Why I chose to design a sports wooden floor
My garage gym floor looked like crap after years of dropping weights. I searched online but couldn’t find anything sturdy enough that wouldn’t break the bank. Then it hit me – why not build my own sports floor with leftover maple planks from last year’s deck project?
Getting materials ready
First thing I did was drag out all those maple boards collecting dust behind the lawnmower. Stacked them on sawhorses and started sorting:
- Threw out any with cracks or warping
- Grouped the good ones by thickness
- Gave each piece a rough sanding with 60-grit paper
The moisture meter showed 8% – perfect for indoor use.
The measuring disaster
Thought I could eyeball the garage dimensions. Bad move. My first cut left a 3-inch gap near the door. Had to restart after properly measuring:
Taped butcher paper on the floor to map everything out. Used chalk lines like I saw in that flooring video. Still messed up the corner angles twice before getting it right.
Assembly challenges
Started nailing boards down with my framing nailer – way too aggressive! Split two planks before switching to finish nails and pre-drilling holes.
Major setback: When I reached the center section, the planks kept shifting. Solved it by:
- Screwing temporary guides along the edges
- Using rubber mallets to close gaps
- Adding expansion gaps around the perimeter
Finishing process
Applied three coats of water-based polyurethane. After the first coat dried overnight, I discovered dust particles everywhere. Sanded lightly between coats after that.
Final step was marking court lines with athletic tape instead of painting – way easier to reposition when I wanted basketball and volleyball configurations.
Final thoughts
Total cost was under $200 since I reused materials. Three weeks later after daily use:
- Dumbbell drops left minor dents but no cracks
- Sweat wipes off easily
- Knee comfort improved dramatically
Would I do it again? Absolutely – but next time I’ll measure twice before any cutting. Might try adding shock pads underneath for better bounce.
