Okay, so I’ve been wanting to do this for a while, and I finally got around to tackling this project: installing a keel volleyball level larch wooden floor. Sounds fancy, right? It’s basically a solid wood floor, perfect for sports, and the larch wood? Super durable and looks great.

First things first, I cleared out the room completely. This was probably the most annoying part, honestly. Moving all the furniture, rolling up the old carpet (which was disgusting), and making sure everything was out of the way took a good chunk of the day.

Prepping the Subfloor

Next up, I checked the subfloor. It’s super important that it’s level, clean, and dry. My subfloor was concrete, which is pretty standard. I used a long level to make sure it was, you know, actually level. There were a few dips, so I grabbed some self-leveling compound and filled those in. Waited for that to dry completely – that took a surprisingly long time, about a full day.

Once the compound was dry, I gave the whole subfloor a good sweep and vacuum. You don’t want any dust or debris getting trapped under your new floor. That’s a recipe for squeaks and problems down the road.

Laying Down the Keel System

This is where the “keel” part comes in. It’s basically a framework of wooden supports that the floorboards will sit on. This creates that nice, bouncy feel you want for a sports floor. I followed the instructions that came with the keel system (thank goodness for those!), carefully laying out the pieces and making sure they were spaced correctly. They interlock, and I used a Rubber Mallet to connect.

I screwed the keel system down to the concrete subfloor. Used concrete screws and my trusty drill. Important to make sure they’re nice and secure, because this is the foundation for the whole thing.

Installing the Larch Floorboards

Now for the fun part! I started laying down the larch floorboards. These boards had a tongue-and-groove system, so they fit together snugly. I used a rubber mallet to gently tap them into place. It’s like a giant, satisfying puzzle.

• Started at one wall and worked my way across the room, row by row.
• Made sure to leave a small expansion gap around the perimeter of the room. Wood expands and contracts with changes in temperature and humidity, so you need to give it some room to breathe.
• For the last row, I usually had to rip the boards lengthwise to fit. I used a circular saw for that (safety glasses on, always!).

Finishing Touches

Once all the boards were down, I installed baseboards around the edges to cover up that expansion gap and give it a nice, finished look. I nailed those into the wall studs.

Finally, because it is a sport floor, I added some court lines on with the appropriate colored tape. I am no good at painting.

And that’s it! My very own keel volleyball level larch wooden floor. It was a lot of work, but totally worth it. It looks amazing, feels great underfoot, and I’m ready for some serious volleyball action (or, you know, just bouncing around). I’m pretty proud of myself, to be honest. It wasn’t easy, but I did it!