Why I Decided to Build This Thing

Got tired of neighbors complaining every time my kids dribbled basketballs indoors. Our concrete floor made crazy noise. Saw some pricey shock-absorbing sports floors online – cheapest was $50 per square foot! Said forget that, let’s build something ourselves.

Stuff I Gathered

 

• Rubber Tree Puzzle Mats

 

• : Bought 24 interlocking squares (2ft×2ft each) from a fitness store

 

• • Wood Planks: Salvaged maple hardwood flooring leftovers from my garage renovation project

 

• • Glue Gun & Nails: Heavy-duty adhesive and short nails from my toolbox

 

• Measuring Tape: Old trusty one covered in paint stains

The Build Process

First, cleared our living room corner – shoved sofas aside like moving furniture during spring cleaning.

Laid down the rubber mats like giant puzzle pieces. Fit 6×4 squares together, listening for that satisfying “click” when edges locked.

Measured twice before cutting planks with my circular saw. Made sure to leave ¼-inch gaps between planks just like proper hardwood floors.

Glued like crazy – squirted zigzag patterns on rubber mats then slapped wood planks down. Pressed hard for 30 seconds each. Added nails at corners for extra grip when glue seemed slippery.

Sweat part: My kid bounced a basketball non-stop while I adjusted gaps. Added foam strips under edges when I heard rattling. Took three tries to eliminate that annoying buzz.

Things That Almost Went Wrong

 

• Glue Failure

 

• : First adhesive peeled off when I jumped. Switched to industrial-strength stuff labeled “FOR RUBBER TO METAL” – worked magic.

 

• • Warped Wood: Some salvaged planks curled at ends. Had to flip ’em heavy side down – physics hack!

 

• Fuzzy Edges: Cut planks left splinters. Ran sandpaper until smooth as butter.

Final Touch & Test Drive

Dumped a bucket of fine sawdust over floor, swept it into gaps to hide cut lines. Dropped steel wrench from waist height – barely made a thud! Best moment: Letting kids loose with basketballs. Neighbors haven’t banged on walls since.

Would I Do This Again?

Hell yeah. Total cost under $200 and took one weekend. Now contemplating building mini-golf turf over garage floor next spring…