Getting the Idea and Starting Out

So I’ve got this garage that’s mostly empty space, right? Wanted to turn part of it into a basketball practice spot without wrecking the concrete floor. Saw fancy sports floors online costing thousands – no way! That’s when I stumbled on this removable hardwood flooring idea. Figured I could make something sturdy but easy to disassemble.

Gathering Stuff and Measuring

Hit the hardware store first. Grabbed:

• Pressure-treated 2x4s for base frames
• 3/4 inch plywood sheets for surface
• Rubber anti-slip pads
• Wood screws and locking bolts

Swept the garage floor clean, then spent forever measuring and re-measuring. Marked cutting lines with bright blue chalk because I always mess up cuts. Borrowed my neighbor’s circular saw – mine sounded like a dying lawnmower.

The Sweaty Building Part

Built four identical rectangular frames first. Pre-drilled holes so the wood wouldn’t split when screwing. My drill battery died halfway through – typical! Charged it while cutting plywood panels to fit inside the frames. Sanded every piece like crazy after getting splinters just touching the edges.

Attached panels to frames with countersunk screws. Big moment: flipped the first section over and slapped those rubber feet underneath. Felt solid! Repeated this three more times while dodging spiderwebs in the garage corners.

Making It Stick Together and Move

Now came the “removable” trick. Bolted heavy-duty hinges to connect the long sides of the frames, but only on the top side so sections could fold upwards. Added padlock-style bolts on the ends that click when aligned. Took three tries to get the bolt holes positioned right – my ruler betrayed me twice.

Tested locking all sections together. Stood in the middle and bounced. Floor didn’t wobble! Unlocked everything and folded the sections like giant books. They actually stood upright against the wall taking way less space. Did a victory dance and kicked a basketball across the floor – slid perfectly.

What Worked and What Didn’t

After two weeks of playing:

• Good: Floor hasn’t shifted even after dribbling like crazy. Hinges handle folding smoothly. No splinters!
• Annoying: Should’ve made handles for moving sections – they’re heavy as elephants. Also tiny gaps between panels catch ball dust.

Still beats paying insane money for professional floors. Whenever we need the garage space back, just unlock and fold it away. Worth every blister and sawdust-filled hair!