Okay, here’s my blog post about putting in that volleyball court flooring:

Alright, so, the big project this week was tackling the flooring for that indoor volleyball court. You know, the one with the keel, lvl, larch, assembly, wooden… the whole shebang. It sounded intimidating at first, I gotta admit.

Getting Started

First things first, I cleared out the entire space. This was a bigger job than I thought! It’s amazing how much stuff accumulates. I spent a good few hours just moving furniture, equipment, and random junk out of the way. Swept the concrete subfloor until it was, let’s say, “acceptably clean.” It wasn’t sparkling, but hey, it’s gonna be covered up anyway, right?

The Keel System

Next up, that keel system. Now, this was new to me. I laid down the first couple of pieces, kind of feeling my way through it. I followed some instructions, used a level, and made sure everything was pretty straight to start off. It takes some time to adjust and get the fit right.

Working with the LVL

Then came the LVL (Laminated Veneer Lumber). These things are heavy! I enlisted the help of my buddy, Mark, to help me carry and position these suckers. We slotted them into the keel system. It was satisfying to see the floor start to take shape, but man, was it a workout.

Larch Flooring Fun

Now for the pretty part – the larch wood flooring! This is where it started to look like an actual volleyball court. I started at one end, laying down the planks, and using a mallet and tapping block to get them nice and snug together. Checked my measurements to keep the boards aligned.

I took my time with this part. Tapped each board into place, making sure the tongue and groove fit perfectly. No gaps allowed! It’s a bit like putting together a giant, wooden puzzle. Slow and steady wins the race, as they say.

Finishing Touches

Finally, after many many hours of cutting and fitting, I got to the very end. All the larch is installed. Then the sanding can begin. After a few hours of sanding, I did the finish to the floor. It turned out amazing!

The whole thing took me way longer than I expected, but seeing the finished product is so worth it. My back might be killing me, but I’ve got a brand new volleyball court floor to show for it. Now, who’s up for a game?