Alright folks, let me walk you through this wild idea I had for portable dance floors. Got tired of wobbly joints on the concrete patio, felt like my ankles were gonna snap.

The Why and The What

Started this whole thing cause cheap foam tiles sucked. Bought the “professional” portable floor once – shook like crazy when anyone jumped. Needed shock absorption without breaking the bank or my back moving it.

Decided on larch wood. Why? Hard enough not to dent easy when someone drops a move, but honestly? Found a bunch on sale at the lumberyard and figured, “Eh, worth a shot.” Grabbed some thick rubber matting too, the kind they put under washing machines.

Getting Down to Work

First step: measured my practice space. Hauled the larch planks onto sawhorses. Measured twice (almost cut once, whew). Took the circular saw and sliced all planks down to 60cm by 60cm squares. Sanded every edge smooth, didn’t want splinters ruining the groove. Sweating like crazy already.

Next, tackled the shock part. Cut that heavy-duty rubber matting into slightly smaller squares than the wood, about 55cm each. Important! Need a border for the next step. Glued the rubber piece smack dab in the middle of each wooden square. Used a heavy wood glue and piled bricks on top overnight while the dog watched suspiciously.

Making it Click (Literally)

This part was tricky. Needed the tiles to connect and have that shock absorption. Here’s how I fumbled through:

• Cut the connections: Took the router and carved interlocking “fingers” along the edges of each tile. Messed up two tiles before my hands stopped shaking.
• Left a gap: Made sure the fingers weren’t too tight fit. Left just enough wiggle room – maybe a millimeter or two – so the tiles weren’t jammed tight together. That gap? That’s where the magic happens.
• Rubber does its thing: When you step, the rubber layer underneath squishes down (absorbing the shock), and the slight gap between tiles lets the whole floor move just a tiny bit without cracking, like a living thing.

The Test Drive

Laid out six tiles on the garage floor. Put on some bass-heavy beats. Hopped. Jumped. Tried some basic shuffles. My neighbor Bob came over, curious. Made HIM jump on it. Here’s the verdict:

It worked! No shaky leg feeling. The floor felt solid underfoot but forgiving. You could feel the energy go down instead of rattling your knees. The tiles stayed locked together, no tripping hazards. Even Bob, who mostly shuffles to the fridge, grunted approvingly.

Not Perfect, But Portable!

Okay, honesty hour. It’s heavier than those flimsy foam tiles. Each tile feels substantial. But the larch holds up. The rubber matting adds heft but also protects the wood underneath. Bonus? They stack flat! Threw a few in the trunk to test at my friend’s place, laid them out in a minute. Worked just as well on their uneven driveway. Tiles stayed put, no sliding around.

Took a weekend and some trial and error, but now I’ve got a portable dance floor that doesn’t feel like dancing on a trampoline crossed with a rickety bridge. Worth the sweat and sawdust.