So I got this crazy idea to build a basketball pad using beech wood flooring in my backyard. Always wanted my own court but didn’t wanna spend crazy money. Saw some tutorials online and thought “how hard could it be?” Famous last words, right?
Hunting for Materials
First I hit up every hardware store in town looking for beech wood planks. Most places just stared at me blank until this old guy at a lumber yard hooked me up. Loaded up my truck with:
- Twenty 6-foot beech boards
- Two giant tubs of wood glue
- Enough screws to build a spaceship
- Varnish that promised “professional finish” (yeah right)
Groundwork Disaster
Cleared out this patch behind the garage, thinking it was level ground. Boy was I wrong. Spent three days with a shovel trying to flatten it like:
Day 1: Dug like crazy, made a huge dirt pile
Day 2: Realized I dug too deep on one side
Day 3: Borrowed my neighbor’s roller and finally got it sorta level
Assembly Headaches
Started laying out the planks – looked so easy in the YouTube videos! Reality check time:
- First board splintered when drilling pilot holes
- Wood glue kept oozing out everywhere like slime
- Halfway through, realized the planks weren’t lining up straight
Tore up five boards before getting the hang of clamping them together right. Pro tip: measure six times before cutting once. Burnt through two drill batteries just getting the subframe right.
Rain Ruin Drama
Just when I had half the surface down, thunderstorm hit overnight. Woke up to warped boards swimming in mud. Wanted to cry. Had to:
- Scrape off all the ruined glue
- Sand down the water damage
- Wait two sunny days for everything to dry
Felt like starting over from zero. My wife kept asking “Is this worth it?” Honestly didn’t know anymore.
Finally Finished
After two weeks of cussing and band-aids on my fingers, slapped on the last coat of varnish. Made my kid stand there holding the hoop pole while I cemented it in. Took our first shot – ball actually bounced right!
Whole thing wobbles a bit if you jump too hard, and there’s this one plank that squeaks like a mouse. But you know what? It’s MY crappy homemade court. Kids love it, and I can finally shoot hoops in pajamas with my morning coffee.
