So I’ve been stuck with this concrete pad in the backyard forever, right? Kids kept bugging me to put up a basketball hoop but that concrete’s brutal on ankles. Saw some fancy hardwood courts on TV and got this wild idea – why not slap wooden flooring over my pad? Researched like crazy and beech wood kept popping up cause it’s tough as nails.
First Step: Measuring Nightmares
Grabbed my busted tape measure last Saturday morning thinking this would take an hour max. Holy crap was I wrong. That concrete pad looked rectangular but every side was crooked! Southwest corner was 2 inches shorter than northeast. Had to re-measure four times sweating buckets before buying materials.
The Wood Debacle
Ordered these “top grade” beech planks online. Showed up looking like someone used ’em for skateboard ramps. Chucked half the shipment right back. Second batch arrived slightly better but had to:
- Saw off splintered ends on 15 planks
- Sand down warped sections ’til my arms went numb
- Return another five that looked like Salvador Dali designed ’em
Installation Meltdown
Thought I’d just glue ’em down – big mistake. Five planks slid around like buttered toast during game night. Woke up to a total mess. Ripped everything up next morning and got proper mounting brackets. Drilled holes while the neighbor’s dog howled like a banshee. Still messed up the pattern – gap near the free throw line looks like the Grand Canyon now.
The Final Stretch
After cursing at splinters for two weekends straight, slopped on this polyurethane sealant. Looked beautiful… ’til a leaf stuck to it right after. Had to sand that disaster off and redo the whole coating process. Last night finally shot some hoops with my kid. Floor’s bouncy as hell and the ball doesn’t bounce where you expect but hey – zero twisted ankles so far!
Honestly? If my dumb self knew how much swearing this would involve, might’ve just bought knee pads instead. But seeing kids actually use the court makes all the splinter removals worth it. Just maybe don’t look too close at that gap near the three-point line.
