Okay, let’s get started with my little project of the day – “keel, volleyball, engineer, wooden flooring”. Sounds random? It kinda was, but it all came together.

So, picture this: I’ve got this space in my backyard I wanted to make more… usable. It was just uneven grass before. I’d been tossing around the idea of a volleyball court for ages. You know, casual games with friends, nothing too serious. But I wanted it to be nice.

The Prep Work (aka the “Keel”)

First things first, I had to level the ground. This was the “keel” part of the project, the foundation. I’m no professional, just a regular dude with a shovel and a borrowed level. I spent a good weekend just digging and moving dirt. Let me tell you, it’s more work than it looks! My back was definitely feeling it.

I made the area a big rectangle, kinda eyeballing the size. It’s probably not regulation volleyball court size, but it’s big enough for some fun.

Figuring Out the Surface (The “Wooden Flooring” Dilemma)

Next up was the surface. Originally, I just thought I’d leave it as grass. But then I started thinking about how muddy it would get after rain, and how uneven it might be. That’s when the “wooden flooring” idea popped into my head.

I didn’t want to pour concrete – that seemed too permanent and, well, not very pretty. I also considered those interlocking plastic tiles, but they seemed kinda flimsy.

So, I started looking at wooden decking. I figured I could build a low platform, like a giant, flat deck. This is where my (very limited) “engineering” skills came in. I watched a bunch of videos online and sketched out some rough plans.

Building the “Deck” (My “Engineering” Feat)

I bought a ton of pressure-treated lumber. Like, a lot. I had to make several trips to the home improvement store. The guys there probably thought I was building a small house.

• Step 1: I laid down some landscape fabric to prevent weeds from growing through.
• Step 2: I built the frame, using 2x6s for the perimeter and 2x4s for the inner supports. Lots of measuring, cutting, and screwing. My power drill got a serious workout.
• Step 3: Once the frame was done, I started laying down the deck boards. This was the satisfying part – seeing it all come together.

It took a few days, working on and off, but I eventually had a solid, level wooden platform. It wasn’t perfect, mind you. There were a few gaps here and there, and some of the boards weren’t perfectly aligned, but I was pretty proud of it.

The “Volleyball” Part

Finally With the “court” built, I got a volleyball net and some stakes. Setting that up was easy peasy.

And that’s it! My makeshift backyard volleyball court. It’s not fancy, but it’s mine, and it’s already seen some good times. We’ve had a few friends over for some games, and it’s been a blast. My “engineering” might be a little rough around the edges, but the “keel” is solid, the “wooden flooring” is holding up, and the “volleyball” is definitely happening!