Why I Built This Crazy Basketball Pad

Alright, so here’s the thing. I got tired of my kids dribbling basketballs on our actual driveway, scuffing it up and driving the neighbors bonkers with the constant thump thump thump. Plus, we don’t even got a proper hoop setup, just one of those cheap stand-alone ones that wobbles like it’s got jelly legs. I saw those fancy portable courts online – super slick, super smooth, super freakin’ expensive. Like, “no way I’m paying that” expensive. So, naturally, my brain went: “Could I just… make one?” Challenge accepted.

Digging Through the Scrap Pile First

First step, as always: raid the garage. Found some leftover oak flooring planks from that weird weekend I tried to redo the hallway half-way. They’re thick, kinda heavy, but felt solid underfoot. Perfect base material, right? Had maybe ten planks. Way not enough. Needed way more surface area.

Went down to the lumber yard near the old train tracks. Asked about oak. Guy just kinda whistled and said, “Pricey right now, pal.” My heart sank a bit. But then… he points over to a corner pile. “Got some seconds, slight knots, not perfect. You want ’em cheap?” Oh heck yeah, I wanted ’em cheap. Loaded up the truck. Didn’t even care if they matched perfectly.

The Cutting Nightmare & Assembly Shenanigans

Got home, all fired up. Unloaded the oak. My garage floor became war zone central. Grabbed the circular saw. Measured the first plank for the court dimensions I sketched on a pizza box. Went to cut. Krrrrkzzz! RIPPPPP! That oak? It’s tough. Like, “made the saw scream in protest” tough. Saw blade smoked a little. Neighbor poked his head over the fence, probably thinking my shed was on fire. Not my finest moment.

Took it slower after that. Like, glacial. Cut each plank to the same length (mostly). Took forever. My arms felt like jelly. Then came the fun part: trying to hook these suckers together solidly but also so you can pull ’em apart and store ’em. Saw some interlocking plastic edging online videos. Looked neat. But I ain’t buying special track. Nah. Went old school.

Laid them all out on the driveway like big, heavy puzzle pieces. Drilled holes through the edges, side-by-side. Used heavy-duty steel bolts with wingnuts. Took some fiddling to get them aligned right so they wouldn’t pinch or buckle when you walked on ’em. Lots of trial and error. Dropped a bolt on my foot. Used some strong language. The dog judged me.

Making it Sorta Weatherproof & Actually Portable

Okay, so I got big oak tiles. They look like giant crackers. But raw oak outside? Nope. That’s just inviting warping and splitting. Rummaged again. Found an old can of marine-grade deck sealant – leftover from sealing the porch swing last summer. Slathered that stuff on thick. Did three coats over a couple days. Smelled potent. Turned the wood a kinda warm caramel color. Nice.

Then the “portable” bit. These oak sections are heavy. Like, “why didn’t I use lighter wood?” heavy. Needed handles. Bolted on some rugged, thick nylon straps to the ends of each section. Now you can grab them and sorta… shuffle them around. Portable-ish. More like “luggable”. But hey, you can move it! Disconnect the wingnuts, lift a section, carry it to the shed. Done.

The Moment of Truth

Finally, sunny Saturday. Dragged all the sections out. Locked them together on the grass. Threw the wobbly hoop stand at one end. Gave the ball to my youngest. He bounced it once. Solid thud, not a hollow clank. Dribbled. Rolled smooth! No cracking sounds. Jumped on it myself. Felt firm, surprisingly good grip with the sealant. Actually worked.

Is it NBA-regulation? Heck no. Is it perfectly smooth? There are minor gaps where the knots are. Does it make my kids hilariously happy to have their own “court” they can pack away? You betcha. Worth the sawdust, the stubbed toe, and the dog’s judgment? Absolutely.

Lessons learned:

• Oak is tough but unforgiving. Go slow with cuts.
• Second-grade lumber is your wallet’s best friend for projects like this.
• Heavy wingnuts > flimsy clips for DIY connections.
• Marine sealant smells bad but works wonders.
• Portable is a relative term when oak is involved.
• Kids bouncing basketballs quietly >>> Kids bouncing on the driveway non-stop.