Okay, so I’ve been wanting to set up a decent volleyball area in my backyard for a while now. You know, something better than just a net strung between two trees. I finally decided to go all-in and build a proper court with a portable wooden floor. I went with the “batten” style, level “larch” wood, because it looked pretty sturdy and weather-resistant in the pictures, at least.

Getting Started

First, I measured out the area where I wanted the court. Made sure I had enough space for all the jumping and diving around I want to be doing without smashing into the house. I also check the location if it is flat enough and if it is near any power line for my lighting.

Then came the fun part – ordering all the materials! I ended up ordering a bunch of larch wood planks, those wooden battens (which are basically just long strips of wood), some heavy-duty screws, and a whole lot of sand and gravel for the base. It was kind of a gamble, ordering all this stuff, because I’d never done anything like this before, but I figured I’d take the chance to try.

Building the Base

Before I could even think about the wood floor, I had to prepare the ground. This was probably the most back-breaking part of the whole project, so I hired some folks down the road to do the job. First, they helped me dig out the area, removing all the grass and dirt. It must be leveled and plain.

Then, they and I dumped in layer after layer of gravel and sand, compacting it down with a rented plate compactor (that thing was loud!). The idea is to create a solid, level, and well-draining base so the wood doesn’t rot or shift around. I think we got the density of that right, judging from my trial jumps.

Assembling the Floor

With the base ready, it was time to start on the floor itself. I laid out the battens first, spacing them evenly across the court. These act like the “skeleton” of the floor, providing support for the planks.

Next, I started screwing down the larch planks onto the battens. I had to make sure to leave small gaps between the planks to allow for expansion and contraction with the weather. This part took a while, and my knees were definitely complaining by the end of it, good grief!

Finishing Touches

Once all the planks were down, I gave the whole floor a good sanding to smooth out any rough edges. I also considered applying a sealant to protect the wood from the elements, but I’m still deciding on that. Honestly, it looked pretty good already, even without any extra finish.

• Measure and mark the court area.
• Order materials: larch planks, battens, screws, sand, gravel.
• Prepare the ground: dig out, add gravel and sand, compact.
• Assemble the floor: lay out battens, screw down planks.
• Optional: sand and seal the wood.

Finally, I strung up the volleyball net, grabbed a ball, and invited some friends over for a game. It felt awesome to play on a court I’d built myself! It’s not perfect, of course, but it’s definitely a huge upgrade from what I had before. And hey, I learned a lot in the process, and get sweaty!