Starting the Project
So I needed dance flooring in my garage that I could put away when the car needs to park. Saw people using interlocking gym mats but those squishy things ruin tap shoes. Decided to build wooden tiles that click together like puzzle pieces.
Gathering Stuff
Went to the lumber yard Friday morning. Picked soft maple boards cause they’re springy like proper dance floors. Grabbed:
- Ten 1-foot-wide boards
- Rubber padding rolls
- Plastic interlocking clips
- Wood glue that dries fast
Took two trips because forgot the damn clips first time. Total cost around $120.
Cutting and Assembly
Saturday stuck in garage all day. First cut boards into 20 same-sized squares using circular saw. Measured twice but still messed up two pieces – had to recut. My neighbor Tom came over with beers but ended up helping clamp boards while glue dried.
Stuck rubber padding underside with industrial tape after watching some bad DIY videos that wasted an hour. Attached plastic clips to all four sides – these allow tiles to snap tight then come apart later. Almost glued my fingers together twice.
Testing Phase
Sunday morning dragged my kid out for testing. Laid tiles in garage – snap-snap-snap done in 8 minutes. Kid jumped on it shouting “bouncy!”. Tried actual dance steps:
- Slide steps worked great
- Spins didn’t catch
- Stomps sounded proper
But when we shuffled sideways fast, corner tiles popped apart. Almost ate concrete.
Fixing Problems
Added extra clips on corners like braces. Now tiles hold during crazy moves. Finished around 4PM Sunday – packed entire floor into two stacks leaning against wall. Car fits in garage again.
Final Thoughts
The maple holds better than expected and smells like grandma’s cabinet. Takes 10 minutes to set up when dance urge hits. Still need to sand one edge that gives splinters – learned that when kid cried after hand-slide attempt. Worth every splinter and glue mishap.
