Okay, so I’ve been wanting to redo the flooring in my home gym for a while now. I do a lot of high-impact workouts, and the old concrete floor was just killing my knees. I saw some folks using this LVL (Laminated Veneer Lumber) volleyball soft maple assembling wooden flooring, and it looked pretty cool, so I decided to give it a shot.

First, I measured the gym area to figure out how much flooring I’d need. Gotta make sure you get enough, right? It’s better to have a little extra than to come up short in the middle of the project. Don’t have any website or shop name to purchase, but have the size number is ok.

Then came the prep work. I cleaned the concrete floor thoroughly. I mean, really thoroughly. I swept it, vacuumed it, and even mopped it to get rid of any dust, dirt, or debris. This is super important because you want the new flooring to adhere properly.

Next, I rolled out a moisture * my gym is in the basement, I wanted to make sure I had some protection against any potential moisture seeping up from the concrete. Better safe than sorry!

Now for the fun part – laying the LVL panels! These things are pretty big, so it was a bit of a workout just getting them into place. I started in one corner and worked my way across the room, making sure to stagger the seams. The assembling feature is interlocking, some like tongue-and-groove. so snapped together pretty easily.

• Clicked the panels together along the edges.
• Used some rubber mallet to tap them into place and ensure a tight fit.
• Checked frequently to make sure everything was level and even.

And I need cut some of the panels to fit around the edges of the room. I used my friend’s circular saw for this. Measure twice, cut once, as they say! And must wear safety glasses!

Once all the panels were down, I installed some transition strips where the new flooring met the doorway. This just gives it a nice, finished look and prevents tripping.

The finished product

I have to say, I’m pretty stoked with how it turned out! The floor feels amazing underfoot – so much softer than the old concrete. It’s like a real gym floor now. My knees are definitely thanking me. It’s a little springy, which is perfect for volleyball and other jumpy exercises. Plus, it looks pretty darn good, if I do say so myself. I did and the kids loved them!