So yeah that removable volleyball court project? Finally got around to finishing it last weekend. Been itching to build a proper hardwood maple floor, something solid but could tear down if needed. Figured I’d lay out how it all went down, step by step.

The Why and The Plan

Got sick of playing on that lumpy community center floor. Wanted a smooth, springy surface right here in my garage for practice sessions. Key word was removable. Couldn’t be stuck down forever. Pulled out some graph paper – measured the garage space like three times ’cause I kept messing it up. Settled on 20×30 feet total.

Gathering the Stuff

First things first – materials.

• Snagged a bunch of hard maple planks, unfinished. Stuff felt heavy and smelled good, you know? Real wood.
• Found this heavy-duty rubber underlayment meant for gyms – supposed to help cushion and protect the concrete underneath.
• Grabbed boxes of special L-angle clips and hidden fasteners designed for floating floors.
• Dust mask, safety goggles (learned that lesson the hard way), chopsaw, good drill, rubber mallet, level, wood glue, sandpaper… the usual suspects.

Order took forever, felt like ages staring at my empty garage.

Prep Work Sucks But Matters

Cleared out the whole garage. Swept, then swept again. Used that level everywhere – found a low spot near the door. Had to mix a bit of self-leveling concrete patch. Annoying delay, but crucial. Let it cure overnight, tapping my foot. Next day, rolled out the thick rubber underlayment. Cut it to fit with a razor knife, edged it right up to the walls. Taped the seams good with that slick gym-floor tape.

Plank Puzzle Time

Unwrapped the maple planks. Gorgeous grain. Started along the longest wall. Laid the first row, tongue-side facing the wall, leaving about a finger-width gap all around for wood to swell and shrink. Dabbed wood glue on the groove end of the first plank of the next row, slid it in tight at the angle. Used the rubber mallet to whack it snug. Felt satisfying. Kept going, row after row. Used those special clips every foot or so, tapping them into the side grooves to lock the rows together super tight. The real trick was staggering the end joints so no four corners ever met – kept cutting planks to different lengths. Sawdust everywhere, even with the mask! Felt like woodworking Christmas.

Sanding and Snags

Whole floor was down, but man was it rough! Splinters waiting to happen. Rented this big orbital floor sander. Looked scary. Started with coarse grit sandpaper, moved like I was walking a slow dog. First pass revealed bumps and dips I hadn’t felt before. Focused extra time there. Moved up grits – medium, then fine. Vacuumed like crazy after each pass. Still needed corners – hand-sanded those on my knees like an old-timey scrivener. Tough work. Then the finishing. Wanted a super tough finish. Chose a commercial-grade polyurethane. Wiped it thin with a rag. Did three coats, sanding lightly between each with super fine paper. Smelled strong! Garage stayed open for two days.

The Big Reveal and Assembly Test

After it cured good and hard, popped off the trim pieces hiding the expansion gap. Started at one corner. Carefully tapped out the connecting clips with the mallet and a small pry bar – no damage. One piece… then another… The sections came apart way cleaner than I thought they would! Had four main sections. Moved two to lean against the wall. Garage half emptied! It really was removable!

Final Take

Playing on it now is unreal. Solid as a rock, super smooth, great bounce. Sweat drips right off the poly. Can literally hear the difference on those spike touches. Knowing I can break it down, move pieces elsewhere if needed? Perfect. Took longer than planned, cost more than I told my partner, and my back ain’t happy, but damn worth every splinter and cent. Next project? Maybe spectator benches.