Man, so I’ve been wanting a backyard basketball spot all summer, right? Something solid but gentle on the knees, ’cause let’s be real, concrete just murders your ankles after an hour. Saw those pricey portable courts online and choked. Figured I could cobble something decent together myself. Spoiler: It kinda works, eventually.
Got the Bright Idea & Started Hunting Stuff
First off, needed a base that wouldn’t kill me. Thought about thick rubber mats – you know, the kind for gym floors? Hit up a couple places. Almost bought some, but then remembered how those things warp in heat or get slick when wet. Total no-go outside. Stumbled onto these shock-absorbing foam tiles folks use for garages. Advertised for heavy stuff! Grabbed a bunch of those instead. Felt like squishy puzzle pieces.
Next, needed wood for the actual playing surface. Didn’t want plywood flapping around. Went for solid pine planks – tongue and groove style, like flooring. Figured they’d lock together tight. Measured the space. Wanted a half-court kinda size. Got enough planks to cover the foam base, plus a little extra for mistakes (and trust me, needed it).
- The Foam Stuff: Black, 2ft x 2ft interlocking tiles. Thick, like maybe an inch? Supposed to handle car weight. Felt solid yet squishy. Good sign.
- The Wood Planks: 1-inch thick pine, pre-cut lengths around 6 feet. Tongue and groove edges.
- Other Crap: Heavy-duty deck screws, outdoor wood sealant, brushes, measuring tape, sawhorses, circular saw (borrowed my neighbor’s, bless him), a level, and sweatbands. Lots of sweatbands.
Actually Building the Darn Thing
Started in the garage. Laid out all the foam tiles on the floor first, clicking them together like a giant jigsaw. Covered the whole area I wanted. Looked like a weird black dance floor. Felt bouncy. Okay, step one done.
Then came the wood. This got messy. Hauled planks onto the foam sheet. Laid the first row straight, tongue side facing out. Took ages to get it perfectly straight with the level. Screwed that first row down through the wood AND the foam into the garage floor concrete underneath. Just temporary, for stability while building! Plan was to unscrew it later once the whole surface was locked. Plank after plank, tongue into groove, tapping them snug with a mallet and a scrap wood block. Screwed each plank down along the edges into the foam every few feet. Was slow going. Kept checking the level. Wood wasn’t perfectly straight, had to fight a few warped ones.
Got about halfway… realized I misjudged the plank orientation. Needed the damn planks running lengthwise for the court, not widthwise! Shoved everything off the foam in a grumpy heap. Sweated buckets. Started over. Took twice as long.
Finally got all the planks down, clicked together tight on the foam. Whole assembly felt… surprisingly solid? Like walking on a firm gym floor, but with a little give underneath.
Finishing Touches & The Real Test
Unscrewed the temporary anchors holding the first row to the garage floor. Hauled the whole thing outside onto the flat patio area where the concrete was smoothest. Needed a big flat spot. Swept the patio clean, dragged the court out. It flexed a bit lifting it, but held together.
Now, needed to weatherproof the wood. Slapped on two coats of heavy-duty outdoor wood sealant, letting it dry good between coats. Sun baked it fast. Smelled weird.
Drumroll moment: Tested it with my kid’s soccer ball first – bounced fine. Grabbed the basketball. Dribbled. Felt smooth! Took a shot. Jumped for a rebound. WHOA. That little bit of bounce from the foam underneath? Amazing! Landed way softer than concrete. Still felt like wood underfoot, but the impact was definitely soaked up. Dribbling felt true, no weird wobbling. Spent maybe 20 minutes just shooting around. Knees weren’t screaming afterwards. Sweet success!
Still gotta see how it holds up long term. Rain? Sun? Dunno yet. But for now? Feels good, man. Solid enough to play on, portable enough to drag aside if needed, and my ankles aren’t cursing me out. Didn’t cost a fortune either.
