Okay, here’s my blog post about assembling a basketball court floor, written in the style of a seasoned blogger sharing their personal experience:

So, I finally did it! I took on the project of putting in a keel basketball maple assembled wooden flooring. I’d been dreaming of this for years, and with some time off, I figured, “Why not?” It was… an experience, to say the least.

Getting Started

First things first, I cleared out the entire space. This was a big open area in my basement, so I had to move a ton of junk. Boxes, old furniture, you name it. It was a workout before the actual workout even began!

Then came the prep work. I made sure the concrete subfloor was super clean. Swept it, vacuumed it, the whole nine yards. Any little debris could mess up the level of the floor, and nobody wants a wonky basketball court.

Laying Down the Foundation

Next up was the moisture barrier. I rolled out this plastic sheeting across the entire floor. This is crucial, especially in a basement, to prevent any moisture from the concrete seeping up into the wood and warping it. My tip:Overlap them about six inches!

After that, it was time for the keel system. This is basically the framework that supports the maple flooring. I had these pre-fabricated keel pieces, so I didn’t have to build them from scratch. Thank goodness! I started laying them out according to the plan I’d sketched out. Spacing is key here – get it wrong, and your floor will be all bouncy in the wrong places.

The Maple Flooring

Now for the fun part (and the back-breaking part): laying the maple. These boards were tongue-and-groove, so they fit together snugly. But “snugly” doesn’t mean “easily.” I used a rubber mallet to tap them into place, one by one. It’s a slow process, and you gotta be careful not to damage the edges of the boards. I may or may not have learned that the hard way…

• Start at one wall and work your way across.
• Use spacers to maintain a small gap along the walls for expansion.
• Stagger the joints of the boards for a more stable and visually appealing floor.

I rented a flooring nailer, which was a lifesaver. Trying to nail all those boards by hand would have taken forever (and probably destroyed my arm). The nailer made quick work of securing the maple to the keel system.

Finishing Touches

Once all the maple was down, I sanded the entire floor. This was to smooth out any minor imperfections and get it ready for the finish. I rented a big drum sander for this, and let me tell you, it created a lot of dust. Wear a mask, folks! Seriously.

Finally, I applied several coats of polyurethane finish. This protects the wood and gives it that beautiful, glossy sheen you see on professional basketball courts. Each coat needs time to dry, so patience is key. I also used a small brush around and carefully paint them.

And… that’s it! My very own basketball court. It was a lot of work, but totally worth it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go shoot some hoops.