Okay, so here’s how I tackled this shock absorbing basketball court flooring project in my garage. I wanted something real smooth for dribbling but without wrecking my joints or spending crazy money.

First, the concrete had to go

Started by sweeping the garage floor like crazy – dust bunnies were everywhere. Then I laid down these thick rubber mats I scored online. They looked kinda like puzzle pieces, maybe half an inch thick? Yeah, spent a whole Saturday just clicking ’em together and stomping on each piece to make sure they sat flat. Sweat buckets that day.

Then came the wood planks

Picked up a bunch of those cheap wood laminate strips – the kind folks use for quick home floors. Started laying ’em right on top of the rubber mats, tongue-and-groove style. Hammered like a madman whenever a plank got stubborn. Cut the edges with a jigsaw when they hit the wall. Oh, used these plastic spacers near the walls too so the floor could “breathe” they said. Whatever, looked legit.

Rubber mats? More like drama mats

Thought those rubber mats would behave? Nope. Whenever I hammered too hard, the wood sank into the rubber like quicksand. Had to peel back entire rows twice to smooth out bulges under the mats. Almost threw the hammer through the window. Finally figured out gentle taps worked better than Thor moves.

Testing day (aka bouncy ball time)

Finally finished after three weekends and endless coffee runs. Dropped a basketball from eye level – felt the difference immediately. Less thud, more thump. Then took some dribbles: knees didn’t scream! Ball came back to my hand faster too instead of dying on impact like concrete does.

End result? It ain’t no NBA court but for shooting hoops after work? Solid. Didn’t bankrupt me, saved my old knees, and totally worth the rubber mat tantrums. Would do it again.