Okay, let me tell you about the absolute mess that was my “Basketball Pad Parquet” project. Seriously, I thought slapping together a mini timber court for pad basketball would be easy. Spoiler: it wasn’t.
Why I Even Started This
Right, so my driveway concrete’s been murdering basketballs for months. Bounce goes dead after two weeks. Figured some timber padding would save money long-term. Saw “parquet” designs online – looked fancy, right? Decided to DIY one for dribbling practice.
Stuff I Grabbed Like An Idiot
Dove straight into the hardware store like I knew things. Didn’t measure. Didn’t plan. Got:
- Cheapest pine timber strips (big mistake)
- A random can of varnish that said “outdoor” on it
- Some sketchy glue from the discount bin
- Sandpaper that felt like cardboard
The Actual Disaster Unfolds
First, tried laying strips straight on concrete. Didn’t stick. Glue just peeled off when I stepped on it. Then I panicked and nailed them down instead. Split three boards right down the middle – that cheap wood snaps like crackers.
Sanding was worse. Arms nearly fell off trying to smooth those rough edges. Varnish? Turned sticky in the sun, nearly glued my shoe to the pad. Sweated buckets trying to wipe tacky patches off with a rag. Looked like I melted crayons on the wood.
That Parquet Pattern Nonsense
Swore I’d make fancy diagonal lines. Cut half the boards crooked with a hand saw. Ended up with gaps you could lose a coin in. Tried shoving wood filler – nope, just crumbled out after two days. Whole thing warped like a potato chip after rain. My “design” looked like a toddler’s puzzle.
Does It Even Work? Barely.
Ball bounces now? Yeah, sorta. But the surface? Uneven as hell. Dribbling feels like controlling a kangaroo on a trampoline. Timber’s already cracking at the edges. That “outdoor” varnish? Peeling after one week. Just another half-baked thing squatting on my driveway.
Lesson learned? Measure twice. Buy decent wood. Maybe don’t trust discount glue. Or just play on concrete.
