Okay folks, today I wanna spill the beans on this idea I had for removable dance flooring. Called it “removable dancing lvl larch portable wooden flooring” ’cause that sounds fancy, right? Honestly? It was more figuring things out as I went.

Started simple: I love dancing around the house, but dragging the good rug around is a pain, and the kitchen tiles? No way. Saw some folks online talking about portable floors, thought “Hey, I got some tools, maybe I can hack something together?” Grabbed my notebook (well, a crumpled piece of paper really) and started scribbling.

The Headache Phase (Buying Stuff)

First thought? Go buy some pre-made panels. Easy peasy. Went to the big hardware store, stood there staring at the wood. Larch? Oak? Plywood? Prices went zoom! Realized those ‘click-together’ flooring panels might work, but weren’t really meant to be portable or thick enough. Saw some cheap laminate stuff. Almost bought it. Then remembered: dancing means weight, sliding feet, falling down maybe? Cheap laminate would crack like a biscuit. Nope. Wandered around forever, finally decided on some thicker tongue-and-groove pine planks. Figured I could work with that. Also grabbed a pile of foam puzzle mats – the kind for kids’ playrooms – thinking they’d cushion underneath. Oh, and sandpaper. Lots of sandpaper.

The “Why Is This Taking So Long?” Phase (Building the Base)

Got home, cleared a space in the garage (aka tripped over a bike). Laid out the foam mats to figure out the size I wanted. Cut a bunch of planks to match that size. First snag? The ends weren’t perfectly square. Big surprise.

• Measured twice? Nope, eyeballed it. Cut once? Yeah, but too short. Ugh.
• Grabbed my hand sander and went to town on those rough ends. Dust everywhere. Seriously, wear a mask.
• Then came the glue. Trying to glue those thin edge pieces to the underside of the planks to create a sort of frame? Disaster. Clamps slid off, wood slipped, glue oozed everywhere. Looked like a kindergarten art project gone wrong.
• Gave up on glue for the frame after about 10 minutes. Switched to my old nail gun. BANG BANG BANG. Felt better, honestly. Way faster. The frame wasn’t winning any beauty contests, but it held.

The “Oh God, It Actually Might Work” Phase (Putting It Together)

Okay, foam mats down first. Locked them together. Felt kinda spongy. Laid my newly framed pine planks on top. Tried clicking the tongue-and-groove together sideways… and realized my ‘frame’ stuck out too much on the edges. Couldn’t click the sides! Facepalm moment. Sanded down the edge pieces of the frame on each plank. Took forever.

Finally managed to push them together. Stood in the middle. Did a little shuffle. Didn’t crack! Didn’t slide! The foam underneath actually made it feel pretty decent, took away that harsh ‘thunk’ on the garage floor. Tried a spin. Didn’t faceplant. Success!

The “Portable? Ha!” Phase (Testing The Idea)

So, I have my little dance section built. Now, the “removable” and “portable” part. Unclicked the panels. Heavy. Each plank section with its frame is way heavier than just a puzzle mat. Lifting them up? Okay, but stacking them? Awkward as heck. Definitely not throwing them in the back of the car easily. Also, gotta store ’em flat-ish or they might warp, I guess? Takes up a chunk of garage wall space leaning them up.

Left it set up for a week in the garage. Walked on it, danced on it, even spilled some water. Wiped right up. No warping. The foam mats underneath are holding up so far.

Final Thoughts (For Now)

Does it work? Yeah, surprisingly. It ain’t a pro sprung floor, but for sliding around the house (or garage), it feels way better than bare tile or concrete. Stable? Enough for my clumsy moves. Portable? Sorta… more like “movable with effort and space” rather than “portable”. Larch? Nah, I used pine. ‘Level’? Pretty close after all that sanding! Learned a ton messing around with wood, glue, nails, and my patience.

Biggest takeaway: The foam puzzle mats underneath? Genius cheap cushioning. The tongue-and-groove locking sideways makes the top surface solid. Would I build it again exactly like this? Probably tweak the frame attachment, it was messy. But for a weekend project? Got me dancing without breaking my knees or the bank. Good enough!