So I’ve been thinking for a while about building my own basketball flooring – something I could set up in the driveway without wrecking my knees every time I dunk. Saw some crazy expensive shock-absorbing stuff online and thought, “Nah, I can make this cheaper myself.”
Getting Stuff Together
First thing was collecting materials. Went down to the hardware store and grabbed:
- Three-quarter inch plywood sheets – got four because my court area’s about 15×15 feet
- A bunch of 1-inch rubber gym tiles for the shock part
- Wood glue that promised to stick anything to anything
- Heavy-duty outdoor carpet tape (just in case)
- Screws and metal brackets for joining pieces
Putting It All Together
Started by laying the plywood flat on my garage floor. Measured where the rubber tiles needed to go – left finger-width gaps between each tile so they wouldn’t squash together when stepped on. Smothered that plywood with wood glue like it was peanut butter toast, then pressed the rubber tiles down hard.
Got impatient waiting for glue to dry, so I piled weight on top – old encyclopedias and my girlfriend’s dumbbell set. Next day, walked on it to test bounce. Felt spongy but some tiles peeled right up! Not cool.
Pulled out the carpet tape as backup. Cut strips like I was making tape spaghetti and stuck them around the tile edges. Added more weight overnight. This time when I jumped on it? Those rubber squares stayed put.
Making It Portable
Had to cut the whole thing into 4×4 panels so one person could carry them. Screwed metal brackets to connect edges – two on each joint. But when I walked over the seams? Nearly ate plywood.
Fixed it by sanding the joining edges at angles – now they lock together smooth. Also attached rope handles to each panel – works like moving furniture but smells like woodshop class.
Does It Work?
Took this Frankenstein floor to the driveway. My knees always used to hurt after an hour of dribbling, but yesterday played two hours straight and just had regular tired legs! Ball bounces right too.
Downside? When rain came last week the panels warped a little. Guess I’ll be adding weatherproof sealant next weekend. Still beats paying $2000 for that pre-made stuff though!
