My rubber tree wood flooring at the backyard volleyball court got wrecked after last week’s heavy rainstorm. Boards warping like banana peels and nails sticking out everywhere – total nightmare situation. Grabbed my toolbox Saturday morning figuring I’d fix it myself instead of hiring someone. Thought it’d be straightforward. Oh boy.
Assessing the Damage
First I pulled all the warped boards up with a pry bar. Half the wood crumbled like crackers in my hands. Water had seeped under the coating and just destroyed the cheap pine near the net posts. Dug around the foundation too and found two ant colonies partying where the damp wood used to be. Gross stuff.
The Messy Replacement
Went to get replacement boards thinking this would be simple. Salesman convinced me rubber tree wood was “perfect for outdoor sports floors”. Paid extra for treated timber assuming it meant waterproof. Started cutting new planks to size when I noticed the ends were splitting like crazy. Had to trim four boards before getting two decent pieces. Then my drill battery died mid-installation. Swore at birds nesting in my shed roof for ten minutes before finding the spare charger.
My Pathetic Tools List
- Bent crowbar
- Dull hand saw
- Wobbly drill with overheating battery
- Rusty level (one bubble missing)
Sealing Disaster
Figured I should seal the new boards properly. Mixed the can of waterproof coating the salesman swore by. Brushed it on thick near the sides. Five minutes later that area started bubbling like pancake batter. Turns out the old wood residue reacted with the new sealer. Ended up sanding the bubbled sections with my wife’s nail file at midnight when hardware stores closed.
Next morning the “fixed” section looked like Frankenstein’s floor – mismatched planks with cloudy spots where I messed up the sealant. But hey, no more ants! Still stepped on a hidden nail though. Ruined my favorite Crocs. Worth it? Jury’s out until next rain season.
