Man, you won’t believe the wild ride I just went through trying this flooring project. Had this crazy idea stuck in my head: mixing rubber basketball court vibes with classic hardwood floor style. Figured, why not slap some maple pieces together myself? Sounded simple enough at midnight after three cups of coffee. Spoiler: it wasn’t.

Hunting Down the Stuff

First things first, needed materials. Hit up the usual hardware store spots – nada. Took me whole weekend scouring weird little lumber yards tucked behind gas stations. Found this guy named Dave who swore he had the right stuff. “Soft maple, son,” he grumbles, patting dusty planks stacked next to a mountain of scrap metal. Paid cash, loaded these surprisingly heavy boards into my busted hatchback. Felt like I was smuggling logs.

Rubber part came next. Ended up ordering these thick rubber tiles online meant for home gyms. Description said “high density,” which, based on how much they cost, better be freakin’ diamond density. Wallet cried a little.

My Garage Became War Zone

Cleared space next to my kid’s bike collection. Mistake number one: thinking I could “quickly sand the boards.” Maple’s no joke – spent two afternoons just fighting dust with an old orbital sander coughing like an asthmatic cat. Sawdust literally everywhere. Covered the deep freezer like fresh snow. Wife wasn’t amused.

Tried staining a test piece next. Looked like muddy water splashed on it. Scrapped that plan faster than you can say “refund.” Went raw wood instead – less headache, plus hey, “natural aesthetic,” right?

Rubber Meet Maple, Maple Meet Rubber

Here’s where things got properly weird. Those rubber tiles? Thick as my thumb and stiff as a politician’s handshake. Tried laying them first under where the maple court lines would be.

• Cut rubber with utility knife: blade went dull after second cut.
• Tried heavy-duty shears: nearly snapped my wrist.
• Ended up borrowing neighbor’s ancient jigsaw – screamed like a banshee but worked.

Fitting the maple puzzle pieces came next. Thought tongue-and-groove would click together smooth. Reality? Hammering each plank like it owed me money, sweat dripping onto the wood. Halfway through, boards decided they didn’t wanna play straight anymore. Wavy line right down the middle looking like a drunken snake trail. Cussed, took a beer break, shoved shims under edges, prayed.

Finishing Touches? More Like Bruises

Putting down the polyurethane was the “fun” part. Went for a matte finish because shiny floors show every scratch. Brushed it on careful-like over three coats, fighting bubbles like a crazy person popping invisible zits. Third day, my kid’s action figure somehow landed right in the wet goo. Fingerprint-shaped dent memorialized forever near the three-point line.

Final reveal after it dried? Looks… surprisingly okay? Bounced a basketball I found under the couch. That rubber-mapule combo actually felt kinda cool. Dense rubber underfoot near the basket, hard maple for the main court area. Weird science project vibe achieved. Kids shot hoops yesterday, declared it “better than the park.” Floor hasn’t buckled yet. I’ll take it.