Alright, so, I’m gonna walk you through this little project I tackled last week. It all started with wanting a better setup for some casual basketball games at my place. My driveway’s decent, but the bounce was always kinda dead. So, I thought, why not build a portable wooden flooring? Turns out, it was a bit more involved than I initially figured, haha.

First thing’s first: planning and buying the materials. I wanted something that could handle the weather (at least for a while) and wouldn’t break the bank. After a bunch of browsing at the local lumber yard, I settled on some decent plywood – not the cheapest, but not the super fancy stuff either. Got a few sheets, making sure they were all the same thickness for a level surface. Also grabbed some pressure-treated 2x4s for the frame underneath. Figured the pressure treatment would help with moisture. Then, a whole bunch of screws, some wood glue, and this outdoor sealant I saw advertised.

Next up: cutting everything to size. This was probably the most tedious part. I wanted each section to be manageable weight-wise, so I decided on 4ft x 8ft sections. This meant a lot of measuring and straight cuts with my circular saw. I’m no expert, so there were a few wobbles here and there, but nothing too disastrous. For the frame, I cut the 2x4s to fit snugly under the plywood, creating a support structure. I made sure to leave a little bit of space between the plywood sheets when they’re laid out, you know, for expansion and contraction and all that jazz.

Then came the fun part: assembly! I started with the frames. Screwed the 2x4s together to make rectangular supports. I used wood glue in addition to the screws for extra strength. Then, I placed the plywood on top of the frames. This is where having a helper would have been nice, but I managed on my own. I glued and screwed the plywood to the frame, making sure the screws were countersunk so they wouldn’t be sticking out. I made four of these sections.

After the sections were built, I moved on to applying the sealant. I wanted to protect the wood as much as possible from the elements. I followed the instructions on the can, applying a couple of coats and letting it dry completely between each coat. This took a couple of days, but it was worth it for the peace of mind.

Finally, the moment of truth: testing it out! I dragged the sections out to the driveway and laid them out. They fit together pretty well, although there were a few minor gaps. The bounce was definitely better than just the concrete. It felt a lot more like playing on a real court. It wasn’t perfect – I could still feel some of the imperfections in the plywood – but it was a huge improvement.

Things I learned:

• Plywood is heavy! Next time, I might consider smaller sections.
• Measure twice, cut once – seriously.
• Outdoor sealant is your friend.
• Having a helper makes things go a lot faster.

Overall, I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. It’s not professional-grade, but it’s definitely good enough for some casual basketball games. Plus, it’s portable, so I can move it around if I need to. Now, to see how long it lasts… that’s the real test!

Maybe I will add some cushions later, but now is good enough!