Okay so last week I had this big idea to finally upgrade our beat-up pad volleyball court in the backyard. Grabbed two types of wood from the lumberyard – beech and oak – to see which one handles best. Got messy real fast.
The Wood Showdown Kickoff
Started by laying out the oak planks first since they looked super tough. Hammered in the nails like a maniac but man, oak splits so easy when you nail near the edges. Had to redo three planks right away because cracks appeared. Felt like wasting $40 already.
Beech Strikes Back
Switched to beech after lunch and holy cow – totally different story. Drove nails into beech like butter. No splits, no drama. Didn’t even need pilot holes. But here’s the thing… after nailing five planks down I noticed beech dents if you drop a hammer. Like, actual dents just from the hammer weight falling from my hip height. Oak wouldn’t flinch at that.
Rain Test Disaster
Water wrecked both woods differently. Sprinkler soaked ’em for two hours:
- Beech swelled up like a sponge. Gaps between planks disappeared – cool at first till they started rubbing and squeaking when I walked over them.
- Oak barely budged but got crazy slippery. Like ice rink level slippery when damp. Almost broke my neck testing a jump serve.
Two Weeks Later
Saw the real problems after fourteen days. Beech faded to this sad gray color where sun hit it. Oak? Still rich brown but guess what? Warped at the corners on three planks. Had to unscrew them, shave edges with sandpaper and pray they’d flatten back down. Beech held its shape perfectly though.
Final Showdown Thoughts
Here’s my take after bleeding on both woods:
- Oak wins for hardness – doesn’t dent easily
- Beech wins for easy assembly – no splitting nightmares
- Neither wins water resistance – seal the heck outta both
- Oak needs more prep work – pilot holes mandatory
- Beech needs sun protection – UV murders its color
Ended up mixing both woods for corners vs center. Probably against some rulebook but who cares? It works now.
