Do you love playing basketball? If yes, what could be better than dribbling your way in your backyard? The idea of having a portable basketball hoop is simply phenomenal and can give all wings to your desires of playing your favorite sport at your convenience rather than running to the playground for a quick basketball session.
Portable basketball hoops are becoming popular in most households that have people passionate about playing basketball. But how do you fill the basketball hoop? What can you fill inside it?
If you are curious to know such things, then you have reached the right spot where we will clear the air about how you can fill a basketball hoop with sand and other associated questions that may hit your mind about basketball hoops:
Why Use Sand to Fill the Basketball Hoop Base?
Usually, basketball players have two choices of filling the hoop base with water or sand. Though sand is more towards the pricey side and can make it challenging to change the position of the installation due to its heavyweight, it is preferred over water because it does not tend to evaporate and stays there until you empty it.
Additionally, sand is comparatively 45% denser than water, and its weight is deemed to be more when you compare a gallon of water and sand, which ensures the stability of the system. So, if you have a basketball hoop base filled with sand, you can get to play around with a stable hoop.
Also, if you live in a region that witnesses cold temperatures, freezing of water is a common condition that you may witness time and again. Such a climatic condition can cause the water inside the hoop to freeze, further causing damages to its surface. But with sand, you do not tend to come across such freezing issues.
What Kind of Sand Do You Use to Fill a Basketball Base?
Most basketball players who have installed a basketball hoop base in their backyard use play sand for filling the hoop base. Play sand has an even and smooth texture and thus is mostly preferred by players who love to indulge in this game.
How Much Sand for a Basketball Hoop Base?
Mostly such basketball installations have a base of 35 gallons. Accordingly, you can purchase ten bags of sand, each weighing 50 pounds to fill a basketball hoop base of 35 gallons. Further, you can work out the math with the given estimation depending on the capacity of the hoop base you have purchased.
How Do You Fill a Basketball Hoop Base with Sand?
Sand may be a bit towards the pricier side than water that can be used for filling basketball hoop base, but it is highly suggested as it can offer more stability to the basketball hoop base. Besides the stability, filling sand ensures sturdiness and also enhances your gaming experience.
Here is how you can fill sand in the basketball hoop:
To get started with the filling of sand in the basketball hoop, make sure to read the owner’s manual that comes along with the hoop. This will help you get aware of the care and caution that you have to practice for the type of basketball hoop you own.
Next, place the hoop on the ground upside down with the base plug oriented in the upward direction. But, ensure that the hoop remains well balanced on the rims.
Seek help from someone to hold the pole so that it doesn’t tend to tip when you start filling it with sand.
Open the base cap and start pouring the sand inside it using a funnel to cut back on the mess created on the ground if you do not channel the sand through a funnel. Once you have completed filling the hoop with sand, cap it back and put the hoop back in an upright position.
After the last step, you are all ready, and you can ask someone’s help to move the hoop to the desired place as the hoop is prone to get heavy after it is filled with sand.
How Do You Get Sand off a Basketball Base?
Using a shop vacuum is one of the best alternatives that you can use for removing sand from the hoop base. To get started with the manual removal of sand from the hoop base, check out if it is possible to remove the pole from the bottom of the sand.
If the pole is detachable and does not come out, consider drilling two holes towards the bottom to allow the sand to slide down from the base.
Conclusion
If you are a basketball enthusiast, then nothing can be as amazing as having a basketball hoop set up in your backyard. So, what are you waiting for?
Now since you know how you can fill and remove sand from the basketball hoop base – get a hoop base installed in your backyard and get ready for some unlimited fun and basketball practice whenever you feel like having some basketing time out.