Basketball Hoop - How to Build a Basketball Court In Your Own Yard
Some people dream of becoming a doctor, a pilot, or a teacher while others dream of becoming a professional basketball player. If you are entertaining high hopes for yourself or your son in entering a professional league, you need to start practicing as early as possible and all the important basketball training in this world always start at the backyard.
There are two ways for you to build your own basketball court: you can do it from scratch or simply purchase a DIY basketball court kit.
Starting from Scratch
Skills - You need to have intermediate carpentry skills to successfully build your own basketball court from scratch. Firstly, you have to make sure that the ground you’ll be building your basketball court on has a smooth even surface to prevent accidents and decrease the risk of injury. Secondly, you’ll need to build your own basketball ring. Thirdly, you’ll need to paint your own court lines.
Costs - It’s possible that you’ll enjoy lower costs when it comes to building your own basketball court from scratch. Most DIY basketball court kits include flooring, which would just be an unnecessary expense if you already have an appropriate floor surface for your basketball court. You can also choose your own materials for your basketball stand and ring and even painting materials and ensure that you’ll pay less for them.
Production Time - Of course, building your own basketball court from scratch will take a longer time than it would with a DIY kit. This is because instead of simply having to assemble things only as is such the case with a DIY kit, it’s entirely a different procedure when you’re determined to build one from scratch.
Firstly, you’ll have to take appropriate measurements. Secondly, you’ll have to go shopping for the necessary materials and tools before you can finally get on to the building part.
Material Sources - You may have a difficult time procuring the required materials for your project especially if you’re looking for things that are only sold wholesale in the market.
Using a DIY Basketball Court Kit
Model - Make sure that you’re purchasing the correct DIY basketball court kit. Most DIY basketball court kits differ according to court dimensions and whether or not it adheres to NBA or collegiate standards or the likes. Check also if the kit is for half or full court models.
Skills - Basic or moderate building skills are all that’s necessary to get your basketball court assembled. You will need however to read instructions carefully and thoroughly because the assembly process leaves no room for errors. Skipping a step can spell danger for you in the long run as it compromises the safety of your basketball court.
Cost - Expect to spend a small amount of money on a DIY basketball kit, although this is certainly money well spent because DIY kits include absolutely everything you need to make your basketball court entirely professional and fit for the NBA!
Tips on Installing Poles for Your Basketball Court
Whether you’re building your own basketball court from scratch or using a DIY kit, you’ll basically undergo the same process in properly installing your pole.
Firstly, you need to dig an appropriately sized hole for the foundation of your basketball pole. At least one foot and three inches of your basketball pole must be set underneath to ensure its stability. Once you’ve secured the pole’s position, cover the hole with concrete. Make sure it’s completely filled and doesn’t have any air pockets. Afterwards, fill the pole with concrete as well. When that’s done, check if the pole is plumb positioned accurately.
Important Measurements for Basketball Court Building
The NBA and NCAA are both using the same court dimensions: ninety-four feet in length and fifty feet in width. High school basketball courts use the same width but a shorter length at eighty-four feet. Junior high basketball courts are seventy-four feet in length and forty-two feet in width.
Regardless of whether you’re using an NBA, NCAA, or Junior High basketball court, you should concentrate more on honing your son’s skills in basic basketball skills like dribbling and shooting if you want him fully prepared for a professional basketball career. But most important of all is to ensure that you and your son have fun playing. Shoot for your dreams!
Lee Dobbins
http://www.articlesbase.com/basketball-articles/how-to-build-a-basketball-court-in-your-own-yard-80000.html
Comments
since its just a half-court in your backyard and you have little experience with it, id suggest you stick to concrete.
you’ll need to level the ground, then build a framework in the outline of the court with wood and tarp, pour the concrete, then level it (scraping off excess).
it’s very doable if you dont take huge steps. measure, mark, measure, cut, that type of thing. make sure the ground is solid and flat before you build your frame, make sure you keep your concrete segments to manageable sizes, 10×10 is fine, and put a strip of wood in between and pour the concrete that way. you just want to make sure that you allow for inexperience and pour craftsmanship, because the odds are that it will crack, especially if you don’t compress the soil first.
there are plenty of how-to books at barnes and noble though, id suggest you grab one of those.
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You would use concrete. And you need rebar, rebar ties, ‘chairs’ to hold the rebar off the ground, and wood to build the form. You would also need deeper pilings at several points under the slab, depending on what climate you’re in. As for finishing it, I can’t explain that in type, someone has to show you. Maybe you could find a video. The tricky part is building the forms so that they stay put when you pour the concrete and getting the whole thing level and square.
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I would use rebar or some sort of wire mesh to reinforce it. Dont pour a slab over 8′ x 8′, do several smaller ones, or you greatly increase the chances of cracking. You’ll want to pour it at least 4″ thick, if not 6″, and increase that to 8″ at the edge. I’d suggest spending $10-20 on a book from a hardware store.
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give me a court size…if you can afford to pour it using bags , you can afford to have a truck come in…talk to the vo-tech teacher and see if he and the class would be willing to take it on…theres nothing easy or cheap about concrete work…if you are worried about cost forget the rebar and forget the mesh…pour it with fiber in the mix …
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How hard would it be and what would I need to build a half court basketball court in my yard?
I have the money to do it with bags of concrete myself, but I can’t afford to have a company poor the concrete. Should I use concrete or cement? And would it be hard mix, poor, and smooth out the cement?