Alright so this removable basketball maple floor project turned out way trickier than I figured. Started last month when my cousin complained about driveway concrete wrecking his knees during pickup games. Got me thinking – why not build a proper court that doesn’t need permanent cement? Here’s how it went down:

The Hunting Phase

First I drove around three different lumber yards hunting for decent maple. Everyone kept pushing fancy expensive gym-grade stuff until I found this older guy at the last place. Showed me “seconds” – boards with minor cosmetic flaws but still solid maple for half price. Bought extra knowing I’d mess some up. Smart move.

Dry Fit Disaster

Got home and laid all the planks in my garage like a puzzle. Measured twice? Nah. Cut immediately? You betcha. Trashed two boards by cutting the grooves backwards before realizing my chalk marks were upside down. Had to redo the entire layout with painter’s tape arrows pointing which way tongues should face.

• Lesson 1: Tongue side gets the hammer blows
• Lesson 2: Maple laughs at regular nails
• Lesson 3: Wearing shorts = leg bruises

The Locking Tango

Thought interlocking planks would click together like Ikea furniture. Reality? Had to knee-drop every. Single. Seam. My neighbor came over laughing while I was sweating through a shirt, whacking planks with a dead-blow mallet and wood block. We ended up inventing this stupid stomp-kick maneuver that actually worked – left foot on installed plank, right foot slamming the new one sideways into place. Did the whole court doing that chicken dance.

Removable? Mostly

My “brilliant” modular design? Cut 4×8 sections thinking they’d lift out easy. Didn’t account for wood swelling after rain hit during installation. Sections fused together like glued LEGOs. Had to razor-knife every dang seam to pry them apart later. Now they stack decently in the shed… after I sanded all the swollen edges down. Took Saturday and two six-packs.

Final Take

Ball bounce is legit fantastic. Looks pro until you notice three planks with ugly knots I couldn’t avoid. Took twelve trips to stores and three weekends. For real – if you ain’t got time or patience, just rent a gym. But drinking beer on a maple court you built yourself? Priceless.