Okay, let’s get started with this flooring project!

So, I decided to put in some new flooring in my makeshift basketball court area. It’s basically a space in my backyard where I like to shoot hoops. I chose batten basketball lvl larch assembly wooden flooring. Sounded fancy, but really, it just means it’s wood flooring designed for a bit of bounce and is made of larch – a type of wood.

First things first, I cleared out the old space. It was a bit of a mess, some cracked concrete, weeds growing through… the usual. Got that all cleaned up, leveled it out as best as I could with some extra concrete and a leveling compound. Didn’t want any wonky bounces, you know?

The Prep Work

Next, I laid down a vapor barrier. This is basically a big plastic sheet that keeps moisture from the ground from messing with the wood. Super important, especially since this is outdoors (though it’s under a covered area).

After that came the battens. These are just long pieces of wood that create a framework for the actual floorboards. I screwed these down into the concrete, making sure they were all level and evenly spaced. This part took a while, lots of measuring and adjusting. Used a laser level – best tool ever for this kind of thing.

Laying the Floorboards

Once the battens were in, it was time for the fun part – laying the actual floorboards. These larch boards were tongue and groove, meaning they fit together like puzzle pieces. I started at one edge, tapping the boards together with a rubber mallet. Gotta be gentle so you don’t damage the edges.

• Used a tapping block to protect the edges of the boards.
• Staggered the joints, like you do with bricks, to make it stronger and look better.
• Left a small gap around the edges for expansion – wood expands and contracts with temperature changes.

I worked my way across the space, row by row, cutting the boards at the ends with a circular saw to fit. Made sure to keep checking that everything was level as I went. I also added special sports underlayment,which make the flooring more comfortable.

Finishing Touches

After all the boards were down, I installed some trim around the edges to cover up that expansion gap and give it a finished look. Just nailed that in with some finishing nails.

Finally, I gave the whole floor a good sweep and admired my handiwork. Took me a good couple of weekends, but it was totally worth it. Now I’ve got a proper-looking court to practice my jump shot. It’s not exactly NBA-regulation, but it’s perfect for me!