Okay, so I’ve been wanting to redo my living room floor for, like, forever. The old carpet was just gross, and I was dreaming of something… smoother. I saw this “rubber dancing solid assembled wooden flooring” thing online and thought, “That sounds… interesting?” So, yeah, I decided to give it a shot.

Getting Started

First things first, I ripped out that nasty old carpet. It was dusty, and honestly, a little smelly. Underneath was just plain old plywood subfloor. I made sure to sweep and vacuum everything really well to get rid of all the dust and little bits of carpet fluff.

The “Rubber” Part

This flooring is kinda weird. It’s real wood, but it has this rubbery layer on the back. I guess it’s supposed to make it… bouncier? Or quieter? I don’t know. It definitely felt different than regular hardwood. I laid down a moisture barrier first – just a big roll of plastic sheeting – because the instructions said to. Better safe than sorry, right?

Putting it Together

The “assembled” part is where it got a little tricky. These weren’t just planks you nail down. They had this interlocking system, like giant puzzle pieces. I started in one corner, tapping the first few pieces together with a rubber mallet (didn’t want to scratch the wood!). It took a few tries to get the hang of it, but I eventually got into a rhythm.

• Line up the groove of one piece with the tongue of the other.
• Give it a tap with the mallet.
• Make sure it’s snug!

The Long Haul

Honestly, this took way longer than I thought. My back was killing me! I worked my way across the room, row by row. I used a saw to cut the pieces at the ends of each row to fit against the wall. That part was actually kind of fun, felt like a real carpenter for a minute there. I think I took a zillion breaks.

The Finished Product

Finally, after what felt like a week (it was probably two days), I was done! I stepped back and… wow. It actually looked pretty good! The wood was this nice, warm color, and the floor felt… springy? It definitely had some give to it, like the “dancing” part of the name suggested. And my dog isn’t making clicky sounds when walking, which is great.

Overall, I’m happy with it. It was a lot of work, but I saved a bunch of money doing it myself. Would I do it again? Maybe. Ask me again in a few months when my back isn’t so sore. I am very satisfied with the result and the process.