So my backyard volleyball court was looking rough with that beech wood flooring all messed up. Pieces were sticking out everywhere, gaps big enough to swallow ankles – total disaster zone. Figured it was time to fix it myself instead of paying some contractor.

Taking Everything Apart First

Started by pulling up every single board with my crowbar. Man that sucked – half those connectors snapped right off. Found like twenty rotted boards under there with nasty black mold spots. Hosed everything down, tossed the bad pieces in my truck bed. Dug out weeds growing through the cracks too. Sweated buckets scrubbing grime off salvaged boards with stiff brushes and soapy water. Took three whole afternoons just for cleanup.

Rebuilding The Base

Used the leftover decent boards first, smacking them together with rubber mallets. Still had uneven spots so I grabbed bags of gravel to level things out. Key thing? Laid long 2×4 timbers along the edges like rails. Kept checking my spirit level like it owed me money – added gravel anywhere the bubble wasn’t centered. Finally rolled out fresh landscaping fabric over everything to stop weeds.

• Pro tip: Water the gravel before laying boards! Stops dust clouds and compacts better.
• Mistake: Forgot gloves when handling treated timber. Splinters for days.

Assembly Line Chaos

Started clicking boards together corner-to-corner. Midway point? Disaster struck. The new beech planks were slightly thicker than old ones, so they jammed when connecting. Had to disassemble half the court and sand down every single tongue-and-groove edge with 60-grit paper. So much sawdust I looked like a powdered donut. Ended up hammering in plastic spacers between rows to keep gaps even while joining.

Final Touches & Lessons

Last step? Running circular saw along perimeter to trim overhangs. Flew through a dozen blades cutting all that beech. Swept sealant across every seam with cheap brushes. Took two months total working weekends. Would I do it again? Hell no. But man that solid thump when the ball hits fresh boards? Totally worth the effort.

Funny thing – my neighbor saw me re-doing it twice and offered me beer just to stop hammering on Sundays. Still paid his daughter to refill my ice cooler though. Gotta appreciate small victories.