Alright folks, been awhile since my last project update. This one felt close to home – literally. Decided to tackle the garage transformation idea I’ve been chewing on: putting down wood sports floors. Why? Simple. Got tired of the crummy concrete floor, always cold and uninviting for even a quick bit of exercise.

Starting Point: Messy Garage

First step? Clearing out years of junk. Seriously felt like excavating an archaeological site. Old paint cans, random tools, boxes of forgotten holiday decorations – you name it, it was in there. Took me two whole weekends just dragging stuff to the curb or finding proper places for it inside the house. Sweat equity, man, pure sweat equity.

Once clear, I actually swept the floor. Sounds basic, right? But man, you wouldn’t believe the thick layer of dust and grit. After sweeping came leveling. Found a couple low spots near the garage door with a straight edge. Mixed some concrete patcher following the bag instructions – messy stuff – and filled them in. Let that cure for a couple days, checking it like it was a prize ham.

Choosing the Dang Wood

This part made my head spin. Hardwood floor guy at the big box store started throwing terms like “engineered,” “solid,” “Janka rating” at me. Felt like he was speaking Martian. I just needed something tough enough for bouncing a ball and jumping around without breaking the bank.

• Settled on some decent-looking oak planks. They felt solid in the hand.
• Skipped the fancy finishes. Figured I’d seal it myself later for grip.
• Measured the garage like, five times. Didn’t wanna come up short halfway through.
• Also grabbed:
  • A thick foam underlayment pad (supposed to be good for joints)
  • Construction adhesive
  • A bunch of clamps
  • Deck screws (longer than standard)
  • A rubber mallet (figured gentler than metal)
  • T-square, level, chalk line

Laying it Down: The Real Grind

Cut the underlayment to fit, rolling it out carefully. Tried to avoid wrinkles, but one corner fought me. Covered about 90% of it okay.

Started laying planks along the longest wall. The “tongue and groove” thing sounded easy, but getting that first row perfectly straight? Used the chalk line like my guiding star. Squirted adhesive on the subfloor, laid the plank down, made sure the tongue faced the room. Held my breath.

Nailed the first few using the mallet to tap them snug. The real fun began joining the ends. Had to cut some planks shorter – my miter saw screamed its head off. Used clamps to pull planks tight while the adhesive set. Knuckles took a few wallops from the mallet – swore the neighbors heard me.

Kept crawling around, laying rows, checking level constantly. Tapped planks together until my arm felt like jelly. The gaps near the walls were tricky. Used a spare plank chunk as a spacer. Cutting around the garage door track required patience and more swear words. Slowly, slowly, the floor came together.

Finishing Touches

Once all the planks were down and glued, I went back and sunk screws through the tongues into the joists – extra insurance. Swept all the dust off again. Then came the sealer. Picked a water-based sports court finish. Applied two thin coats with a roller on a pole, giving it plenty of drying time between. The fumes were no joke, kept the door open.

Final Stretch

After the final coat dried – which felt like an eternity – peeled off the spacers. Put down the transition strips at the door to the house. Stood back and… yeah. It looked like a real sports floor. Dribbled a basketball – the bounce felt great. Did a quick shuffle step – felt solid underfoot.

Honestly? Exhausted, covered in sawdust and sealant, maybe a pound or two lighter in sweat. But walking barefoot on my own wood sports floor… that little jump shot I nailed… man, it felt amazing. Wasn’t easy, wasn’t fast, but totally worth the blood, sweat, and hammered thumbs.