Alright folks, this volleyball court floor situation was driving me nuts. That creaking sound every time someone jumped? Unacceptable. So I grabbed my toolbox last Saturday and got down to business.

The Initial Disaster

First off, pulled up the corner boards near the net. Found three cracked support beams underneath – no wonder players were tripping! Termite damage all over the place too. Had to measure the rotten sections with my rusty tape measure, sneezing from all the wood dust flying around.

The Fixing Circus

Started by ripping out the bad beams with a crowbar – took way longer than expected. Nearly busted my knuckles twice! Then cut replacement beams with my janky circular saw that kept binding up. Fit them in place, hammered like crazy with these cheap nails from the hardware store. Half of them bent on first hit, had to pry ’em out with pliers.

Here’s what I did for the floorboards:

• Sanded down the warped ones near the service line
• Replaced two totally split boards (made the new ones too thick at first)
• Reinforced loose nails all along the sidelines
• Slapped wood filler into every gap bigger than my pinky

The Finishing Nightmare

Thought I’d be smart using this “quick-dry” varnish. Big mistake! Stuff got tacky immediately, my roller started leaving hairs in it. Had to sand half the surface AGAIN after it dried all bumpy. Second coat went better but I ran out halfway, had to drive back to town looking like a paint monster.

End Result

After two full days of sweating and cursing? Court feels solid now! No more scary cracks when people land. Still got varnish smudges on my favorite jeans though. Worth it to hear that nice thump when the ball hits fresh wood instead of that awful crack sound. Players better appreciate this!