Okay, so I decided to tackle this solid hardwood sports floor project myself after my garage gym started damaging my knees on that cheap rubber mat. Figured maple would be best like actual basketball courts use – tough stuff. First step was clearing out the whole dang space. Swept, vacuumed, even scraped off some stubborn glue spots with a putty knife. Took me all Saturday morning.

Then came the plywood underlayment. Had to screw down hundreds of those gold-colored screws every six inches across the whole floor. My drill battery died twice! Made triple sure it was level using my four-foot bubble level. Found a wonky dip in one corner and fixed it by shimming it up with thin plywood strips under the underlayment.

The Acclimation Nightmare

When the maple planks arrived? Stacked ’em right in the middle of the garage like everyone says. Waited a full week checking humidity with this cheap meter from the hardware store. The numbers wouldn’t stabilize – turns out I left the garage door cracked open halfway through. Had to reset the whole stupid clock and wait another five days before the planks finally settled.

Nail Gun Wars

Started laying from the longest wall. Rented this pneumatic flooring nailer – thing kicked like a mule. First row took forever trying to keep it straight. My chalk line snapped crooked three times. By the third row, sweat dripping down my nose hitting that trigger. The gun jammed constantly; must’ve cleared bent nails twenty times. That “ka-chunk” sound still echoes in my nightmares.

Almost messed up big time near the doorway. Forgot to leave that half-inch gap for expansion. Had to pull up eight rows with a pry bar and chisel. Wood split in two spots. Swore loud enough the neighbor’s dog started barking.

Sanding Everest

After three full days of nailing? Time for the orbital sander. That dust got EVERYWHERE despite plastic sheeting. Used three grits: coarse, medium, fine. Pass after pass after pass. Arms felt like jelly shaking the damn machine. Almost went through the corner edges twice pressing too hard. Finished with hand-sanding the tight spots – knees bruised from crawling.

Final stage: rolled on the water-based polyurethane finish. First coat looked terrible – bubbles everywhere. Watched YouTube at midnight realizing I rolled too fast. Next two coats? Slowly. Patiently. Waited 24 hours between each. Opening the garage door that third morning? Seeing that smooth, glossy, professional-level shine reflecting the light? Worth every blister and cuss word.