Getting Started with My Dance Floor Project

Last Tuesday morning I pulled out my tape measure and checked the basement space again. The concrete floor felt hard as rock under my knees, definitely needed softening for dancing. Remembered that local hardware store had discounted beech wood planks and shock-absorbing foam pads in clearance section. Grabbed 20 packs with interlocking grooves after confirming return policy – you never know if calculations go wrong.

First big mistake happened right away. Just dumped foam pads across the floor without cleaning properly. When I unrolled the first layer, saw dust bunnies and tiny pebbles trapped underneath. Had to peel everything back up and sweep like crazy. Used my wife’s spare yoga mat to kneel while scrubbing concrete with vinegar solution.

Here’s how the foam layer went down:

• Measured and marked center lines with bright pink chalk
• Started sticking pads together from middle toward walls
• Cut edge pieces with old kitchen knife – foam shreds flew everywhere
• Pushed down each section hard with both feet to activate adhesive

The wood planks fought me hard. First five rows clicked together smooth but row six kept buckling. Turned out two boards had swollen from basement moisture overnight. Dried them with hair dryer on low setting while cursing cheap wood packaging. When planks finally laid flat, I jumped on joints to test connections – felt that satisfying bounce!

Fixing Annoying Little Problems

Discovered major squeak near doorway after first test waltz. Lifted surrounding planks to find foam pad wasn’t fully stuck. Solved it by squirting wood glue under the foam – messy but worked. For stubborn gaps between planks, mixed sawdust from cutting scraps with carpenter’s glue to make filler paste.

Trim work took three attempts. First cut molding pieces too short. Second batch looked crooked. Third time measured twice but still nailed my thumb with hammer. That blue spot still hurts when typing.

Final Dance Test Results

Yesterday did full stress test with neighbor’s kids jumping like kangaroos. Floor held strong! That beech wood surface shows scuff marks though – gonna need monthly oil treatments. Best part? Dropped heavy wrench testing shock absorption and it barely made noise. Total project cost about one-third of pre-made dance floors.

Would I do this again? Probably. My left knee hates me from all the crawling but seeing kids spin without ankle twists? Priceless. Just bought extra knee pads for next DIY project.