Okay so I tackled this shock absorbing basketball floor thing head-on this weekend, total hands-on mess. Started simple enough – bought the shock pads first, those squishy rubbery mats. Felt kinda bouncy when I stomped on one piece, thought “hey, this might actually work!” Big mistake getting hopeful so early.

Prepping the Ground Was Pain

Dragged out the old concrete slab in the garage. Looked flat? Ha, nope. Got my longest level out, laid it down. Could practically roll marbles across some spots. Spent hours, swear I sweated buckets, grinding down the high bits and slapping that self-leveling goo on the lows. Had to do it twice because the first time I mixed it too runny – whole mess. Waited like forever for it to dry solid, biting my nails hoping it set right.

The Pads – Trickier Than Cats

Unrolled the shock pads. Easy part, right? Wrong. They kept wrinkling up like crinkled paper. Had to tape down the edges like crazy, pulling everything super tight just to stop them bunching up. Walking on it felt weird, kinda soft but promising.

Now the Wood – Puzzle Time

Opened the wood panel boxes. Nice maple tongue-and-groove planks. First row? Crucial. Measured like ten times, marked the starting wall line real careful. Plonked down the first plank. Hammer and tapping block in hand, started whacking them together. That satisfying “click” sound kept me going. But halfway through:

• Found one plank with a huge knot right at the edge. Had to ditch it.
• Tapped one too hard, chipped the tongue clean off another plank. Swore real loud.
• The cut around the door frame? Took three tries with the jigsaw before it fit without looking hacked.

Had to leave expansion gaps all around the edge. Used those plastic spacers. Kept kicking them out accidentally and having to poke them back in. So annoying.

The Reveal (Sweaty and Sore)

Finally laid the last plank. Stood back, wiped the sweat, and bounced my spare basketball on it. Felt GOOD. That satisfying thump with a slight cushion underneath. Definitely different from bouncing on bare concrete. Jumped up and down myself – less harsh on the knees. Mission sort of accomplished.

Real Talk: It’s not NBA arena level, sure. There’s one corner maybe not perfect? But for bouncing a ball and not destroying my joints? Absolutely worth the fight. If your concrete ain’t flat from the start though? Prepare for major headaches. Seriously.