Last weekend I finally tackled that backyard basketball court project I’ve been putting off. Woke up early Saturday morning, rolled up my sleeves and dove right in. Here’s exactly how I did it.

Getting Started

First thing – I dragged all those hevea wood panels outta the garage where they’d been collecting dust. Laid them in the sun to warm up while I grabbed my tools:

• Tape measure
• Rubber mallet
• Straight edge knife
• Chalk line
• Safety goggles (nearly forgot those!)

Checked my concrete slab was clean and dry – swept away leaves and hosed off dirt. Didn’t wanna trap any debris under the tiles. Almost messed up right here ’cause I didn’t wait for the concrete to fully dry. Had to waste two hours sipping coffee while it dried.

The Installation Grind

Started from the center point like the instructions said. Snapped my chalk line corner to corner making a big X. Took three tries to get it straight – eyeballing doesn’t cut it. Laid first tile where lines crossed and WHACKED it firm with rubber mallet. Felt satisfying!

Worked outward tile by tile, tongue-and-groove sides locking together. Got cocky around tile 20 when the mallet slipped and I chipped a corner piece. Cussed loud enough to scare squirrels. Dug through scrap pieces to find a replacement.

Biggest headache? Cutting edge tiles around the perimeter. My knife work looked like a kindergarten art project at first. Figured out if I score deep then snap fast, it breaks clean. Had shavings stuck in my hair for hours.

The Home Stretch

After five sweaty hours, snapped the final tile in place. Jumped on the court testing every seam – no shifting or buckling! Poured water to test drainage and it flowed perfectly toward the edges. Best moment? Rolling an actual basketball across that smooth rubber surface. That nice thump-thump sound told me I nailed it.

Learned three things the hard way:

• Measure twice hammer once – fixing mistakes eats hours
• Work with the sun – panels get more flexible when warm
• Wear gloves – got four blisters from the mallet

Honestly expected to botch this but now I’ve got the sweetest pickup court on the block. Kids already begging to play. Whole project cost less than three months of gym membership!