Okay, here’s my blog post about setting up a portable wooden volleyball court floor:

So, I’ve been wanting to get a decent playing surface for volleyball for a while now. We play a lot in the park, and the grass is, well, grass. It’s uneven, sometimes muddy, and just not ideal for any serious play. I started looking into options, and a full-on permanent court was way out of my budget (and not allowed in the park anyway!). That’s when I started thinking about something portable, something we could set up and take down.

The Idea Takes Shape

I stumbled across some info about these interlocking wooden floor panels. They’re designed for things like dance floors and events, but I figured they might work for volleyball too. The key was finding something sturdy enough to handle the jumping and diving, and also easy enough to assemble and disassemble regularly.

After a lot of searching, I chose to go with these “keel” style ones. That should give me a strong base, hope it works, it must support the heavy duty jumping and other actions, otherwise all money will be wasted.

Getting Started – The Unboxing!

The panels arrived in a bunch of surprisingly heavy boxes. Seriously, I underestimated how much this stuff would weigh! Each panel was maybe 3 feet by 3 feet, and they were made of this pretty solid-feeling wood. The “keel” part was basically a grid of wooden supports underneath, designed to distribute weight and provide some cushioning.

First step: Clear the area! We picked a relatively flat spot in the park and cleared away any rocks, sticks, or other debris. I wanted a nice, even base to work with.

Assembly – Putting it All Together

The panels had these interlocking tabs on the edges. It was like a giant jigsaw puzzle, but thankfully much easier. You basically just line up the tabs and push them together. Some of them were a little stiff, so I used a rubber mallet (gently!) to tap them into place. Don’t want to damage anything!

• Tip 1: Start in one corner and work your way out. It makes it easier to keep everything aligned.
• Tip 2: Make sure the tabs are fully engaged. You’ll hear a satisfying “click” when they’re properly connected.
• Tip 3: If you have a helper, it goes way faster. One person can align the panels while the other taps them together.

It took us about an hour to get the whole floor assembled. We went for a smaller court size, since we usually play with smaller teams anyway. It ended up being roughly 20 feet by 40 feet, which felt pretty good.

The Test Run – How Did It Play?

This is the moment of truth! We set up the net (we have a portable net system, thank goodness) and started playing. And you know what? It was awesome. The floor felt solid and supportive, even when we were jumping and diving. It was a huge improvement over playing on the grass.

The wood provided a nice, consistent bounce, and it was much easier on our knees and ankles. We played for a couple of hours, and the floor held up perfectly. No shifting, no separating, just solid performance.

Takedown and Storage

After we were done, it was time to take it all apart. This was actually pretty easy too. We just reversed the assembly process, carefully separating the panels and stacking them up. It probably took us about 30 minutes to get everything packed away.

I stored the panels in my garage, stacked neatly against a wall. They do take up a bit of space, but it’s worth it for the improved playing experience.

Final Thoughts – Worth the Effort?

Absolutely! This portable wooden volleyball floor was a great investment. It’s made our games so much more enjoyable, and it’s something we can use for years to come. If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your volleyball setup, I highly recommend looking into something like this. Just be prepared for some heavy lifting!