Okay, so I’ve been messing around with this whole volleyball court thing, and let me tell you, it’s been a journey. I decided to go with LVL (that’s Laminated Veneer Lumber, for those not in the know) and hard maple timber. Sounds fancy, right? Well, it kinda is, but it’s also a beast to work with.

Getting Started

First off, I had to figure out what the heck I was even doing. I mean, I’ve played volleyball, but building a court? Whole different ball game. I spent hours, and I mean hours, looking at diagrams and specs online. My brain felt like it was going to explode.

Then came the fun part: getting the materials. Finding the right LVL was a bit of a scavenger hunt. I went to a couple of lumber yards, and finally found one that had what I needed. The hard maple, though? That was another story. I wanted something that looked good and would last, you know? Ended up special ordering it, which meant waiting. And waiting. And more waiting.

The Real Work Begins

Once I had everything, it was time to get down to business. I started by prepping the area, making sure it was level and all that jazz. This involved a lot of shoveling, raking, and sweating. I’m pretty sure I pulled a muscle or two.

Next up was laying down the LVL. This stuff is heavy, let me tell you. I definitely needed a friend to help me with this part. We got it all laid out, made sure it was square, and screwed it all together. Teamwork makes the dream work, as they say.

• Measure twice, cut once. My grandpa always said this, and it’s so true. We definitely messed up a couple of cuts, but thankfully we had extra.
• Safety first! Goggles, gloves, the whole nine yards. I’m not trying to lose an eye out here.
• Don’t rush the process. With something like this, it is really important to follow the steps.

The Hard Maple

Now for the star of the show: the hard maple. This stuff is beautiful, but it’s also tough. We had to carefully measure and cut each piece to fit, like a giant, wooden puzzle. And let me tell you, getting those lines perfect? Not easy. We used a chalk line, a level, and a whole lot of patience.

Once the maple was down, it was time to sand it. And sand it. And sand it some more. This took forever, but it was worth it. The floor started to feel smooth and, well, like a real volleyball court. We used different grit sandpaper and it ended up feeling like a high quality project. We rented a giant sander, you know like what they use on school gym floors.

Finishing Touches

Finally, we applied the finish. I went with a polyurethane finish, because it’s durable and gives it that nice, shiny look. We did a couple of coats, letting it dry in between, of course. And then, boom! It was done.

Honestly, it was way more work than I expected. There were moments of frustration, moments of doubt, and moments where I just wanted to throw in the towel. But seeing the finished product? Totally worth it. Now I just need to find some people to play volleyball with!