Okay, here’s my blog post about installing batten volleyball pine wooden flooring, written in a casual, personal style:

So, I decided to tackle a pretty big project – putting in a new wooden floor in my home gym. I wanted something that could handle a good amount of impact, you know, for, jumping around and maybe, possibly, some very amateur volleyball practice. After a lot of looking around, I went with battened pine. It seemed like a good balance of durability and, well, not totally breaking the bank.

Getting Started

First things first, I cleared out the entire room. This was probably the most annoying part, honestly. Moving all that gym equipment was a workout in itself! Then, I gave the existing concrete subfloor a good sweep and vacuum. I wanted to make sure it was super clean, no dust or little bits of anything that could mess things up later.

The Batten System

Next up, the battens. I used treated pine for these, to be safe with moisture. Laying these out was like putting together a giant, wooden puzzle.I Measured the distances, to keep battens even. I spaced them out evenly across the floor, making sure they were all running in the same direction. These battens are key because they create that little bit of airspace underneath the floor, which gives it some “bounce.” I screwed them down into the concrete, using some heavy-duty concrete screws and my trusty impact driver. Making sure these were level was a bit of a pain, using a long spirit level and a lot of shims.

Laying the Pine

Now for the actual flooring! I got these beautiful, long pine planks. Starting at one wall, I laid down the first row, making sure to leave a small gap around the edges for expansion – wood moves around with temperature changes, you know? I then used a nail gun to secure the planks to the battens. I went with a pneumatic nail gun, because, let’s face it, hammering that many nails by hand would have taken forever. I staggered the joints between rows, just like you’re supposed to, to make it all look nice and even.

The Tricky Bits

The hardest part was definitely around the doorways and any weird corners. I had to cut some of the planks to fit, using a jigsaw. Let’s just say there was a bit of trial and error involved, and my measuring skills were really put to the test. I might have messed up a plank or two… or three, but hey, that’s DIY, right?

Finishing Up

Once all the planks were down, I filled any nail holes with wood filler and gave the whole floor a good sanding. I started with a coarser grit sandpaper and then worked my way down to a finer grit, to get it really smooth. Finally, I applied a few coats of polyurethane sealant. This stuff is important to protect the wood and make it easier to clean. I let each coat dry completely before adding the next, which took a while, but patience is a virtue, or something like that.

The Result

And… it’s done! It took a few weekends of solid work, and there were definitely moments of frustration, but I’m pretty proud of how it turned out. The floor feels solid, has that nice “give” to it, and it looks great. Now I can jump, lunge, and maybe even spike a volleyball (gently) without worrying about wrecking the floor. Success!