How It All Started
Okay, so my backyard basketball hoop has been sittin’ on plain old concrete forever. Kids complained it was too hard on their knees when they fell, and honestly, dribblin’ just felt… off. Saw those fancy pad things online but man, the price tags made my eyes water. Thought, “Heck, I got scrap wood from last year’s shed project piled in the garage… maybe I can slap somethin’ together?” And that’s how this pad Basketball pine assembly wooden flooring mess began.
The Scavenger Hunt & First Attempt Fail
First, I dug through that garage pile like a squirrel huntin’ nuts. Pulled out maybe twenty okay-ish pine boards, mostly 2x6s. Looked kinda warped, but figured I could muscle ’em flat. Grabbed my trusty drill, a big box of 3-inch wood screws, and just started layin’ boards sideways on the concrete where the pad should go. Got the first row down, felt pretty dang proud already. Drilled pilot holes like a good DIYer should, screwed ’em tight into each other. Laid the second row right next to it… clunk! Wonky gaps everywhere. Board ends didn’t line up, and dang, one board was like an inch longer than the rest! Had to unscrew it all and stare at my pile again. Lesson number one: measure twice, cut once. Yeah, definitely skipped that step.
Getting My Act Together
Took everything apart, grumbling. Got serious. Needed:
- Way less wobbly boards (sorted through every single plank)
- A tape measure (duh)
- A handsaw (that rusty one hanging on the wall)
- A straight edge (used a long metal ruler from the shop)
- A pencil
Measured the length I actually needed. Marked that line nice and straight with my ruler and pencil on every single board. Sawed off the ends where needed. Got sawdust everywhere, but at least the boards were all uniform now. Swept the concrete spot really clean, threw down some plastic sheeting scraps I had (gotta keep that wood off the damp concrete, right?)
The Actual Assembly (Take Two)
Started over, nice and slow. Laid the first board perfectly straight. Used the straight edge again just to be sure. Then the next board, butted it right up tight against the first one. Used clamps this time – big ones! – to pinch them together real tight so no gaps. Drilled pilot holes again (learned my lesson!). Screwed ’em together right at the ends. Added the third board, clamped, drilled, screwed. Kept goin’. It started lookin’ like a real pad! Square-ish, gaps way smaller. Made sure every board end lined up clean with the one next to it. Felt good. Screwed like crazy. Whole thing felt rock solid. Took me all Saturday afternoon, sweatin’, dropping screws, findin’ ‘em… but it was gettin’ done!
The Finishing Touch & First Bounce
Once the whole pad was screwed together, all smooth on top? Time for the secret weapon. Had this big ol’ jug of old deck sealant laying around. Poured some on a roller tray, grabbed a wide roller and just slathered it all over. Made the pine look kinda pretty, kinda golden, but more importantly, protects it from rain and splinters. Kid walked outside with the basketball while I was cleanin’ up. Dropped it on the pad. Thump-thump-thump. Solid bounce. He grinned. I grinned. Dang sawdust everywhere? Totally worth it. Weird scrap wood basketball pad? Works like a charm.
