Okay, let me walk you through how I got this rubber volleyball sleeper flooring down. It was quite the project, but totally doable if you take it step by step.

Getting Started – The Prep Work

First off, I had to get the room ready. Cleared everything out, you know the drill. Then, the big job was checking the subfloor. Mine was concrete. I swept it clean, like really clean. No dust bunnies allowed. Then I made sure it was level, mostly. Used a long level for that. Didn’t want any weird dips or bumps messing things up later. Also had to be sure it was dry. Left it alone for a bit just to be safe.

Laying Down the Rubber and Sleepers

This is where the ‘rubber volleyball’ part comes in. This system uses these special sleepers, basically wooden battens, but they often sit on rubber pads or have a rubber base. It gives the floor that bit of spring, good for sports, good for the knees too I reckon.

So, I started laying out the sleepers. Had to follow the spacing instructions that came with them, pretty crucial that part. It’s like building a frame right on your floor. These sleepers often have grooves or a system to connect them or just keep them aligned. I made sure they were running the right way across the room. This took a bit of time, getting everything lined up just right. Checked the level again as I went along.

• Unrolled any rubber underlayment if the system needed it separate from the sleepers.
• Placed the first row of sleepers along a starting wall.
• Measured and cut sleepers where needed, usually with a chop saw.
• Made sure the spacing between each row of sleepers was consistent.

Important bit: These sleeper systems often need anchoring to the subfloor. I had to drill and fix them down. Depends on the specific type you get, so always check the guide. It felt solid once they were all in place.

Putting Down the Wood Flooring

Alright, sleepers down, frame built. Now for the actual wooden floorboards. I started along the longest wall, like you usually do. The first row is key, gotta get it straight.

These floorboards are designed to sit right on top of the sleepers. Usually, you nail or staple them down into the sleepers. I rented a floor nailer, made life way easier. You angle the nail through the tongue of the board, so the next board hides the nail. Clever stuff.

• Laid the first board, making sure to leave a small gap along the wall for expansion. Used some spacers for that.
• Nailed it down carefully into each sleeper it crossed.
• Slotted the next board in, tapped it snug with a rubber mallet and a tapping block.
• Nailed that one down.
• Repeated this across the room, row by row.

Remember to stagger the joints between boards in different rows. You don’t want all the ends lining up, looks weird and isn’t as strong. I used the off-cut from the end of one row to start the next, if it was long enough. Reduced waste that way.

Cutting the boards to fit at the ends of rows or around obstacles was probably the trickiest part. Measure twice, cut once, right? A jigsaw and a chop saw were my best friends here.

Finishing Touches

Once all the boards were down, looking like a proper floor, I removed the spacers from around the edges. Then I installed the baseboards or trim around the room. This hides that expansion gap and gives it a nice, finished look.

Gave the whole floor a good clean-up. Stepped back and had a look. Felt pretty good, gotta say. The floor has that slight give to it because of the rubber and sleepers, exactly what I was aiming for. It wasn’t quick, took a weekend and a bit, but doing it myself saved a fair bit, and now I know exactly how it was put together.