Alright folks, buckle up because today’s project was a real humdinger – installing that fancy pad Basketball soft maple wooden flooring in my garage setup. Yeah, the guys said it felt like butter underfoot on a real court, and I figured why not bring some of that magic home? Spoiler: easier dreamt about than done.
The Starting Line
First things first, gotta clear the battlefield. Dragged the old dusty gym mats and my weight bench outta there. Swept like crazy, found stuff under there I hadn’t seen since… well, best not to think about it. Measured the space twice ’cause everyone knows I eyeball things wrong the first time. Needed every inch of those maple planks counted right.
The Prep Grind
That old concrete floor wasn’t exactly championship level. Saw some tiny cracks and dips. Got down there with a level and some of that self-leveling goop. Mixed it in a bucket like making some mutant cake batter – spilled more than I used, sticky mess everywhere. Waited a whole day for it to dry hard, tapping it every few hours like checking if a steak’s done.
Then came the vapor barrier stuff. Rolling out that big plastic sheet felt like wrestling a stubborn sleeping bag. Taped the seams tight with that heavy-duty silver tape, trying hard to make it flat and smooth. Every wrinkle felt like a potential disaster later.
Maple Madness Time
Opened the crates of maple planks. Man, that wood smell hit me – sweet, like a lumberyard candy store. Looked beautiful but heavy! Started lining ’em up, tongue-and-groove style, leaving that little gap around the edge everyone says you gotta have.
- Whacked ’em together with a mallet and a scrap wood block. Thump thump thump all morning.
- Got cocky around the corner, tried forcing a plank. Heard that awful cracking noise. Felt my heart sink. One plank wasted already. Lesson learned: respect the angles, respect the wood.
- Under the door jambs? Forget the fancy tools I saw online. Ended up using the damn handsaw and lots of nervous sweating. Fit like a glove eventually, pure luck more than skill.
Towards the end, ran short by half a plank! Guess my measuring wasn’t perfect. Thankfully had a couple cut-offs I’d kinda saved. Jigsawed a Frankenstein piece together near the far wall, where my bench would sit. Nobody’ll ever see it, thank goodness.
Feeling That Court Glide
Cleaned off all the sawdust – seriously, it was everywhere. Swept, vacuumed, wiped down every plank. Took my old trusty basketball. Stood there for a second, bounced it slow. Took my first slide across the maple.
Yep. Butter smooth. That pad Basketball feel everyone talks about? Legit. Did a little spin move just for kicks, almost wiped out ’cause my socks slid way too easy. Totally worth the splinter I got earlier.
Real Talk Aftermath
It looks awesome, feels professional. But man, doing it yourself ain’t no joke. The wood’s beautiful but soft – dropped a socket wrench later already made a tiny dent. Gotta baby this stuff. Took way longer than I thought, broke a plank, had to MacGyver the end. Not the pristine Instagram reel they sell you. But hey, it’s my court now. Built it, sweat over it, cursed a little. Feels earned. Now… if only I could shoot better!
