but holy crap it looks good. Way better grip than rubber flooring when doing deadlifts. Doesn’t smell like chemicals anymore either. Dropped a 45lb plate on purpose to test – barely made a dent!
Only regret is not sealing it yet. Sweat beads up and stains the wood after workouts. But overall? Totally worth the blood, sweat and tears. Thinking about adding wall mirrors next. Or maybe not… might need therapy after this project first!
