The Big Idea Strikes

So yeah, I got it in my head to build a volleyball court in the backyard. Something you could actually play on properly, not just dirt or grass. Regular concrete felt way too harsh on the knees, you know? Then I stumbled on this idea: removable wooden flooring pieces, like giant puzzle tiles you could take apart. Sounded awesome, cheaper than one solid court, and hey, removable! That last bit turned out to be both the dream and the headache.

Actually Trying to Build the Darn Thing

First up, figuring out what wood to use. Pressure-treated pine seemed the best bet outside. Went to the lumber yard, got them to cut everything to the size I planned – aiming for 2ft x 4ft tiles. Way easier than doing it myself with the tiny saw in the garage.

• Pressure-treated pine planks (lots!)
• Big box of heavy-duty wood screws
• A massive pile of plastic washers (to space boards)
• Wood glue (because why not try?)

Got home, laid the planks flat on the driveway to start building the base frames. Grabbed the drill like I knew what I was doing. Screwed the short ends to the long sides, making big rectangles. Felt like building giant picture frames. That part went kinda smooth. But then came the fun part – adding the actual floor surface planks inside these frames.

This is where things got real fiddly. I wanted the surface boards slightly spaced for drainage. Hence the plastic washers. For every single gap between planks, I plonked down a washer, stuck the next plank tight against it, drilled pilot holes like crazy, and screwed it down. Felt like it took forever. Finger cramped up holding those tiny washers, dropped screws everywhere. Wood glue went on underneath some planks for “extra hold”, which I later kinda regretted. Sweating buckets under the sun.

Assembling the Beast (& Learning the Hard Way)

Finished the first tile! Felt proud. Moved it onto the slightly leveled patch of dirt I’d cleared. Okay, cool. Made the second tile. Tried pushing the long edges together. Didn’t sit flat. Like, at all. One tile corner was sitting way higher. Cue a lot of frustrated muttering.

Turns out, cutting wood isn’t super precise, especially when you’re making a bunch. Plus, the ground underneath, even slightly flattened, wasn’t perfect. Tiles weren’t clicking together nice and flat like I imagined. Felt more like building on shifting sands. The gaps for drainage suddenly seemed huge when dirt and leaves started falling through. Played a gentle test volley with my kid. The ball bounced… kinda funny. Off one wonky corner tile especially.

The “removable” part? Ha! It was heavy. Real heavy. And lifting it, I heard a nasty creak. Those frames? Turns out pressure-treated wood is still just wood. All that weight on those joints? Felt sketchy. Worried it would crack just moving it.

So… Did it Work?

Honestly? It’s playable. Sorta. Kids use it more than adults. It looks okay from a distance, like a real wooden court! Close up? Gaps are uneven, a couple tiles rock slightly if you step just wrong. Dirt collects underneath, ants love it. The drainage idea? Rain pools sometimes instead of draining, wood looks warped already after a few weeks.

Would I call it a huge success? Nah. It’s clunky, took forever, wasn’t cheap, and isn’t truly level like a proper court. Removable? Technically yes, but it’s such a heavy pain to move and store, nobody wants to bother. Maybe good for a temporary setup if you really, really need it. Learned a ton though! Next time? Maybe interlocking plastic tiles straight from the store…