Alright let me walk you through how I put together this removable birch plywood volleyball court for my backyard. Always wanted a home practice spot but needed something I could store away easily since we host BBQs here too.
The Birch Hunt Begins
Started by hitting up every local lumberyard because I needed good quality birch plywood that wouldn’t warp like crazy outdoors. Most places either didn’t carry it or quoted insane prices. Finally found this mom-and-pop shop with “seconds” grade sheets – minor cosmetic flaws but solid birch layers underneath. Grabbed eight 4×8 ft panels since my court sketch needed 16×32 ft total. Felt like a steal till I loaded them into the truck and realized how freaking heavy plywood is.
Cutting Nightmare & Assembly Relief
Measured twice, swore three times. Cut each sheet exactly in half to make 4×4 ft squares using my circular saw. Pro tip: clamp a straight board as guide unless you want wobbly cuts like my first three attempts. Had wood chips flying everywhere even with goggles on – looked like a hamster exploded in my garage.
- Sanded every edge smooth because volleyball + splinters = bad times
- Applied exterior wood sealant using this roller with extension pole – back still killed me
- Laid tarp first to protect grass from getting choked
Then came the satisfying part: locking them together like puzzle pieces with these cam connectors from a modular flooring kit. Bang bang bang with the rubber mallet to interlock each square. Took me under an hour to fully assemble the court surface while sweating buckets in the July heat.
Game Time & Takedown Test
Couldn’t resist immediately testing it with my nephew. Ball bounced way better than I expected! Made a few dives and landed square on the joints – held perfectly. Real triumph though? After we played, lifted each panel from corners like carry handles, stacked em vertically against the garage wall. Took maybe 15 minutes total to disappear. No lawnmower battles against permanent posts!
Been using it since last month through several thunderstorms. Sealed wood shows slight water darkening but no warping yet. Only regret? Should’ve bought kneepads before jumping around on hard birch – my middle-aged bones felt it for two days straight. But hey, worth every ache for spiking at home!
