Noticed my pad volleyball engineer board wooden floor looking kinda rough after last season’s games. Scuff marks everywhere, joints creaking, and that nice shine completely gone. Figured I’d better fix it before the team comes back next month.
The Deep Clean First
Started by dragging all the equipment off the court. Swept like crazy with a soft-bristle broom – you wouldn’t believe the dust bunnies hiding in those grooves! Mixed up my cleaning solution: just warm water with couple drops of dish soap in a bucket. Damp-mopped the whole surface working in sections, rinsed the mop every ten feet. Important thing? Didn’t soak the wood – just used damp cloth.
Fixing Those Annoying Gaps
Saw some boards separating near the service line. Grabbed my rubber mallet and gently tapped ’em back together. Where gaps stayed stubborn, I mixed sawdust from same wood type with wood glue into paste, stuffed it in the cracks like putty. Wiped excess with wet rag before it dried. Pro tip: wear gloves unless you want sticky fingers for days!
Making It Shine Again
Let the floor dry overnight. Next morning applied protective coating – water-based polyurethane stuff. Used foam roller for big areas and tiny brush for edges. Did three thin coats instead of one thick one, waiting 4 hours between coats. Kept windows open for smell, fans running. Last coat needed full 24 hours before touching.
Final Touches
Marked boundaries with painter’s tape, repainted lines with court paint. Replaced two warped boards near the net – measured three times before cutting new ones! Finished by buffing entire surface with microfiber cloth to even out the finish.
Whole process took me four days but damn it looks fresh now. Key things I’ll do different next time:
- Check joints monthly before gaps get bad
- Never let spills sit – wipe immediately
- Use felt pads under all equipment legs
- Do mini-refresh yearly instead of waiting 3 years!
Realized too late I should’ve taken “before” photos. But hey, at least now when someone dives for the ball, they won’t get splinters in their knees!
