The Big Old Mess

So yeah, spotted the volleyball court last Tuesday after the kids’ league played hard. Right near the center line? Oh boy, not good. That hevea wood flooring was looking pretty badly worn down, like someone sandpapered just one spot to death. And a few planks near the end were loose, wiggly like a loose tooth I tell ya. Made this awful creaking sound every time someone jumped near it. Knew I couldn’t just leave it, bound to get worse and hurt someone.

Getting My Stuff Together

First thing, I gathered up everything I figured I’d need. Didn’t want to be running back and forth once I got started:

• My trusty rubber mallet (regular one marks the wood)
• Some heavy-duty wood glue (the kind that sets fast)
• Wood filler paste for the smaller gaps
• A decent set of sandpaper blocks, coarse and fine
• A flat pry bar for lifting any tricky bits
• A stiff plastic-bristle brush (cleaning is key!)
• A damp rag
• Big ol’ jug of mineral spirits
• And this special hevea wood polish Bob recommended

Went down to the local hardware store for the glue and filler – grabbed their ‘All Wood Fixer Pro’ brand, sounded tough enough. Didn’t have the exact polish, but found something similar they claimed was good for athletic floors.

Rolling Up the Sleeves

Started early Saturday. Sun was out, good light for spotting problems. First job? Fix those wobbly planks at the end. Carefully slid the pry bar under one corner. Heaved it up slow and steady. Felt that awful sticky sound – old glue residue holding on for dear life! Took me a good few minutes just to get that one plank loose enough.

Underneath? Yuck. Loads of dirt, some sandy grit, and chunks of what looked like old dried glue. Out came the stiff brush and rag. Scrubbed like crazy, wiped it down with the damp rag, then hit it with mineral spirits on another rag to really get any greasy bits. Made sure that groove was clean as a whistle before I even thought about glue.

Glue Time & The Not-So-Simple Sand

Alright, clean surface ready. Squeezed a hefty bead of that wood glue along the groove where the plank would sit. Plenty of glue? Yeah, you bet – better too much than too little! Carefully slotted that plank back down into its spot, pressed it firm with my hands to get it seated right.

Then, BAM BAM BAM! Went at it with the rubber mallet along the edges, making sure it was solidly down and level with its neighbors. Felt good, didn’t wobble anymore. But wait… that worn spot near center court. It wasn’t just the surface, huh? Saw small gaps opening between a couple of planks. Tried forcing wood filler paste in there, smoothing it flat. Left it alone to cure.

Couple hours later, back to sand the filler down smooth. But guess what? Soon as I stepped near it, the filler just kinda… crunched down into the gap again. Felt like throwing the sandpaper block! Humidity must have made the wood swell a bit more than I thought? Those gaps kept opening. So, changed tack. Pulled out the thinnest nylon rope I had – the kind used for tent lines. Forced strands of it deep into the gaps with the edge of the pry bar. Then, packed glue around the rope and into the rest of the gap. Sanded the top once everything was properly hard. That rope trick? Total lifesaver. Held up perfectly.

Looking Good Again

Finally, the grand finale. Gave the whole fixed area a once-over with the fine sandpaper block, just lightly smoothing any rough edges I’d made from all the banging and prying. Brushed off all the dust.

Then, applied the special polish with a clean microfiber cloth. Nice, even circular buffing motion. Watched that beautiful natural hevea wood glow come right back. The worn patch? Hardly noticeable unless you really know where to look. The glued plank? Rock solid. And best of all? Dead silence when I jumped up and down on it. Pure magic moment!

Took a good chunk of my weekend, felt like wrestling a stubborn dog sometimes, but seeing that court looking proper again? Yeah, totally worth the sweat and occasional swearing. Ready for spikes!