Okay, let me walk you through how I got this rather specific flooring setup done – the rubber volleyball sleeper wooden flooring thing. It was quite the project, took a bit of sweat.

Getting Started – The Idea and Prep

So, the idea popped into my head because I wanted something sturdy, you know? Something with a bit of give, but still looking like a proper wooden floor. Maybe for a workout area or just a room that sees a lot of action. The “volleyball” part refers more to the feel I was after with the rubber – that slightly cushioned, resilient surface you get on some sports courts, combined with the classic look of wood.

First things first, I had to clear out the room completely. Moved all the furniture out, pulled up the old carpet. That was a job in itself, dealing with the dust and staples. Then I checked the base floor, the concrete slab in my case. Made sure it was reasonably level and totally dry. Didn’t want any moisture problems later on. I swept it clean, then swept it again. You can’t have dust bunnies messing things up.

Laying Down the Bones – The Sleepers

Next up were the sleepers. These are basically treated wooden battens or beams. I bought a load of them, making sure they were straight. I started laying them out across the floor. Had to figure out the spacing – I went for about 16 inches apart, centre to centre. This seemed about right to support the wooden floorboards properly.

Getting them fixed down was crucial. I used some strong adhesive first, laid down in zig-zags under each sleeper. Then, for good measure, I drilled pilot holes through the sleepers and into the concrete below. Used concrete screws to really anchor them down tight. This part took time because I kept checking with a long level to make sure the tops of all the sleepers were even. If they weren’t, the final floor would be wonky. I used shims, little bits of wood or plastic, here and there to get everything perfectly flat.

Adding the Bounce – The Rubber Layer

Now for the “volleyball” element – the rubber. I got rolls of dense rubber underlayment. This wasn’t super thin stuff; it had some thickness to it, maybe about half an inch. I measured the gaps between the sleepers carefully.

I cut the rubber sheeting into strips that fit snugly between the sleepers. Just rolled it out, measured, marked with chalk, and cut it using a heavy-duty utility knife. Changed the blade often to keep the cuts clean. I pushed these rubber strips down into the spaces. Didn’t need glue here, the snug fit held them in place pretty well, sitting flush with the top of the sleepers. This was the layer meant to give that slight cushioning effect.

The Final Surface – Wooden Flooring

Alright, the main event: the wooden flooring. I chose solid hardwood planks, pre-finished to save some work later. I let the wood sit in the room for a few days first, just stacked up, so it could get used to the temperature and humidity. They call it acclimatizing, I think.

Starting along the longest wall, I laid the first row of planks perpendicular to the sleepers. Used spacers against the wall to leave a small expansion gap – wood moves, you see. I faced-nailed this first row carefully through the top into the sleepers below, trying to keep it neat.

For the next rows, it got easier. These planks had tongue-and-groove edges. I slotted the groove of the new plank onto the tongue of the previous one. Tapped it gently with a rubber mallet and a tapping block to get a tight fit. Then, I nailed through the tongue at an angle into each sleeper using a floor nailer I rented. This hides the nails mostly. This was the rhythm: slot plank, tap tight, nail into sleeper, repeat. Staggered the joints between rows so it looked natural.

Cutting planks for the ends of rows or around obstacles was fiddly but necessary. Measured twice, cut once – mostly!

Finishing Up

Once all the floorboards were down, I removed the wall spacers. Then I installed skirting boards, or baseboards as some call them, around the edges of the room. This covered the expansion gap nicely and gave it a finished look. Nailed those into the wall studs.

Since I used pre-finished wood, there was no major sanding or sealing needed. Just gave the whole floor a good clean-up, vacuumed all the sawdust, and wiped it down according to the wood manufacturer’s instructions.

And that was pretty much it. A solid wooden floor, sitting on sleepers, with that rubber cushioning tucked in between. Feels really solid underfoot, but definitely less harsh than walking directly on wood over concrete. Took a weekend and a bit, but happy with how it turned out.