Okay, so I’ve been wanting to redo the flooring in my spare room for, like, forever. It’s going to be a basketball-themed man cave, and I finally decided to go with batten basketball oak wooden flooring. Let me tell you, it was a journey!

Getting Started

First things first, I cleared out the entire room. This involved a lot of moving furniture, and I mean a lot. I practically Tetris-ed everything into my living room. It was a mess, but hey, gotta do what you gotta do.

Next up, I prepped the subfloor. The old flooring was some nasty carpet, so I ripped that up, which was surprisingly satisfying. Then came the not-so-fun part: making sure the subfloor was level. I used some self-leveling compound, and honestly, I felt like a pro pouring it. It looked like a giant pancake!

The Real Work Begins

Once the subfloor was ready, I could finally start with the actual flooring. I laid down a moisture barrier, just to be safe. Better safe than sorry, right?

Then, the battens. Now, these are the long, thin pieces of wood that create the support structure. I measured and cut them, then screwed them down. This was probably the most time-consuming part, making sure everything was spaced correctly and perfectly straight. My back was definitely feeling it.

• Measure twice, cut once – my mantra for the day.
• Lots of screws – I felt like I used a million.
• Knee pads are a lifesaver – Seriously, don’t skip these.

Laying the Oak

With the battens in place, it was time for the beautiful oak flooring. I started in one corner and carefully laid down the first piece, making sure it was snug against the wall. Then, it was just a matter of fitting the pieces together, tapping them gently with a rubber mallet. They clicked together pretty easily, which was a relief.

I continued this process, row by row, making sure to stagger the joints for a more natural look. I am so exciting!

The Finishing Touches

After all the flooring was down, I installed the baseboards. This really helped to finish off the look and hide any gaps along the walls. I used a nail gun for this, which was way faster than hammering.

Finally, I gave the floor a good cleaning and admired my handiwork. It looked amazing! The oak was so warm and inviting, and the batten system gave it that authentic basketball court feel.

It was a lot of work, but totally worth it. Now I have the perfect man cave floor, ready for some serious gaming and chilling. Mission accomplished!