Okay, let’s talk volleyball floors. My backyard court looked like a war zone after last season – cracks everywhere, splinters waiting to happen. Needed something solid and fast. Heard good things about this Pad Pine Assembly system, decided to give it a shot.

Starting the Hunt

First thing? Measured my whole court area. Twice. Because nobody wants extra trips hauling wood or wasting cash. Hit the local lumber place, checked out their Pad Pine stuff. Honestly? Felt heavier and looked straighter than that cheap bamboo stuff I saw last year. Price wasn’t bad either.

Dragging it Home & Prep Work

Rented a truck, loaded up all those pine planks and the big roll of that rubber pad they included. Sweat like crazy just getting it off the truck pad into the yard. Found my old leveling tool hiding in the garage – thank god. Spent hours making sure the base ground was FLAT. Like, stupid flat. Raked, tamped, even busted out a garden roller I forgot I owned. No way was I laying pads on bumps.

Putting the Puzzle Together

• Pad First: Unrolled that giant rubber pad they included. Felt thick, kinda spongy. Cut it roughly to shape with a box knife. Made sure it covered EVERY inch of my prepared ground, no gaps.
• Planks Next: Started at one corner. The Pad Pine planks? They have this tongue-and-groove thing on the sides. First couple snapped together nice and snug with a rubber mallet. Felt pretty satisfying. Did whole rows at a time. Trick was keeping them dead straight – used strings tied to stakes as guides. My back complained after row five.
• Issues? Oh yeah: Around the service line, hit a plank that just WOULD NOT sit flush. Groove seemed a bit wonky. Grabbed the spare plank they thankfully packed, swapped it out. Problem solved. Also, near the end, needed to rip-cut the last plank widthwise. My circular saw choked a bit on the pine – too much sap maybe? Go slower than I did.

Last Touches & First Bounce

Hammered all edges down tight, swept off the sawdust. Sprayed a clear sealant they recommended over the whole surface to fight weather damage. Let it dry overnight. Next morning? Grabbed my old volleyball. Dropped it from shoulder height. That thump sound? Pure. No weird bounce, felt springy underfoot, like that pad was doing its job under the wood. Played a rough two-on-two later that day – no slips, no give. Felt like a real court.

Is Pad Pine perfect? Maybe not for an Olympic team. But for my beat-up backyard? Heck yeah. Held up through our heavy weekend games so far. That initial hiccup with the plank sucked, and cutting needed patience, but overall? Solid choice for the hassle and price. Feels like it might actually survive winter.