Why I Needed This Flooring in the First Place

My garage basketball court looked like a war zone. Every time my kid or his friends jumped for a dunk, that concrete slab slammed back at their joints. Saw too many ankle sprains after games. Knew I had to fix it before someone broke something. Researched online and found oak wood flooring with shock absorption – sounded perfect for cushioning jumps.

Digging Into the Prep Work

First mistake: Thought I could just slap wood over concrete. Nope. Had to level the dang floor first. Bought bags of self-leveling compound from Lowe’s. Mixed that crap in a bucket like cake batter, poured it over cracks and dips. Took two days to cure completely. Still found uneven spots – sanded those down with my orbital sander till it felt smooth as glass.

Putting Down the Base Layer

Unrolled rubber underlayment like a red carpet. Thick black stuff, smelled like burnt tires. Measured twice, cut once with box cutters. Taped seams with moisture barrier tape, overlapping edges like shingles. Sweating buckets crawling around on knees to smooth out wrinkles. Already felt softer underfoot just from this rubber mat.

Wood Plank Puzzle Time

Oak planks arrived smelling like fresh lumber. Each piece had groove-and-tongue edges. Started along the longest wall, smacking planks together with a rubber mallet. Five rows in, realized they weren’t interlocking right. Had to pull up everything because some idiot (me) didn’t stagger the joints properly. Wasted half a Saturday redoing it with better spacing between ends.

Fighting the Trim Battle

Edges needed transition strips where garage met driveway. Cut oak thresholds with my jigsaw – got sawdust in my nose. Predrilled holes to avoid splitting wood. Used construction adhesive AND nails to secure them. Still managed to bang my thumb twice with the hammer. Should’ve worn gloves.

Does It Actually Work?

Tested by dropping a basketball from head height. Old concrete bounced it waist-high. New oak floor? Barely reached my knees – that cushion effect is no joke. Kids played three hours straight next day. No complaints about sore knees. Best part? That satisfying thump-thump when dribbling sounds pro now.

• What sucked: Back pain from crouching. So many wood splinters.
• What ruled: Zero injuries since install. Cheap alternative to professional courts.
• Biggest surprise: Ball doesn’t roll away anymore – the slight surface grip keeps it in play.

Total cost stayed under 800 bucks. Took three weekends including curing time. Still needs polyurethane coating for weatherproofing. But seeing the kids play safe? Worth every splinter and hammered thumb.