So I decided to get myself a rubber basketball court in my backyard because the kids were always complaining about the old concrete slab being too slippery. Grabbed some cash and went straight to the hardware store to buy the hard maple wood planks they recommended – supposedly tough as nails for basketball action. Ordered a bunch and had ’em delivered, along with a few rubber basketballs to test the bounce later.

Started off by cleaning the ground real good. Raked out all the leaves and rocks, gave it a solid sweep with a broom till it was dust-free. Then laid out the underlayment to keep things level and damp-free – took me a good hour just to spread it evenly without wrinkles. Next, I unboxed the hard maple planks and sorted ’em by size, stacking ’em near the spot so I wouldn’t have to run back and forth all day.

The Messy Assembly

Now the real fun began. Grabbed my power drill and started snapping the planks together one by one. First few went smooth – just clicked ’em in and screwed ’em down with wood screws. But halfway through, I hit a snag. Some planks were warped from storage, wouldn’t lock right and kept popping up like angry little snakes. Cussed a bit, then switched to sanding the edges down with my sander to make ’em fit better. Still, took forever fiddling with gaps and angles.

By late afternoon, I moved to attaching the rubber basketball elements. Cut some rubber strips to size and glued ’em onto the maple surface with heavy-duty adhesive. Messed up the first couple by rushing – ended up with sticky globs everywhere, had to scrape ’em off with a putty knife and redo it slow and careful. Took breaks to sip coffee and avoid burnout, but the sun was blazing so sweat soaked my shirt.

Wrapping It Up and Testing

Finally finished the whole floor layout after dinner, screwing the last boards tight and checking for wobbles with a level. Threw on a coat of sealant to protect the wood from rain, letting it dry overnight. Next morning, I tested it with those rubber basketballs – dribbled ’em hard and did some jumps. Floor felt solid as a rock, no slippage at all, and the kids loved it immediately.

But truth be told, it wasn’t all roses. Spent more time fixing mistakes than I planned, and my back’s still sore from all the bending. Learned that rushing just leads to chaos – better measure twice and glue once. Now the court’s holding up great, and I’ve got a new spot for hoops and hangouts. Worth the hassle in the end, but man, DIY ain’t for the faint-hearted.