Alright, guys, let’s talk about this flooring project I tackled. The goal? Laying down some keel basketball hard maple assembled wooden flooring. Sounds fancy, huh? It’s basically just really good quality wood for a basketball court.

First, I got my hands on the materials. We’re talking a bunch of hard maple planks, all pre-assembled into panels. This made things way easier than laying individual boards. I also needed the underlayment – that’s the stuff that goes underneath to provide some cushion and sound dampening. And, of course, the keel system, which is basically the support structure.

The first real step was prepping the subfloor. I can’t stress this enough: a good foundation is everything. I made sure the concrete was super clean, level, and dry. Any bumps or dips would’ve messed up the whole thing, so I was pretty obsessive about it.

Next, I laid down the underlayment. This was pretty straightforward – just rolled it out and taped the seams. It’s like putting down a giant, soft blanket before the real fun begins.

Now for the keel system. This part was a little like building with giant LEGOs. The keel pieces interlocked, creating a grid across the entire floor. This is what gives the floor its bounce and stability. I spent a good amount of time making sure this was all perfectly aligned and level.

With the keel system in place, it was time for the star of the show: the flooring panels. These were heavy, so I definitely needed a helper (thanks, buddy!). We started at one corner and worked our way across, clicking the panels together. It was surprisingly satisfying to hear that click, knowing each panel was securely in place.

We kept going, panel by panel, making sure to stagger the seams for a more natural look. There was some cutting involved at the edges, but nothing too crazy. A good circular saw did the trick.

Finally, I installed the baseboards around the perimeter to give it a finished look. And that was it! A brand new, shiny basketball court floor.

It was a good amount of work, but totally worth it. Seeing the finished product, knowing I built it from the ground up, was a great feeling. It made me feel like I can do the same thing again!