Why I Did This Weird Floor Thing

Okay, so I play ball sometimes, right? My old garage floor sucks for dribbling. Concrete’s rough, ball bounces wrong. Saw some folks online making these pad things under the hoops, thought I could maybe do something better, like a whole little court section. Maple wood’s supposed to be good for basketball, they use it in fancy gyms. Figured why not try? Plus, finding ready-made stuff is expensive.

What I Actually Bought

First step? Went shopping online. Honestly, felt kinda lost. Looked for “maple wood flooring” but there’s like a million types. Needed something thick enough to bounce well, but not crazy thick ’cause budget.

• Wooden planks: Got these unfinished maple strips. Said they were tongue-and-groove, good for locking together.
• Pads: Little rubber feet things. Supposed to lift the wood off the concrete, let it “give” a bit when you jump.
• Wood Glue: Figured I’d glue the tongues while putting them together for extra hold.
• Finishing Stuff: Some clear sealant to protect it, and sandpaper – lots of sandpaper.

Putting It All Together Was… Messy

Got my garage cleared out. Measured the space I wanted. Easy so far. Hit the first snag right away – the subfloor underneath needed to be super flat. My garage floor ain’t. Saw some bumps and dips. Had to fuss around with shims, little pieces of wood, under the pads to get everything level before I even started with the maple. Took ages.

Then came the planks. Laid down the first row against a straight edge. Pushed the second row’s tongue into the first row’s groove. Tap tap tap with a rubber mallet. Got some glue on the tongue before pushing it in. Looked okay? Put a few rows down.

Then… gaps. Some planks didn’t sit tight. Had to muscle them with clamps, wedges, more tapping. Got glue on my hands, sticky mess. Some spots looked crooked. Had to loosen the clamps, nudge things around. Kept checking with this long level. Made me sweat! Finally got all the rows down after fighting with it all afternoon. Left it clamped up overnight.

The Sanding Hell and Finish

Next day, unclamped it. Looked like a wonky deck. Needed sanding. Badly. Rented this big floor sander. Thing shook my whole body! Started with rough sandpaper. Sanding dust everywhere, looked like it snowed in my garage. Went finer and finer. Felt smoother. Wiped it down with a damp rag to get rid of the dust – super important.

Finally, slapped on the sealant. Used a big roller. Clear, watery stuff. Needs patience. One coat, wait hours, light sand, second coat, wait hours. Did three coats. That finish smell hung around for days.

Threw the Ball Down… Finally!

Let it cure for like, two whole days. Dragged the portable hoop over. Took a ball… bounced it. Whoa! Different sound. Crisp. Dribbled a bit. Felt alive under my feet! It’s got a bit more spring than concrete for sure. My homemade “pad basketball maple assembly wooden flooring” actually kinda works!

Was it perfect? Heck no. Some tiny gaps left. Edges are a bit rough. Cost more than I planned. Sweat a ton. But dang, bouncing that ball feels good now.