Okay, here’s my blog post about putting in some new flooring:

Alright, so the wife’s been wanting a basketball court for the kids, and I finally caved. We looked at a bunch of options, and settled on this batten basketball pine assembled wooden flooring. Figured it’d be a good weekend project. Famous last words, right?

Getting Started

First thing, I cleared out the space in the backyard where the court was going. This involved a lot of moving stuff around, pulling up some old, sad-looking grass, and generally making a big mess. My back was already complaining at this point.

Then came the fun part – unboxing all the flooring. It came in these big, long sections, already assembled, which was a relief. I was picturing myself painstakingly nailing down individual planks. Nope, these were like giant puzzle pieces.

The Laying Down Part

I started in one corner, laying down the first section. It was pretty straightforward, just clicked into place with the edge of the concrete patio. So far, so good. Then I grabbed the next section and… it didn’t quite fit.

Turns out, my “perfectly level” backyard wasn’t so perfect. I spent a good hour shimming things with some scrap wood, trying to get a reasonably flat surface. I even busted out my level, which usually just collects dust in the garage.

• Pro Tip: Don’t assume anything is level. Seriously.

After that little hiccup, things went a bit smoother. I worked my way across the yard, clicking the sections together. The pine smelled pretty good, which was a nice bonus. My kids came out to “help,” which mostly involved running around and getting in the way, but hey, they were having fun.

Almost There…

By the time I got to the last few sections, I was feeling pretty good. The court was actually taking shape! But then – another snag. I was about two inches short on one side.

Apparently, my measuring skills aren’t as sharp as I thought. I considered just leaving it, but my wife would have killed me. So, I dug out the saw and trimmed one of the sections to fit. It wasn’t pretty, but it worked.

The Finished Product(Almost)

Finally, after a long, sweaty day, the flooring was down! It looked pretty darn good, if I do say so myself. All that’s left is to add the lines and the hoop, but that’s a project for another weekend. I’m taking a break, I earned that.

The court is ready for some serious b-ball action(Once I can feel my hands, that is.)