How A Hardwood Court Is Laid And Levelled

A basketball court is a portable structure assembled from hundreds of panels and taken apart again. How those panels are made and supported determines the bounce of the ball and the load on players' joints.

Maple is chosen for grain, not tradition

Northern hard maple is used because its grain is tight and even, which gives a hard, uniform surface with few soft spots.

A uniform surface returns the ball consistently, so a dribble behaves the same in the corner as it does at the top of the key.

The wood is also pale and reflects light well, which helps both players tracking the ball and cameras covering the game.

The subfloor does the cushioning

Beneath the visible boards sits a system of sleepers and elastic pads that allow the surface to deflect slightly under load.

That deflection absorbs part of the impact of a landing, reducing the force transmitted into ankles, knees and backs over a long season.

Too much give, however, makes the floor feel dead and slows the ball, so the system is specified to a defined deflection rather than made as soft as possible.

Panels must lock without a lip

Portable floors are built from panels that interlock along their edges and are pinned together during installation.

Any panel sitting proud of its neighbour creates a lip that can catch a foot, so installation is checked with straightedges across the whole surface.

Arena floors sit on concrete that is itself not perfectly flat, and shims are used to correct that before panels go down.

Humidity moves the wood

Wood absorbs and releases moisture with the surrounding air, expanding and contracting as it does so.

Floors are therefore acclimatised in the building before installation, and arenas hold humidity within a range to keep panels dimensionally stable.

Uncontrolled humidity causes gaps to open between panels or, at the other extreme, causes boards to press against one another and buckle.

The finish controls grip

The coating applied over the wood determines the friction between shoe and floor, and it is chosen to allow controlled sliding without sticking.

Too much grip transmits force straight into the knee during a hard cut, while too little produces slips.

Because the finish wears and collects dust, cleaning between periods is part of maintaining the playing characteristic rather than a cosmetic routine.