Man, I got tired of the concrete in my driveway wrecking my knees every time I played ball. So I thought, why not slap together a wooden floor that comes apart? Here’s exactly how I butchered it over the weekend.

Kicking Things Off

First, I emptied my wallet at the lumber yard for pressure-treated 2x4s. Measured my driveway – about 30 feet long – and nearly tripped carrying those heavy bastards to the car. Had to borrow my neighbor Steve’s circular saw ’cause mine died last winter.

Cutting Chaos

Started chopping lumber into 8-foot sections right there in the driveway. Sawdust flew everywhere, my wife yelled about the mess, and I definitely botched two cuts. Had to re-cut four pieces when they didn’t fit right side-by-side. Pro tip: measure ten times, cut once. Wish I’d done that.

Assembly Line Nightmare

Slapped down the first row, drilling screws through pre-drilled holes. Halfway through, the boards started bulging like angry snakes. Realized I forgot expansion gaps! Unscrewed everything, scraped my knuckles bloody, and left thumb-width gaps between planks. Added support beams perpendicular every 4 feet – that part actually worked decent.

Finishing Touches Disaster

Figured I’d sand the whole thing. Rented an orbital sander that nearly vibrated outta my hands. Sawdust coated my entire garage – looked like a blizzard hit. Then the water-based polyurethane? Puddled in three spots ’cause I got distracted texting. Had to sand those patches again at midnight while mosquitoes feasted on me.

The Grand Finale

Finally dragged the sections out yesterday. They lock together with these metal plates I bolted underneath. Shot some hoops and – holy crap – it actually works! Not NBA quality obviously. The ball bounces a little funny near where I screwed up the gaps, but my knees aren’t screaming anymore.

Cost me a whole weekend and multiple bandaids, but worth it. Next time? I’d buy pre-cut panels. Or just pay someone else to suffer through this madness.