Why I Started This Mad Project

So I was sitting in my garage last Tuesday, staring at my kid’s dance mat. It’s one of those thin foam things, you know? Utter junk. She kept tripping over the stupid curled edges. Got fed up right then. Thought, “Gotta make something solid. Something we can actually move around.” Portable wooden dance floor. Yeah, that sounded less crazy in my head.

Gathering Stuff

Dragged my lazy self to the local hardware store first thing Wednesday. Didn’t really have a plan, just a fuzzy idea. Here’s what I grabbed without thinking too hard:

• Thick Plywood Sheets: Not the fancy stuff, just cheap & sturdy. Figured six 2×4 foot panels would cover enough space.
• Rubber Flooring Squares: Found these ugly green things in the clearance bin. Grippy backs. Perfect.
• Heavy Duty Velcro Strips: Long ones. Don’t ask how many packs – lost count. Kept thinking “need enough grip”.
• Wood Glue & Screws: My usual go-to suspects.
• Wood Sealer: Because splinters suck. Big time.

Cutting Nightmares & Coffee

Thursday morning, ready to slice wood. Ha! Setup the saw in the driveway. First cut went crooked. Second panel? Worse. Drank another coffee. Finally figured out how to clamp a straight edge guide properly. Stupid learning curve. Got all six panels cut. Mostly square. Mostly.

Slapped the first rubber square onto a plywood panel with wood glue. Weighted it down with bricks (borrowed secretly from the neighbor’s garden wall – thanks Dave!). Let it bake in the sun. Repeat five times. Tedious work. Fingers sticky, buzzing flies annoying me.

Velcro Wrestling Match

Friday. The sticky hook side Velcro – cut them into long strips. Tried sticking them along the edges of each panel’s underside. Wrong. Peeling off instantly. Cursed loudly. Sanded the wood backs rough instead. Cleaned dust off. Worked way better. Pressed hard, hard, hard! Like sealing your worst enemy’s fate.

The fuzzy loop strips went onto the garage floor where I wanted the floor to live. Measured panel gaps wrong twice. Had to rip Velcro off the concrete. Used more glue, more patience. Nearly gave up.

Sealing the Deal (& Splinters)

Saturday. Covered those plywood tops with two coats of that clear, stinky sealer. Used an old paintbrush. Made the grain look kinda nice, actually. Avoided the rubber bits. Don’t paint rubber. Trust me. Waited. Impatiently.

Let’s Dance! (Or Not)

Sunday afternoon showdown. Plopped the first panel onto the Velcro strips on the floor. Snap! Like magic. Felt solid. No wiggle. Added the next panel… and the next. They joined up tight! Got all six down. Called the kid over.

She jumped on. Twirled. Glided. Zero bumps. Zero slips. The Velcro held like crazy. Best part? Grabbed one corner of a panel near the end. Peel! It came right off! Carried it easily. Folded panels stack in the garage corner now. Takes five minutes to set up or pack away.

Messy? Definitely. Took longer than planned? Oh yeah. Worth it? Seeing that kid dance without slipping? Hell yes.