Okay, here’s my blog post about installing keel volleyball hard wooden flooring, written from my personal experience:

So, I finally got around to tackling that project I’ve been putting off forever – putting down some proper flooring in my makeshift volleyball practice area. It was just bare concrete before, which, you know, isn’t exactly ideal for diving or, well, anything involving knees.

Getting Started

First things first, I measured the whole area. Twice. Because that’s what you’re supposed to do, right? Better to be sure than to end up short a few planks and have to make another trip to the store.

I picked up the wooden flooring and this keel stuff. It looks like a supportive frame. The guy at the store made it sound super important for bounce and stability, especially for something like volleyball.

The Keel Deal

Laying down the keel was, I’m not gonna lie, a bit of a puzzle at first. I spread out the keel pieces. My area is not that big so I decided to use the simplest of structure for keel.

Plank Time

Once the keel was down, it was time for the actual wooden flooring. This part was kinda satisfying, like putting together a giant, floor-sized jigsaw puzzle. Started from one corner and worked my way across, making sure each plank was snug against the next. Used a rubber mallet (again, gentle taps!) to get everything lined up nice and tight.

• Snap, tap, repeat. That was pretty much my life for a few hours.
• Took some breaks. My back is not what it used to be.

The Finishing Touches

After all the planks were down, I installed some baseboards around the edges. Cleaned up the edges and covered any gaps.

The Result

Honestly, it looks pretty darn good! It’s a real level. The bounce is great, it feels solid underfoot, and it’s way easier on the joints than concrete. Definitely worth the effort. Though, I do not want to see another wooden plank, at least I can now practice dink or block without worrying about destroying my knees. Mission accomplished!