Deciding on the Project
Okay so I’ve had this backyard space collecting weeds forever. Realized I could turn it into something useful for me and the kids. Basketball court came to mind – but concrete would destroy our knees. Started digging around online, heard about shock-absorbing wood courts. Stumbled across birch assembly flooring kits. Thought: “Heck, why not try building this myself?”
Unpacking and Prepping
Order arrived in these huge flat crates. Took forever to haul ’em to the yard. Opened everything up – panels look like giant fancy puzzle pieces. Smelled like fresh-cut wood. First thing I did was lay out all the shock pads like big rubbery placemats. Had to rake the dirt super flat underneath. Messy job, got soil in my shoes.
- Checked the panel instructions twice
- Sweated buckets moving shock pads
- Nearly tripped twice on those dang packaging straps
Connecting the Panels
This part felt like playing Tetris with tree trunks. Started from the corner, locking the tongue-and-groove edges together. Had to hammer some stubborn joints – wood creaked like an old ship. Almost messed up aligning two panels sideways. Pro tip: Kick ’em sideways to close gaps before locking down. Took four hours just to cover half the court, kept stopping to wipe sawdust off my glasses.
Finishing Touches and Testing
After the last panel clicked in, it looked almost professional. Until I saw uneven edges near the fence where I got lazy measuring. Fixed it with a handsaw – chips flew everywhere. Finally, the moment of truth: dribbled a basketball hard. The thump sounded deep and muffled, not that harsh slapping noise like on asphalt. Jumped and landed soft. Kids barreled out back screaming to play. Seeing them hop around without those “ouch” faces? Worth every splinter.
