Kicking Off the Project

So today I finally unboxed my pad volleyball flooring kit after weeks of it gathering dust in the garage. Grabbed my utility knife, pry bar, and rubber mallet – didn’t need fancy tools, just basic stuff from my DIY drawer. Measured my backyard space roughly with steps (about 20 paces long by 15 wide), figured one pack would cover it.

Prepping the Ground

Cleared the area first – pulled out weeds and kicked away pebbles. Lay down those interlocking foam pads like giant puzzle pieces. Had to trim edges when hitting uneven spots. Pro tip: overlap them slightly so the wood doesn’t sink later. Sweat was dripping down my neck but whatever.

Laying the Wooden Planks

Started snapping planks together at the corner. These hevea wood tiles click surprisingly easy – just slide tongue into groove and whack gently with rubber mallet. Hit snags twice where grooves refused to lock, but flipping the plank usually fixed it. Did the perimeter first, then filled middle rows like mowing grass. When planks didn’t align perfectly? Stepped hard on them – body weight solves everything.

Finishing Touches & Screwups

Almost wrecked the whole thing near the end – trimmed final row crooked with my jigsaw. Had to re-cut three planks because measurements went sideways. Finally hammered in plastic edging strips with those tiny nails. Threw sand everywhere to stop sliding, then sprayed water to test drainage. Water pooled a bit near the center seam – guess my foam pads weren’t totally flat there. Whatever, kids wouldn’t notice.

Final Thoughts

Took me under three hours start to finish minus beer breaks. Surface feels bouncy like proper volleyball courts now. Biggest takeaways:

• Buy 10% extra planks – some pieces arrived chipped from shipping
• Dry-fit everything before hammering – saved me twice
• Trimming foam pads is messy – wear gloves or get blisters

Feels solid after one week – rain hasn’t warped it yet. Perfect for backyard games without hiring expensive installers.