So I finally decided to tackle this basketball floor project for my garage. Wanted something nice for shooting hoops without wrecking my knees. Did some research and landed on soft maple panels – supposed to be bouncy and durable. Figured I’d document the whole mess.

Getting Started With Zero Clue

Opened the delivery boxes and just stared. Hundreds of wooden planks with tongue-and-groove edges, some weird foam rolls, and zero instructions. Took me twenty minutes just to realize the pad goes down first – that thick squishy layer that’s supposed to absorb shocks. Unrolled it across the concrete floor like a giant yoga mat, cutting around pillars with kitchen scissors like an idiot.

Assembly Headaches

Started clicking planks together diagonally like the YouTube tutorials said. First row went smooth until I realized the wall wasn’t straight. Had to rip up three rows and trim the starter plank with a hand saw. Sawdust everywhere, dog sneezing nonstop. The maple’s actually nice to work with –

• Smells like baseball bats when you cut it
• Edges lock tight when you hammer them gently
• Weirdly satisfying thunk sound when pieces connect

The Gapping Disaster

Hit the midway point and noticed daylight between planks. Panicked thinking I’d have to redo everything until I remembered the stupid rubber mallet the supplier included. Whacked the crap out of every seam while my neighbor watched through the window laughing. Worked though! Gaps disappeared like magic.

Finishing Touches & Regrets

Last plank needed trimming to fit under the door frame. Measured wrong three times before getting it right – wasted two good boards. Sweating buckets when hammering the final piece in place. Stepped back covered in sawdust looking like a powdered donut, but damn that maple surface looked clean!

Took exactly six hours with snack breaks and four bandaids (splinters!). Dribbled a ball for testing – way bouncier than concrete but my three-pointer still sucks. Maybe I’ll stain it next weekend if my back recovers. Lesson learned: your knees will thank you, your back will hate you. Worth it though!