So today I finally tackled that shock absorbing basketball floor project I’d been planning forever. Honestly, my basement was a total mess – dusty concrete, random junk everywhere, just not a vibe for shooting hoops. Felt like I needed a proper court down there.

Getting Started Was Half the Battle

First off, I hauled everything down. Wood planks, underlayment pads, glue, nails, saws, you name it. My garage looked like a lumberyard threw up. Cleared out the basement space, swept like crazy, got the concrete as clean as possible. Foundation gotta be solid, right?

Then came the underlayment. Unrolled those rubbery shock pads all over the floor, butting them up close together. Tricky part? Making sure no gaps were showing anywhere. Had to trim edges with a utility knife near the walls. Felt kinda like laying giant puzzle pieces.

The Wood Part Made Me Sweat

Time for the wood. Started laying those engineered planks perpendicular to the joists – that’s what the instructions said anyway. Glued the groove, tapped each piece into the next one with a mallet and a block. Then I hit a wall. Literally.

Realized the walls weren’t perfectly straight. Some planks needed trimming, others… let’s just say the saw got a workout. And keeping everything level and tight? Wow. Levelness matters way more than I thought for bounce.

• Constantly checked gaps with a crowbar.
• Stood on every other plank to check for squeaks.
• Wiped excess glue off fast so it wouldn’t stain.

Around the posts… nightmare. Had to measure weird angles, cut notches. Cursed a bit, drank some coffee, cursed a bit more. Took forever, fitting pieces like a jigsaw puzzle on steroids.

Finishing Touches & Reality Check

Nailed down the perimeter every foot or so for extra hold. Put down some quarter-round trim to hide the expansion gap by the walls – looks cleaner.

The big test? Dribbling. Dropped the ball… felt that nice thud, no harsh slapback. Jumped a few times – way less knee jarring than concrete, obviously. Not NBA perfect, but way better than the basement rubble before.

Took all weekend. Arms ache, back’s stiff. But man, seeing that finished court feeling down there? Totally worth the struggle. Might tweak some gaps later, but for now? Ready for a little home tournament, minus the fancy arena prices.