So I decided to fix up that old volleyball court in my backyard finally. Pine wood flooring seemed solid for it – durable and gives that nice bounce players like. First step was hauling all the materials back there early Saturday morning.

Prepping the Site

Cleared out rocks and weeds till the ground was flat as a pancake. Spread some gravel evenly with a rake, tamped it down hard with my feet. Then rolled out that black weed fabric stuff to keep nasty stuff from growing up through the court. My back was already screaming at this point.

Frame Building Nightmares

Started assembling the wooden frame with 2x4s. Measured twice but still screwed up drilling pilot holes for the corner joints. Had to redo two pieces after the wood cracked – rookie mistake! Used my level every five minutes like a nervous tick. Secured it all with galvanized screws and metal brackets.

Pro tips I learned:

• Never skip pilot holes with pine wood
• Extra bracing prevents wobbles later
• Knee pads? Worth their weight in gold

Floor Board Dance

Now the fun part – laying the pine boards across the frame. Started at one corner, left that quarter-inch gap between boards everybody says is so important. Used spacers like plastic wedges to keep it consistent. Had to wrestle some warped boards into submission with clamps. Hammered in each decking nail with gusto – felt like Thor by the tenth board!

Made this killer pattern: parallel boards at the net zone for stability, diagonal sections near the boundaries. Looked amazing until…

Uh Oh Moment

Got halfway done before noticing slight gaps under the level. Some boards weren’t sitting flush! Turned out my gravel base settled unevenly overnight. Had to disassemble about 20 boards, add more gravel under the frame legs, and re-level everything. Lost three hours but saved the whole project.

Final Stretch & Polish

Sanded every board smooth until my arms went numb. Applied waterproof sealant with a roller – two coats while singing 90s rock anthems. Added boundary lines with white athletic tape for that legit volleyball feel. Threw down some sand around the edges for traction.

And bam! The court came out great. Tested it immediately – ball bounces like a dream and feels solid as heck. That satisfying thump sound when players land? Perfection. Pine wood patina should age nice too.

Total time? Two full weekends and a ton of coffee. Next project: installing lights so we can play night games!