Decided to tackle my garage gym floor
First I cleared out all the junk – bikes, random tools, that broken treadmill gathering dust. Swept concrete until my back hurt, found old oil stains I never noticed before. Grabbed measuring tape: 22ft by 18ft space. Did math three times because numbers trick me after lunch.
Why maple?
- Tried rubber tiles before – smelled like burnt tires for months
- Friend’s composite floor cracked when he dropped weights
- Saw maple at local rec center – weathered dumbbell drops for years
Drove to lumberyard Saturday morning. Guy kept calling it “hard maple” like there’s soft maple? Whatever. Bought twelve 6ft planks – manager threw in two extras for free after I mentioned the gym project. Loading them solo almost killed me.
The real work began Sunday
Laid tarps first cause garage floor sweats moisture. Unwrapped that ugly green underpad – felt like carpet padding but thinner. Cut it with kitchen scissors when utility knife died. Sweat dripping in my eyes already.
Started placing planks near garage door. First plank crooked? Of course. Had to redo three times. Found my dead grandpa’s rusty clamps in a toolbox – saved my life holding planks together. Hammering felt like construction ASMR until I smashed my thumb.
Big mistakes happened
- Forgot expansion gaps – planks buckled when humidity hit
- Wore socks – got splinter the size of a toothpick
- Ran out of wood glue halfway – emergency hardware store run
Final stretch madness
Last plank needed trimming. Borrowed neighbor’s saw – blade screamed like angry cat. Fine dust everywhere. Coughing fits made me feel like chain-smoker. Swept sawdust for eternity. Applied three coats of sealant over three days cause impatient? Not anymore.
Testing phase: dropped 25lb plate from hip height. Beautiful thud! No cracks! Walked barefoot – feels smooth like butcher block. Kids already using it for puzzle space. Definitely keeping extra planks for when my dumbbells eventually murder it. Worth every splinter.
