Okay, so I finally tackled that wood sports flooring project in my garage-turned-gym space. Wanna know how it went down?
The “Why” and Starting Point
Got sick of concrete floors messing up my knees during home workouts. Researched like crazy – turns out proper sports floors need flexibility for jumps and stuff. Regular hardwood? Nope. Engineered wood with cushion? Bingo. Ordered these tongue-and-groove maple planks claiming to be “sports grade.”
Prep Chaos
Emptied the whole dang garage first. Found leftover paint cans and bike parts I forgot existed. Swept like a maniac, then leveled the floor with this self-leveling goop. Messy job – stepped in it twice. Had to wait two whole days for it to dry. Killed time watching flooring fails on YouTube. Bad idea.
Underlayer Tango
Unrolled this black rubbery underpad cut to size. Important ’cause it absorbs shock. Taped seams with heavy-duty tape, sweating buckets trying to keep wrinkles out. Pro tip? Roll it against the wall, not away. Saved me redoing three sections.
Hitting snags already:
- Planks smelled like a lumberyard. Had to air ’em out overnight.
- Realized garage walls aren’t straight. Panic measured every 2 feet.
- My circular saw died mid-cut. Borrowed my neighbor’s.
Putting Down Wood
Started in a corner, leaving finger-width gaps at walls for wood movement. Whacked planks together with a rubber mallet – sounded like gunshots. Neighbor texted “???”.” Used spacers religiously. Cut around support beams with a handsaw. Slow. Blistered hands. At least wore kneepads – smartest $20 spent.
Biggest headache? The damn door threshold. Cut three planks wrong before nailing it. Finished row 12 at 2 AM. Woke up to find the last plank warped. Sighed. Drove back to the store for one replacement.
Finishing Touches
Sanded edges smooth ’cause splinters suck. Applied water-based finish with a roller. Three coats, drying overnight between each. Smelled like chemicals for days. Installed trim to hide gaps – looked pro! Dropped a 10lb weight on it the next morning. Held up. Phew.
Was It Worth It?
Knees feel way better. Floor gives that sweet bounce for jump ropes and burpees. Looks slick too. But man: if your space ain’t square, triple-check measurements. Also, double your time estimate. Always. Still finding sawdust in weird places weeks later.