Okay, folks, let’s dive into my little weekend project: putting together a cushioned volleyball court floor with hard maple. It sounds fancy, but really, it’s just a bunch of steps and some elbow grease.

First things first, I cleared out the space. This was probably the most boring part – moving furniture, sweeping up dust bunnies the size of actual bunnies, and generally making sure I had a blank canvas to work with.

Next, I laid down a vapor barrier. Think of it like a giant plastic sheet that keeps moisture from the ground from messing with the wood. I rolled it out, overlapped the seams, and taped everything down securely. Gotta keep that wood dry, you know?

The Cushions!

Then came the, uh, cushions! These are basically little rubber pads that give the floor some bounce. I spaced them out evenly across the floor, following the instructions that came with them. It looked kinda like a weird, rubbery checkerboard.

• Unboxed all cushions.
• Checked every cushion for any defaults.
• Placed the cushions at even points and lines.

The Subfloor

After that, I put down the first layer of plywood. This is the subfloor – it sits on top of the cushions and provides a solid base for the maple. I staggered the sheets, like laying bricks, to make it stronger. Lots of screwing here, making sure everything was nice and tight.

The Maple Itself

Finally, the star of the show: the hard maple flooring! These were tongue-and-groove planks, meaning they fit together like puzzle pieces. I started at one wall, tapping the planks together with a rubber mallet and a tapping block (gotta protect that pretty wood!).

This part took some time, I’m not gonna lie. Measure, cut, tap, repeat. I used a nail gun to secure the planks to the subfloor, making sure to countersink the nails so they wouldn’t snag anyone’s socks. There was a rhythm to it, though, and it was kinda satisfying seeing the floor take shape.

The last few planks were tricky, since I had to rip them down to size to fit against the wall. But with some careful measuring and a little patience, I got them in.

And… that’s it! A brand new, bouncy, beautiful maple floor. Now, I just need to learn how to play volleyball properly. But first… a nap. All that tapping was tiring!