Alright folks, so today I tackled my backyard volleyball court situation. That wooden flooring assembly was wobbling like crazy after last winter’s freeze, boards popping up everywhere. Had to fix it before game night or someone would’ve busted an ankle.
Getting Started
First thing morning, I dragged all my tools out to the court. Grabbed:
- My trusty hammer (the heavy one)
- Box of 3-inch nails
- Wood glue bottle
- Crowbar looking rusty but still works
- Sanding block from last summer’s deck project
The Ugly Part
Started prying up the worst boards with the crowbar – man those suckers were stubborn. Heard that awful cracking sound wood makes when it doesn’t wanna budge. Found why it was wobbling though. Half the nails had rusted through completely. Looked like Swiss cheese under there.
Scraped out all the rotten wood chunks with my pocket knife. Pour-glued the really bad gaps – squeezed that bottle till my hands cramped. Propped concrete blocks on the warped boards while it dried. Ate lunch watching glue drip everywhere.
Nail Party Time
Once things felt solid, started hammering nails every six inches like my life depended on it. Sweat dripping into my eyes, mosquitoes eating me alive. Missed the nail head twice – left some sexy dents in the wood. Whatever, adds character right?
Sanded the rough patches till my arm felt numb. Those splinters are no joke – got three in my palm reaching under the boards. Note to self: buy damn gloves.
Finished Job
Checked every single board by jumping hard on it. Not one squeak! Feels like concrete now. Only took me the whole dang day sunup to sundown. Pro tip: don’t try this at 3pm in July heat like I did. Almost passed out twice.
Worst part? Realized I rebuilt the entire thing three inches off-center. Whatever, nobody’ll notice when we’re smashing spikes tomorrow night. Drinks on whoever falls through the first hole!
