So this whole thing started because my upstairs neighbor kept banging on the floor when my kid practiced tap dancing. Like, come on man, it’s just rhythm! Anyways, I remembered seeing these “shock absorbing” floors somewhere online and figured why not give it a shot.
The Wild Goose Chase for Materials
First damn step was hunting down birch plywood. Drove to three different lumberyards before finding decent 18mm sheets without warps. Then came the underlayer stuff – wasted forty minutes reading packages at the store trying to find something that actually said “dampening” clearly. Grabbed some black rubber foam that looked like gym mats cause the price was right.
My Garage Disaster Zone
Cleared out old tools and junk bikes to make space. Laid down tarps like I was preparing for murder. Cut the birch planks to size with my jigsaw – wood chips EVERYWHERE no matter how much I taped plastic sheets. Measured twice but still screwed up four boards. Key tools I used:
- Circular saw that scared the crap outta me
- Three different sandpaper grits
- A straight edge that wasn’t actually straight
Rubber Floor Puzzle Nightmare
The foam underlay was the worst part. Had to slice it into strips with a box cutter that kept going sideways. Sweat dripping in my eyes while trying to get all pieces flush against each other without gaps. Halfway through I realized the directions said “use double-sided tape” but I only had duct tape. Said screw it and kept going. Forgot about the expansion gaps until the last row, had to pry up five planks with crowbar.
Finishing Touches & Reality Check
Sanded everything twice – first pass left scratches deep enough to catch fingernails. Used natural wax cause stains scare me. Let the kid stomp on it for testing. Verdict? Definitely bounces more than regular floors, but it ain’t silent magic. Still hear some thumping, just muffled. My neighbor texted “less annoying but still know when it’s dance time.”
Final Truth Bomb
Total cost was way over what those DIY sites claimed. We’re talking twelve hours of back pain for what? Floor moves a bit when you jump. But seeing my kid grinning while stomping without guilt? Okay yeah, maybe worth it. Still wouldn’t do it again without a whole damn crew helping.
