Alright, so today was a bit of a project day. I decided to finally tackle that pile of wooden flooring I had sitting in the garage. The goal? To create a hard surface for practicing volleyball – specifically, setting up for some hard hits, or “battening” as we used to call it back in the day. Let me walk you through how it all went down.

Prepping the Area

First things first, I had to clear out the space. This involved moving a bunch of old boxes, a rusty old bike, and some gardening tools. I swept the concrete floor of the garage to get rid of all the dust and debris. It’s amazing how much junk accumulates in a garage!

Gathering My Tools and Materials

Next, I gathered all my tools. I’m no professional carpenter, so my tool collection is pretty basic. Here’s what I used:

• Circular saw: For cutting the flooring planks to the right size.
• Hammer: To get the nails.
• Nails:To connect the wooden floor to the concrete floor.
• Measuring tape: Super important for making sure everything is straight and even.
• Pencil: For marking where to cut.
• Safety glasses: Gotta protect the eyes!
• Gloves: To avoid splinters.
• The wooden flooring planks themselves: Of course!

Laying Down the First Plank

This was probably the most nerve-wracking part. I measured the area I wanted to cover and cut the first plank to size using the circular saw. I made sure to wear my safety glasses during this! Then, I carefully positioned the plank on the concrete, making sure it was aligned with the wall. The key is to start straight, otherwise, the whole thing will be crooked.

Getting the Rhythm

After the first plank, it was all about repetition. I cut, positioned, and nailed down each plank, one by one. It took a bit of time to get into a good rhythm, but eventually, I was moving along pretty steadily. I made sure to stagger the joints between the planks, like you see in a regular hardwood floor. This helps with stability and looks better, too.

Confrorting Challenges

The saw kept jamming in the wood, possibly because the saw was not sharp enough, or possibly because of the quality of the wood.

The Final Touches

Finally, I reached the last plank! I had to trim it down a bit to fit snugly against the opposite wall. Once that was in place, I stood back and admired my handiwork. It wasn’t perfect, a few gaps here and there, and some of the cuts were a little rough, but it was solid and level enough for what I needed.

The Result

It took most of the afternoon, but I finally had a hard, wooden surface to practice my volleyball hits on. Now I can work on my sets and spikes without worrying about tearing up the lawn or damaging the concrete. I’m pretty happy with how it turned out, even if it’s not exactly professional-grade. It’s functional, and that’s what matters. Time for a beer and some well-deserved rest!