Getting Started with the Idea

So I decided my backyard needed something cool for volleyball nights, and premade courts cost way too much. Stumbled across this “removable hard maple flooring” concept online and thought – hey, maybe I can DIY this thing? Ordered a bunch of maple planks labeled “interlocking sports flooring” from some warehouse. Showed up in these beat-up cardboard boxes, smelled like fresh lumber but had zero instructions. Typical.

The Messy Trial Run

Dumped all planks on my driveway first weekend. Tried clicking them together like puzzle pieces – some snapped right in, others wouldn’t budge even when I jumped on ‘em. Got a splinter deep enough that I had to dig it out with tweezers. Realized half the boards had warped edges from humidity, so I piled bricks on the bent ones overnight to flatten ‘em. Wasted two days just sorting planks into “good” and “cursed” piles.

The Assembly Disaster

Cleared a 10x10ft patch in my yard, poured sand thinking it’d level things. Started laying planks corner to corner. First row went smooth. Second row? Every third plank wobbled like a loose tooth. Third row… whole section sank into the sand like quicksand. Neighbor walked by laughing saying it looked like a lumberyard puked in my yard. Quit at sunset covered in dirt and sawdust.

Fixing My Dumb Mistakes

Next morning, scraped all sand away – stupid idea. Swept concrete patio clean instead. Measured properly this time with chalk lines. Used rubber mallets to bang stubborn planks into place (wore thick gloves after the splinter incident). When gaps appeared, I sanded the tongues down with coarse grit paper while coughing up wood particles. Took three evenings of banging, sanding, and cursing before the whole surface clicked solid.

The Final “Removable” Part

Weather turned ugly after a month, needed to store the court. Thought I’d just pry boards apart – big mistake. Two cracked down the middle. Finally labeled each plank with Sharpie numbers. Unscrewed them in reverse order with a power drill, edges still chipped. Stacked ‘em vertically in garage with spacers so they wouldn’t warp again. Took longer to disassemble than to build.

Was It Worth It?

Honestly? First game with friends – ball bounced weird near panel joints and somebody tripped. But after weathering two thunderstorms? Tightened up real nice. Pro: beats playing on lumpy grass. Con: reassembling still feels like wrestling IKEA furniture. Wouldn’t recommend if you hate blisters. But cold beers taste better on your own court, splinters and all.