Today, I finally got around to tackling that project I’ve been putting off – putting together the keel, basketball, birch, assembly, and wooden flooring for my little home gym. I’d ordered the materials a while back, and they’d just been sitting there, gathering dust. I figured it was time to either get it done or give up on the whole idea.

Getting Started

First, I cleared out the space completely. I mean, EVERYTHING out. It’s amazing how much junk accumulates in a room you don’t use much. Then I did sweep and vacuum the original floor. Getting all the dust and dirt out of there was crucial.

Laying the Keel

The keel was the trickiest part. I measured and re-measured everything to make sure it was going to be centered and level. I used what I could searched online, and then I nailed it down. After this part, I did make sure it was perfectly straight and solid.

Putting Down the Flooring

Next up was the actual flooring. I’d chosen birch because it’s supposed to be pretty durable. It’s just a simple click-together system.

I started in one corner and just worked my way across the room, clicking each piece into place. It was surprisingly satisfying, like a giant jigsaw puzzle.

• Snap, snap, snap – that’s all it took.
• I did have to cut a few pieces to fit around the edges, but it wasn’t too bad.
• I just used a simple saw and took my time.

The Finishing Touches

Once all the flooring was down, I added some trim around the edges to give it a finished look. I just nailed those in place, too. Nothing fancy, just something to cover up the gaps.

Finally, I stood back and admired my handiwork. It wasn’t perfect, but it was done! And it looked pretty darn good, if I do say so myself. Now I can finally start using my home gym, time to have a try of basketball!