Why I Even Thought About Building My Own Gym
Honestly? Got tired of driving 30 minutes to play pickup games. Last winter the roads were pure ice, missed my buddy’s birthday tournament. Thought – why not convert my useless barn into a basketball court?
The “This Can’t Be Hard” Phase
Started measuring my barn next morning. Found mice nests in the corners – fantastic. Cleaned it all out with a shovel and garbage bags. Then hit the first problem: ceilings were only 18 feet high. NBA regulation’s 25 feet! Almost scrapped the idea til my neighbor said “You ain’t LeBron, just duck a little.”
Reality Check Shopping Trip
Went to Home Depot thinking I’d grab wood and call it a day. Employee laughed when I asked about maple flooring – apparently you can’t just use regular wood. Found out about special sports tiles. Nearly fainted seeing prices:
- Foam floor tiles: $1.50 per square foot (cheap but looked terrible)
- Real maple tiles: $4.80 per square foot (my wallet screamed)
- That fancy rubber stuff: $3.25 per square foot (still painful)
Calculated 1,000 sq ft needed… yeah this hurt already.
The Hoop Nightmare
Thought hoops were simple. Wrong again. Choices:
- Wall-mounted: $800 but my barn walls are sketchy
- Rolling stand: $650 but eats court space
- Ceiling-hung: $1,200 plus installation terror
Bought the wall-mount. Drilled into what I thought was wood beam… turned out to be termite buffet. Whole section crumbled. Swore for 10 minutes straight.
Lighting and Other Surprises
Electrician buddy came to check wiring. Laughed saying “Your barn has 1950s aluminum wires – gonna burn down.” Rewiring cost more than the stupid floor! Then realized I needed:
- Wall padding ($1,200)
- Boundary line paint ($45 per gallon)
- Dehumidifier ($350) because moisture warps floors
My “simple project” became a money pit real quick.
The Final Damage Report
Ended up spending:
- Flooring: $3,250 (went with mid-tier rubber)
- Hoop+installation: $1,100
- Lighting/electrical: $2,800
- Random crap (padding, paint, etc): $1,600
Total $8,750 – my wife didn’t talk to me for a week. Could’ve bought lifetime gym membership for that.
Was It Worth It?
First shot clanked off the rim, hit my minivan’s side mirror. BUT when my kid made his first layup there? Priceless. Still cheaper than his travel team fees. We play every night after dinner now – even my wife shoots sometimes. Barn smells like sweat and happiness. Still paying off the credit card though.
