So there I was last Thursday afternoon, staring at this giant box labeled “removable dancing rubber tree assembly wooden flooring” that just got delivered. Honestly? It looked way fancier in the online pictures. Box was beat up, and I could already tell this wasn’t gonna be smooth sailing.
Unpacking The Beast
First thing I did was practically rip the box open. Inside was a total mess:
- Flat wooden squares, lots of ’em.
- Thin foam sheets – the kind you’d maybe put under a sleeping bag?
- Small plastic thingies, looked like connectors.
- Some stretchy black bands that felt kinda like rubber.
- A folded sheet they called instructions. More like a vague suggestion pamphlet.
I spread everything out on the living room floor. Mistake number one. The dog immediately tried to claim a foam sheet for his nap spot. Took me ten minutes to distract him with a chew toy.
The Great Tile Tango
Right, time to start clicking these tiles together. The box promised “easy interlock system.” Hah. I picked up two tiles, tried lining up the little grooves on the edges. Nope. Flipped one. Still nope. Finally figured out you gotta hold ’em at this weird sideways angle, kinda shove and wiggle ’em at the same time. Got two tiles connected! Felt like I’d cracked a safe. Slowly, slowly, I started building a patchwork quilt of wood on the floor. Halfway through, realised I hadn’t evened out the foam underneath. Pulled half the tiles back up. Cue much groaning.
Rubber Tree? More Like Rubber Chewing Gum
Once I had a decent-sized square of floor (maybe 5 tiles by 5 tiles), it was time for the main event: the dancing tree. The “tree” part was actually flexible rubber tubes you plug into the base tiles. Seemed easy. Stick tube end into tile hole. Simple. Except the tube kept popping back out. Felt like it needed glue, but the instructions were clear: NO GLUE REQUIRED! Tried jamming it harder. Nope. Tried twisting it slightly while pushing. Nope. Got frustrated and just held the damn tube in place for a full minute. That seemed to do the trick – maybe the rubber warmed up and stuck? Got all four tubes secured. Stuck the little leafy plastic top on each one. Instant wobbly forest.
Putting the “Removable” to the Test (and Failing)
Okay, platform built, trees installed. Time to test the “removable” claim. Gently tugged one tile edge upwards. The tiles lifted a tiny bit… then the damn rubber tree bases just flopped over. They didn’t disconnect cleanly at all. Had to practically wrestle the tile free while trying to keep the tree upright. Total mess. My living room looked like a lumberjack had a bad day in the jungle. After three tries, I gave up trying to be neat. Just ripped a section apart. Tiles came apart okay with some force, but the trees stayed stuck in their bases like burrs. So “removable”? Maybe. Gracefully removable? Absolutely not.
Final result? It’s usable. Feels a bit spongy underfoot where the foam isn’t perfectly flat. The trees sway if you walk too close. My cat is obsessed with batting the wobbly trunks. Looks… quirky? Definitely not a professional install. But hey, the dog hasn’t stolen any more foam, and it gives the room a weirdly kinetic vibe when the AC kicks on and the trees do a little shimmy. Would I trust it for actual vigorous dancing? Let’s just say I’ll be keeping my socks on. Done is better than perfect, right?
