If you love playing basketball regularly but do not have the time to always get to a basketball court, you should not worry. Having an in-ground basketball hoop in your driveway is a way you and your family can enjoy the game of basketball together without leaving the house. To do this, you simply need to buy an in-ground basketball hoop and install it.
Before getting to the point where you need to install an in-ground basketball hoop in your driveway, you must have taken your time to do some research to find out the ideal basketball hoop for your driveway. Having an in-ground basketball hoop in your driveway is interesting. It, however, is a lot of work. Regardless of the level of work it is associated with, if you follow the right steps, things will be a lot easy.
The steps below will help you install an in-ground basketball hoop in your driveway without going through a lot of stress.
Step One: Select a Location and Make a Call before Proceeding
It will be impossible to install an in-ground basketball hoop in your driveway without carefully choosing the ideal location. As soon as you pick a location, before going on with digging, you will need to put a call across to 811. This way, you can look out for the presence of utility lines.
While selecting a good spot and calling 811 are important, they are not the only things you need to do at this stage. You should also look through rules put up by homeowners association as regards positioning your in-ground basketball hoop in your driveway. Additionally, take out time to go through recommendations and instructions from the manufacturers of the in-ground basketball hoop model you buy before you go on to dig.
Step Two: Dig a Hole
This process is simple. It simply involves digging the hole where you intend to place the pole of the basketball hoop. This seems very simple. You, however, have to stick closely to details. Doing this involves looking at the instructions associated with the in-ground basketball model you have. This instruction will explain the best way to dig a hole and how big the hole should be.
When digging a hole, you can use an auger or a shovel.
Step Three: Pour in Some Concrete
Now that you have the hole dug, the next thing you should do is pour some concrete. This concrete will be used in keeping the basketball hoop in place. Digging a hole where you intend to place your basketball hoop is something you can do alone. However, when pouring concrete, you will need help from a couple of people. One person will do the pouring of the concrete while the other two will have to keep the pole in place.
When pouring concrete into the hole, you do not always need a rebar-mounted anchor. Lots of people, however, make use of one after pouring the concrete. When pouring the concrete, you will have to take out pockets of air by agitating it with a shovel.
Once you are done pouring the concrete, you should smoothen its top by using a trowel. After ensuring everything is even, go on and take off excess concrete with a sponge or damp towel. Leave it to dry for about two days. Before leaving it to dry, you need to keep an eye on the cement. This way, you can prevent the pole from shifting.
Step Four: Raise the Pole
When installing your basketball hoop, if all you will do is put a pole in cement, you will need to attach the backboard. However, if you need a mounting anchor, the next thing you should do is get the pole assembled and raised. This is not difficult. Nonetheless, you need to stick to the instructions made for different models.
Step Five: Get the Backboard Attached
Basketball hoops have different setups. Some setups make it possible to attach the backboard before raising the pole. Some other models only allow you to attach the backboard after you secure the pole.
The backboard is nothing close to being light. You, therefore, will need a lot of help in getting it into place.
Step Six: Fix the Net and Rim
With the backboard attached, go on and install the net and rim. Installing the rim is easy. You simply need to bolt it to the backboard. If you are using a breakaway rim, things might not be so easy as you will need to go through an assembly process. As soon as you attach the rim, install the net by looping it around the rims hooks.
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