Okay, here’s my blog post about assembling the keel volleyball maple flooring, written from a personal, hands-on perspective, and formatted as requested:

So, I finally got around to tackling that flooring project in my makeshift home gym. You know, the one I’d been putting off for, like, ever? It was a “keel volleyball maple” system – sounds fancy, right? But honestly, it was more about the challenge than anything else. I’d picked up the materials ages ago, and they were just sitting there, judging me.

Getting Started (The Messy Part)

First things first, I had to clear the space. That involved moving a ton of weights, a dusty treadmill, and a whole bunch of random stuff that had accumulated. It’s amazing how much junk you can cram into a room when you’re not paying attention.

Then came the prep work. The concrete subfloor was pretty rough, so I spent a good chunk of time sweeping, vacuuming, and then sweeping again. I even used a shop vac to get every last bit of dust and debris. You don’t want anything getting trapped under your new floor.

The Keel System – Laying it Down

The “keel” part of this system is basically a bunch of interlocking wooden supports. My kit came with these pre-cut pieces, and I won’t lie, the first few were a bit of a puzzle. I followed the instructions, there’re some pictures showed how to assemble step by step.

• Laying the First Row: This was crucial. I made sure to leave a small expansion gap around the edges of the room, using some spacers I’d picked up. This wood needs room to breathe with changes in humidity.
• Interlocking the Keels: These pieces snapped together, some need a little bit of force. It got easier as I went along, and I started to get a feel for how it all fit together.
• Checking for Level: Every few rows, I used a long level to make sure everything was nice and even. I find a few spots, and I had to shim a couple of low spots with some thin pieces of wood.

Maple Time!

With the keel system in place, it was time for the actual maple flooring. These were long, beautiful planks, and it was super satisfying to start laying them down.

The maple planks attached to the keel system. Each plank had a tongue and groove, so they fit together snugly. I used a rubber mallet to tap them into place, making sure there were no gaps.

Cutting the planks to fit around the edges of the room was a bit tricky. I used a jigsaw for the trickier cuts, and thank goodness for YouTube tutorials, Seriously, I would have been lost without them.

The Finish Line (and a Few Oops Moments)

It took a couple of days, working in bursts, but I eventually got the whole floor installed. There were a few “oops” moments, like when I accidentally cut a plank too short (measure twice, cut once, people!). And there was that one time I whacked my thumb with the mallet (it’s fine, mostly).

But, seeing the finished product was totally worth it. It’s a solid, beautiful floor, and it feels amazing underfoot. It’s not perfect, mind you. There are a few tiny imperfections here and there, but that’s part of the charm of a DIY project, right? It’s got character!

Now, I just need to decide if I actually want to use it for volleyball. Maybe I’ll just admire it for a while.