Okay, here’s my blog post about laminating basketball court flooring:

So, I’ve been wanting to redo the flooring in my little home gym for, like, ever. It’s a small space, but I love shooting hoops in there. The old floor was just… sad. Concrete, cracked, and cold. I started looking at options and got it in my head that I needed that classic, shiny basketball court look. You know, like the pros play on. But real hardwood? Way too expensive for my budget.

Then I stumbled across this idea of using laminate flooring, but not just any laminate. Soft maple! It gives you that light, bright color and that classic basketball court vibe.

Getting Started

First, I measured the room. Twice. Gotta be sure! Then, I calculated how much flooring I’d need, adding a bit extra for mistakes (because, let’s be real, I always mess something up). I shopped around online and found a decent deal on some soft maple laminate. It wasn’t the cheapest, but it looked pretty good in the pictures, and the reviews were okay.

Prepping the Space

Before the new floor could go down, I had to deal with the old concrete. I spent a whole afternoon sweeping, vacuuming, and even scrubbing the floor to get rid of any dust, dirt, or loose bits. I also filled in the bigger cracks with some concrete patch. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a lot smoother than before.

I let the concrete patch be dry and hard.

Laying the Floor

The laminate arrived in boxes, and I let it sit in the room for a couple of days to get used to the temperature and humidity. That’s what the instructions said to do, anyway. Then came the fun part – actually laying the floor!

I started in one corner and clicked the planks together. It was surprisingly easy! The first few rows were a bit tricky, making sure everything was straight and square. I used a rubber mallet to tap the planks together gently, making sure they were nice and tight.

• Cutting the planks was the biggest challenge. I borrowed a circular saw from my neighbor, but I still managed to make a few crooked cuts. Luckily, I had that extra flooring!
• Adding the underlayment was *,rolled it out across the concrete. This stuff is supposed to help with sound and make the floor feel a bit softer underfoot.

Finishing Touches

After a few evenings of work, the floor was finally done! I added some quarter-round trim around the edges to cover the expansion gap (another thing the instructions mentioned). It looks pretty darn professional, if I do say so myself.

The soft maple laminate really brightened up the room, and it feels so much better to walk (and shoot hoops) on than the old concrete. It’s not exactly an NBA-regulation court, but it’s perfect for my little home gym. And I did it all myself!

The key is to go easy and not rush.