Okay, let me walk you through putting down this cushioned basketball beech flooring. It was a bit of a project, but I got it done.

Getting Started

First things first, I had to clear out the entire space. Moved all the furniture out, which was a job in itself. Then I took a good look at the subfloor. Made sure it was clean, swept it really well. Checked for any high or low spots, you know, wanted a decent base to start with. Found a few uneven bits, so I spent some time leveling those out. Didn’t want any weird bumps under the new floor.

Laying the Cushions

Next up was the cushioning layer. This stuff came in rolls. I started unrolling it across the floor, making sure to keep the edges tight together. Used some tape they recommended to seal the seams between the rolls. The main thing was getting it flat and making sure there were no overlaps or big gaps. This is the part that supposedly gives it that bit of bounce, important for a ‘basketball’ type floor, even if I’m not actually playing basketball on it. Making sure this cushion layer was perfect felt pretty important.

Assembling the Beech Wood

Alright, then came the actual wood planks. Beech. Looked pretty nice right out of the box. I decided to start along the longest wall, which usually makes things easier. Popped open a few boxes to mix up the planks – helps avoid weird color patches.

These planks were the assembled type, tongue and groove. They mostly just clicked together. I’d set one piece in, angle the next one, push it down and in, and click. Heard that satisfying sound. Had to use a tapping block and a mallet sometimes just to make sure the joints were tight.

• Started the first row straight against spacers off the wall.
• Clicked the end joints together first for each plank.
• Then angled the long side into the previous row.
• Tapped it snug.

Cutting pieces was the most time-consuming part. Getting the lengths right for the end of each row took measuring and sawing. And going around corners or door frames needed careful cuts. Used a jigsaw for the tricky shapes. Made a bit of a mess with sawdust, naturally.

Finishing Touches

Worked my way across the room, row by row. The last row is always a bit tricky, often needs cutting lengthwise to fit. Measured carefully and ripped those last planks down to size. Managed to wedge them in without too much fuss.

Once all the wood was down, I removed the spacers from around the edges. Then I installed the trim or baseboards back around the room. This hides the expansion gap you need to leave around the edges. Makes it look finished.

Finally, gave the whole floor a good sweep and then a proper clean with a wood floor cleaner. Stood back and had a look. Honestly, it turned out pretty solid. The beech wood has a nice warm look, and you can definitely feel a slight softness underfoot because of those cushions. Took a good couple of days, but seeing the finished result felt good. Job done.