Alright folks, buckle up because this whole pad basketball flooring thing was more of a journey than I expected. Gotta share how it all went down, sweat and all.
Getting That Monster Kit
So, the boxes arrived. Big shoutout to the delivery guy who looked like he was gonna collapse carrying them up the drive. Three hefty boxes for this ‘soft maple assembling wooden flooring’ pad court kit. Seriously, it weighed a ton. Dragged them into the garage, kinda wishing I’d hit the gym more recently.
Opening Pandora’s Box(es)
First thing I did? Tore them open like a kid at Christmas. Inside were these bundles of long, skinny wooden planks – that’s the maple part, looking really nice actually – plus bags of weird little pieces, screws, tools I barely recognized, and a manual. The manual? Honestly, it might as well have been hieroglyphics at first glance. Lots of pictures with no words. You know the type. Gave myself a minute to stare and hope it made sense eventually.
Clearing the Decks (Literally)
Knew I needed space. Like, a LOT of space. My garage is usually full of half-baked projects, so cleaning it out took longer than I wanna admit. Shoved tools to the side, moved the lawnmower, kicked out the spiders (mostly). Finally had a big empty patch of concrete. Measured it out twice, following the kit’s plan, just praying it was gonna fit.
The Weird Tools & Starting Line
The kit came with these strange plastic spacer things and some metal clips. Had to figure out what went where. Grabbed the starter row planks. Laid them down along one edge, fumbling with the spacers to leave a gap between the wood and the garage wall – apparently super important so the floor can breathe or something. Felt awkward, like trying to fit puzzle pieces the wrong way first.
Click-Clack (Mostly Snap!)
This was the ‘assembling’ magic. Each plank has this groove and tongue on the ends. You’re supposed to line them up at an angle and gently snap them together. Key word: gently. My first few tries? More like a loud CRACK! and nearly breaking the tongue off. Got the hang of it after about the fifth plank – slow, careful angle, push down firm. The satisfying click sound started happening!
Fighting with the Clips
Along the long sides are these metal clips. You slide them into the groove, then hammer the next plank into them. Sounds simple. It was not simple. Half the time the clip would bend, or slip out when I tried to tap the new plank in. Used way too much force initially. Finally realized a little rubber mallet and super gentle taps were the way. Hammer smashing my own finger happened exactly twice. Not proud.
Middle Stretch & The Upside-Down Mystery
Once the first few rows clicked in, it got faster. Felt like I was on a roll! Until… I noticed one plank looked weird. Realized I’d put it in upside down. Gotta check that little arrow printed on the back! Thankfully, because I was clicking them together tightly, I had to pry three planks apart carefully. Major pain. Lesson learned: check that damn arrow after every plank.
Nearing the Finish Line
Cutting the last planks to fit the final row was… stressful. Measure three times, cut once they say. I measured four times, held my breath, and sawed. Sanded the rough edge super smooth. Then, more clicking and tapping with those clips to get the last pieces snug against the far wall. Used a weird bar tool from the kit and a block of wood to hammer the last row in – felt very professional for a minute there.
That Final Click & Relief
Put the last plank in. Tapped it home with the mallet. Heard the click. Stood up and just stared at it. A whole basketball floor, right there in my garage. Sore back, scratched knuckles, sweaty shirt. But damn, that flat, beautiful maple surface! Ran my hand over it. Smoother than I thought it’d be. Kicked the ball on it just to hear the bounce. Solid.
So yeah, assembling wooden flooring for pad basketball? Big job. Needs patience and some swearing. But seeing the finished court makes it all totally worth it. Off to shoot some hoops!
