Okay, so I wanted to share my little project from the weekend – putting together some keel volleyball pine assembly wooden flooring. It sounds fancy, but it’s really just a type of floor.

First, I gathered all my materials. This was mostly the pine flooring planks themselves, which I picked up from a local hardware store. I also needed some underlayment, a vapor barrier (since it’s going over concrete), adhesive, a saw, a hammer, nails, and a few other basic tools. Nothing too crazy.

Next up, I prepared the subfloor. This is super important because any bumps or unevenness will show through the finished floor. My subfloor is concrete, so I made sure it was clean, dry, and relatively level. I used a self-leveling compound in a couple of spots where it was a bit low.

Then I rolled out the vapor barrier. This is just a thin plastic sheet that prevents moisture from the concrete seeping into the wood. I overlapped the seams and taped them down.

Laying the Underlayment

The underlayment went down next. This is a foam layer that provides a bit of cushioning and sound insulation. I laid it out perpendicular to the direction I planned to run the floorboards. Again, I taped the seams.

Time for the Flooring!

Okay, now for the fun part! I started laying the pine planks. The “keel” part of this flooring refers to the interlocking system, kind of like a tongue and groove, which helps the boards fit together snugly. I started along the longest wall, leaving a small expansion gap between the flooring and the wall (this is important because wood expands and contracts with changes in humidity).

I applied adhesive to the subfloor in small sections and then placed the planks down, making sure the keel/tongue and groove connections were tight. I used a tapping block and a hammer to gently tap the planks together without damaging the edges.

• The First Row- I made sure this row was perfectly straight because it sets the alignment for the entire floor.
• Continued rows – I staggered the end joints of the planks for a more natural look and to add strength to the floor.
• Cutting planks- I used a saw to cut planks to fit at the ends of rows and around doorways and other obstacles.

Finally, Once all the planks were down, I installed baseboards around the perimeter of the room to cover the expansion gap and give it a finished look. And that’s it. I’m really not a pro, I just did it for the experience and the feel of real wooden flooring.

It took a good chunk of time, but honestly, it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. It feels good to walk around on a floor. I built it with my own hands, and save me some money.