Okay, so I’ve been wanting to upgrade my home basketball court for a while now. I finally took the plunge and decided to install LVL (Laminated Veneer Lumber) Basketball hevea assembly wooden flooring. Let me tell you, it was a journey! Here’s how it all went down:
Getting Started
First things first, I had to measure the area. Gotta know how much material you need, right? It was a decent-sized space, so it felt a little daunting at first. Then, I did a bunch of research on different flooring options. I knew I wanted wood, but there are tons of choices. I ended up going with LVL hevea because I heard it’s super durable and looks great, but there are so many ways to go for materials.
Ordering the flooring was the next step. I found a supplier online, and after a few phone calls to make sure I was getting exactly what I needed, I placed the order. Waiting for it to arrive felt like forever!
The Prep Work
While I was waiting, I had to prep the existing floor. My old court was just concrete, so I needed to make sure it was clean, level, and dry. This involved a lot of sweeping, scrubbing, and even a bit of patching in some areas where the concrete was cracked. That part wasn’t the most fun, I’ll admit.
Installation Time!
The flooring finally arrived! It came in these big, heavy planks. Thank goodness I had a buddy help me unload them. Seriously, that would have been a nightmare by myself.
Laying the first few planks was tricky. We had to make sure everything was perfectly aligned, otherwise the whole floor would be off. We used a chalk line to mark our starting point and followed it religiously. We started to interlock the pieces of wood, fitting them one after another.
- Cut pieces that didn’t fit at the end.
- Used a rubber mallet to gently tap the planks into place, making sure the seams were tight.
- Used a few spacers to maintain a small gap around the perimeter for expansion.
Finishing Touches
Once all the planks were down, I applied a sealant. The smell! it’s strong, the sealant is important because it protects the wood from moisture and wear and tear. I let that dry for a full 24 hours, even though I was itching to try out the court.
The next day, I was like drew the lines for the basketball court – free throw line, three-point line, the whole deal. I used some special court marking tape to keep it easy.
The Final Result
Finally, the court was done! It looked amazing, way better than the old concrete. And the best part? It plays great! The ball bounces perfectly, and it feels so much better underfoot. The project was tough, sweaty, and I found myself at several points going, ‘Why did I start this?’ but it was totally worth it. I’m super proud of how it turned out, and I’ve been having a blast playing on it ever since!