So I got this idea to make my own basketball floor setup ’cause the old one was all worn out and slippery, you know, not safe for shooting hoops.
Starting Out
First off, I rummaged through my garage and found some leftover rubber strips – had ’em from a car project last year. Then I hopped in the car and drove over to the hardware store. Grabbed a few engineer boards, which are basically those pre-made wooden planks that snap together easy, and a pack of wood screws.
Key point: I didn’t want anything fancy or professional-like, just solid enough to handle jumps and dunks.
Measuring and Cutting
- Measured the space where I wanted the floor, about half my driveway size.
- Cut the engineer boards with my old saw – gotta be careful not to chop ’em too short.
- Laid ’em out on the ground, fitting ’em like puzzle pieces to check the size.
It took a couple hours, and I messed up once by cutting a board crooked.
Adding the Rubber
Stuck the rubber strips underneath the boards ’cause I figured it would bounce better and stop ’em from sliding. Used glue and a hammer to secure it, pounding nails here and there. After that, I stepped on it to test the grip, and it felt grippier than before.
Feeling at this stage: It was kinda messy, but I liked how the rubber made it softer for my knees.
Finishing Touches
- Applied a coat of weatherproof stain to the wood top, so rain wouldn’t ruin it fast.
- Secured the whole thing with more screws at the edges to hold it down tight.
- Finally, tested it out by shooting some baskets – bounced real nice.
The whole project took me a weekend, and now it’s holding up fine for daily games.
