Alright so yesterday I finally put together that shock-absorbing basketball floor in my garage using soft maple boards. Man, what a ride. Let me walk you through how it went down, mistakes and all.

Getting Stuff Ready

Woke up early, like 6 AM early. Needed coffee, strong coffee. First thing: spread everything out on my driveway. Had a whole pile of things:

• Bags of soft maple planks – smelled like fresh wood, kinda nice
• Big box of flexible rubber pads (these are the shock absorbers)
• Industrial-strength sticky glue
• Measuring tape, saw, rubber mallet, safety goggles (almost forgot these!)

Checked every maple plank real close. Found two with nasty knots – chucked those into my scrap pile. Better off without ’em.

Prepping the Ground

Garage floor was concrete, rough and dirty. Swept like crazy, then got down on my knees and scrubbed it with warm soapy water. Took forever. Had to dry it completely with big old towels – dampness was the enemy here. Felt like I was mopping up a lake.

Putting Down the Shock Layer

Unrolled those thick rubber pads like red carpet. Cut ’em to fit the garage corners with a box cutter. Annoying part? They kept curling up at the edges. Used painter’s tape to pin ’em flat. Felt like wrestling a giant octopus.

Mixed up the glue – that stuff smelled like chemicals straight outta a lab. Smeared it thick over the rubber pads with a notched trowel. Got a big blob on my favorite jeans. Kicked myself for forgetting the apron.

Laying Down the Maple

Started at the far corner, laid the first plank nice and straight. Hammered it gentle-like with the rubber mallet to stick it real good to the glue. Used plastic spacers between planks – kept gaps even for wood swelling later.

Halfway through, realized the planks weren’t lining up perfect. One stubborn piece stuck out like a sore thumb. Had to pull it up, scrape off the gummy glue, re-cut it. Took extra time, nearly threw that plank across the yard.

Sawdust everywhere. My sinuses were screaming. Note to self: Wear a damn mask next time.

Final Push

By late afternoon, got the last plank down. Used my heavy toolbox as weights overnight – piled ’em on the seams. Floor looked almost professional… except that one spot near the door where the spacing’s a hair off. I’ll live with it.

Cleaned off the extra glue smears with a damp rag – sticky mess took some elbow grease.

Testing It Out

Next morning, dragged my kid’s hoop inside. Dribbled that ball hard – bounced back smooth and quick. Jumped up and down – could feel the give under my feet. No knee-jarring thuds on the concrete. Success!

Neighbor stopped by, said it felt “springy, like a real court.” High praise from a guy who once built a treehouse that fell down.

So yeah, it’s done. Looks solid, plays great. Would I do it again? Maybe… after my back stops aching.