I like to think of myself as a DIYer… wannabe. If only I had a partner-in-crime to encourage me to take more chances and try out techniques that I think require a degree, and would point out the flaws in the project before its completion, I think I’d tackle more. My hubby says he’s kind of handy, but DIY is not his forte nor his desire. He rescues me when I’m in over my head, but otherwise he leaves me to it.
With the advent of COVID 19 in the spring, hubby and I came to the conclusion that the family gym membership had to go. None of us wanted that kind of exposure, but we all like to workout with gym equipment. Where to put a home gym became the question of the day(s). When we built our house a few years ago, my sweet husband had insisted on including a “workshop” attached to the garage, complete with an A/C unit, because of my interest in woodworking, but over time the space became more of a messy, dusty garage storage closet. I offered it up for a possible home gym location, and the idea stuck. For the first few days of the project, I spent planning on where to put all that STUFF. We hung some organizers on the walls in the garage and then moved out shelves, workbench, Christmas décor, and lawn equipment.
Then I painted the two roughest looking walls and the floor, spending about $50 in supplies. We moved our stationary bike, all the bands, free weights, and Bose speaker into the new clean space and started working out. We’ve enjoyed it, but it was missing something and the paint on the floor kept scraping off in places, making it look kind of shabby. It needed real flooring and real equipment.
With the money we would have been spending our family gym membership, we placed an order for a NordicTrack treadmill. Of course, it was on back order, but I had this feeling….. I finished the project a couple of days ago, and we received notice that the equipment is about to be delivered (much earlier than originally planned).
For about a week, I researched flooring options online and decided on LifeProof vinyl plank flooring at Home Depot. It got good reviews, but most importantly, it boasted antimicrobial properties and didn’t need an underlining between it and the concrete. Since it’s a small space, the flooring materials cost me less than $350 and that included one extra box.
First Row 
Measuring for a cut 
Non-measuring way of doing it! 
Note the use of spacers. It’s very important! 
Using an ancient jigsaw took a little time. 
That messy stuff ended up all of the garage, so now my garage is super clean for the moment. 
Last, but not least, the quarter round had to beinstalled. It definitely gives the room a finished look!
The best part of this DIY is that I had the opportunity to use a variety of power tools that I’d not used before. I cut boards with my miter saw; raised the door jams with my brother-in-law’s oscillating saw (and hubby’s help); and ripped boards with an ancient jigsaw found in my dad’s tool collection.
You know, all the videos online make installing vinyl plank flooring look so easy. I’m not going to lie: it was a challenge. The ends snap together with no problem and a little pounding from a mallet, but getting the long seams tight took all my strength. I used my brother-in-law’s falling-apart floor installation kit, but it did nothing to help. I grunted and groaned from a kneeling position, pushing with all my might on both ends of the board to get it align with the previous row. I still have a lot of little gaps, but I just couldn’t bring myself to undo a row again and again. I think some of the boards just weren’t perfectly manufactured and the seals were never going to be perfectly aligned. I think it’s close enough. My fingers are crossed that this flooring holds us up to pounding it’s about to receive from a new treadmill!
