Okay guys, let me tell you about the nightmare I just went through trying to pick the right dang pad for this volleyball court flooring project. Seriously, it seemed simple at first – get some plywood, slap down some interlocking wood planks on top, right? Wrong. Totally underestimated the pad part.

Starting Off Clueless

I thought, “Hey, any old rubber pad underneath should do the job, cushion the jumps.” So I grabbed the first cheap foam roll I saw at the building supply store. Big mistake. Paid for it, hauled it home feeling pretty smart. Started laying the plywood base down in our community center space. Sweating buckets already, let me tell you. Got the plywood panels screwed down nice and tight.

The First Disaster

Felt pretty good until I started putting the pads on top of the plywood. This cheap foam was total garbage. Super weak, felt like tissue paper. When I walked on it, it practically vanished under my feet! Forget about volleyball players jumping and diving on this thing. It’d be crushed to nothing in a week. Zero support. Total waste of money. Had to rip it all back up. Felt like a complete idiot.

Going Back to the Drawing Board (with Research)

Alright, lesson learned cheap ain’t gonna cut it. Started digging around online, asking folks who actually build sports floors. Realized pads ain’t all the same. Learned I needed something way tougher. Found out the key things to look for:

• Thickness: Needs to be decently thick to soak up the impact. Looking in the 5mm to 12mm range.
• Material: Gotta be strong rubber or PVC foam, not that cheap flimsy stuff I bought.
• Protection: This pad sits right between the wood planks and the plywood base. Its main job is cushioning the impact on the players’ legs, but it ALSO protects the plywood underneath from getting dented all to hell.
• Bounce: Needs the right feel. Too soft, players sink and energy gets sucked away. Too hard, feels like jumping on concrete. Tough balance.

Getting Samples & Actually Feeling Stuff

Enough reading. Time to touch stuff. Ordered samples from a few different brands specializing in sports floors. We’re talking:

• SportPro Gold: Like stepping on a balance cushion. Too darn wobbly.
• GameTime HD: Felt hard as a rock. Zero give. Ouch city for knees.
• ImpactGuard 9mm: Finally! This one felt just right. Solid underfoot when you walked, but you could feel the bounce when you jumped on the sample piece. Had the thickness and felt supportive without being stiff. Label said it was dense recycled PVC.

Took the samples down to the center, put them on the plywood, and actually jumped around like a lunatic. ImpactGuard felt miles better than the others.

Pulling the Trigger & Making It Happen

Okay, ImpactGuard it is. Ordered enough rolls to cover the whole court area. Came rolled up heavy and smelled strongly rubbery. Let it sit flat in the center for a full day like the instructions said so it could relax and uncurl.

Then the real fun began. Got my utility knife, straight edge, and measuring tape ready. Unrolled a length of the pad on the plywood. Cut it using the knife along the straight edge. Important step: Used double-sided carpet tape along the plywood seams first to stop the pad from shifting when I unrolled it. Also put tape along the cut edges when I added the next roll, making sure they were butted up tight. Didn’t want any gaps. Sweated a ton more getting it all perfectly laid flat and smooth.

Finally Locking Down the Wood

Once the pad was down secure, it was time for the wood planks. These guys were interlocking engineered wood pieces. Started laying them down on top of the pad, clicking them together. Instantly noticed the difference that good pad made. The planks felt firm, but there was a definite cushioned bounce when I stepped on them. Made those test jumps feel way better on the knees and back.

So, What Pain Taught Me?

Don’t be an idiot like I was at the start. Don’t buy cheap flimsy foam pads for plywood volleyball floors. It will crush and ruin the whole setup fast. You absolutely must get a pad designed for sports floors. Focus on:

• Good Thickness: 9mm seems like a sweet spot.
• Tough Material: Dense recycled PVC foam worked great.
• Right Feel: Not too squishy, not too hard. Goldilocks zone.
• Protection: Shields the plywood from dents, saves cash long-term.

Took way longer and cost more than I planned, but getting that pad right made all the difference. The court plays great now. Just wish I hadn’t wasted money and time on that useless cheap foam first!