Okay, here’s my blog post about putting in that basketball court floor:

So, I finally got around to tackling that project I’ve been putting off forever – laying down a hard maple basketball court floor. It seemed like a HUGE undertaking at first, but honestly, breaking it down made it manageable. And let me tell you, the end result? Totally worth the sweat!

Getting Started

First thing was clearing out the space. This was probably the most boring part, moving furniture, and making sure everything was out of the way. I wanted a BIG, open area to work with, you know?

The Subfloor is Key

Next, I checked the existing subfloor. I made sure that it was solid, I needed to make sure this thing was LEVEL. I used my trusty leveling to check and fix all error. No bumps or dips allowed! Basketball needs a perfectly flat surface, right?

Laying Down the Keel

Then came time for the keel. Now, I ain’t no carpenter, I simply followed the installation instructions.

I spaced them out evenly, it’s like the skeleton of the whole floor, providing support and, I guess, bounce?

Maple Time!

Now for the fun part – the actual maple flooring! I got these beautiful, long planks of hard maple. They smelled amazing, by the way, like fresh-cut wood. Starting from one wall, I began laying them down, making sure to stagger the joints. It’s like putting together a giant, wooden puzzle.

• I used a flooring nailer to secure the planks to the keel. That thing is LOUD, but so satisfying to use. BANG! Another board down.
• I made sure to leave a little gap around the edges of the room for expansion. Wood expands and contracts with temperature changes, and I didn’t want the floor buckling later on.

Finishing Touches

After all the planks were down, I used to trim the edges with some matching maple. This just gave it a nice, clean look, and finish.

I used a small brush, and put the polyurethane on. Gotta protect that beautiful wood, plus it gives it that nice, glossy shine.

After that, I was ready to use my tools to draw a simple basketball court line, although I drew it very crooked and uneven. But this is also the most satisfying moment!

And that’s it! My very own hard maple basketball court floor. It took a while, and there were definitely moments where I thought, “What have I gotten myself into?”, but seeing the finished product… Man, it feels good. Now, who wants to shoot some hoops?