Okay, so I’ve been wanting to build a portable basketball court for a while now. You know, something I could set up in the driveway or take to the park. I finally decided to go for it, using LVL (Laminated Veneer Lumber) for the subfloor and these engineered wood panels for the surface.

Getting Started

First things first, I had to figure out the size. I wanted something big enough for some decent games, but not so huge it’d be impossible to move. I settled on a reasonable size, and started gathering materials.

The real beginning of the process was obtaining the LVL beams.I needed something strong and straight to support the whole thing.

• Went to the local lumber yard.
• Picked out the LVL beams – these things are surprisingly heavy!
• Had them cut to the lengths I needed. That saved me a ton of work.

Building the Subfloor

The subfloor was basically a big grid of LVL beams. Think of it like the foundation of a house, but for a basketball court.

• Laid out the perimeter beams. This was like drawing the outline of the court.
• Added the interior supports. These went across the middle to make sure the floor wouldn’t sag.
• Screwed everything together. Used a ton of heavy-duty screws. I wanted this thing to be solid!

Assembling is the key!

I spent a great amount of time assembling the subfloor, the portable wooden * I planned to make it portable, I had to make sure the screws is easy to assembled and disassembled.

Adding the Surface

Now for the actual playing surface. I went with these engineered wood panels that are designed for flooring. They’re supposed to be pretty durable and weather-resistant.

• Started laying the panels. I had to be careful to keep everything lined up.
• Screwed the panels down. More screws! I made sure to countersink them so they wouldn’t stick up.
• Filled in any gaps. Used some wood filler to make sure the surface was smooth.

Finishing Touches

Almost there! I just needed to add a few finishing touches.

• Sanded the whole surface. This made it nice and smooth for playing.
• Painted the lines. This was the fun part! I used some special outdoor paint.
• Added a finish. I think it makes the whole project perfect!

And that’s it! My very own portable basketball court. It was a lot of work, but totally worth it. Now, to take my creation to the actual basketball field. It’s time to shoot some hoops!