Alright folks, buckle up because today I’m walking you through my weekend warrior project: installing that rubber basketball hardwood flooring in the garage. Yep, decided the old cracked concrete wasn’t cutting it anymore for shooting hoops.

Starting Point: The Messy Garage

First things first, I gotta clear out the garage. Man, that took longer than I thought! Had to shove bikes, tools, and basically every box of “I might need this someday” junk into the corners. Needed a completely empty space to work with. Swept the floor like crazy too, didn’t want any grit messing up the new surface. Measured the area like five times – definitely didn’t wanna end up short on materials.

Unboxing and Laying Down the Base

Opened up the kit I ordered online. These rubber tiles and wooden planks came separately. Started with the rubber base layer. These are heavy-duty interlocking tiles, kinda like giant puzzle pieces. I just snapped them together. PRO TIP: Start from the middle of the room and work outwards. Makes the edges less of a headache when you need to cut pieces. Had to bust out the utility knife a few times to trim tiles along the walls – definitely measure twice, cut once there! It felt good seeing that shock-absorbing base spread out flat, no bumps.

The Wooden Floor Part – Where the Fun Begins

Next up: the hardwood planks. These are the actual playing surface. The planks have this tongue-and-groove system on the sides. Here’s how it went:

• Lay the first plank carefully against the starting wall. Used spacers! Super important to leave a gap all around for when the wood expands and contracts.
• Take the next plank, angle it slightly to fit the tongue into the groove of the first one, then push it flat. You hear a nice ‘click’.
• Keep doing this, row by row. Used a rubber mallet sometimes to tap them nice and tight. Getting these rows straight is crucial.
• Staggering the end joints is key – don’t let them line up row after row, looks terrible and is weak. Had some waste wood from cutting ends, but that’s part of it.
• Every few rows, I’d kneel down and make sure the surface felt solid and level. No wobbles allowed!

Had to cut the final row’s width with a saw to fit snug against the end wall. Safety goggles on for that part!

Securing the Whole Deal

The kit came with these special connector screws designed not to damage the wood surface too much. Where the rubber base met the walls and where planks ended at borders, I drilled pilot holes (lightly!) and screwed them down. The instructions said not to over-tighten – just enough to hold everything firm without squashing the material.

Final Touches and The Big Moment

Swept up all the sawdust and rubber bits. Then, it was time. Pulled the basketball hoop stand back into the center. Dribbled the ball… thump… thump… nice solid bounce! Took my first jump shot. Felt amazing! The ball came off the floor predictably, way better than that old concrete. Knees thanked me after playing for 15 minutes too. What a difference!

Overall? It was a solid day and a half of work, but totally worth it. Not super technical, but definitely requires patience and basic DIY grit. My back knows it! Now, gotta break in this new court properly.