Starting Point: The Big Idea

Okay, so my garage space? Total headache for storing anything permanent. That big hole in my plan for a home volleyball court? Needed something I could actually take apart later without wrecking everything or needing a sledgehammer. Started hunting online, mostly aimlessly clicking. Saw the term “Removable Assembled Wooden Flooring” pop up somewhere. Ding ding ding! Sounded perfect for my cramped setup. Larch wood kept popping up too – supposed to be tough stuff, good for smacking a ball around without dents showing up everywhere. Decided to gamble on it.

Ordering Chaos & First Glimpse

Ordering the kit felt like throwing darts blindfolded. So many listings, pictures all kinda looked the same. Eventually just clicked “Buy Now” on one that mentioned Level Larch specifically, hoping it wasn’t garbage. FedEx guy dumps a literal pile of boxes in my driveway a week later. Felt my heart sink a bit. Opened the first box: tons of wooden panels (some chipped, sigh), these weird plastic bits, bags full of screws and connectors that looked like alien puzzle pieces, and instructions… yeah, the classic “some assembly required” kind. More like hieroglyphics.

Ground Zero Prep

First rule: can’t build on trash. My garage floor needed serious cleaning & leveling. Brooms, shop vacs, the whole deal. Found one corner sloped bad. Grabbed my trusty bag of self-leveling compound, mixed it thick like pancake batter, and dumped it where the floor dipped. Spent ages smoothing it out with a squeegee. Had to just wait overnight, nervously poking at it every few hours like it might run away. Felt endless.

The Puzzle Assembly Begins

D-Day! Unpacked every single panel and pile of bits onto the clean floor. Just stared at the mess. Started matching panel ends together, figuring out the tongue-and-groove thing. Easy enough sliding one row along the long edge. Felt a tiny win. Then came the stupid connectors. These little plastic clips were supposed to hold rows side-by-side. Sounds simple? Hah. Slotting them into the grooves felt like performing surgery with oven mitts on. Took brute force and some muttered threats to snap the first few rows together. My fingers were killing me!

Filling In the Heart of the Court

Laid the border rows first – like building the outline. Then began plopping panels down one by one in the middle. This part was actually kinda… relaxing? Just slotting each panel into the existing row, then hammering down those infernal connector clips on the side with a rubber mallet (learned early that metal hammers leave nasty scars on the wood). Saw the court shape slowly crawling towards the far wall. Progress felt real.

Snags, Bruises, and Solutions

Hit a major snag midway. One whole section of panels wouldn’t sit flush. Gaps everywhere! Total panic moment. Crawled around on my hands and knees like a detective, finally spotting it – a single, stupid connector clip from the row below wasn’t fully seated. It was sticking up juuuuust enough to block the groove above. Whacked it properly into place and suddenly… everything slid together smooth. Other annoyances: Connectors missing in the bags (improvised with spares later), trying to match the final edge pieces to the rough garage wall (trimmed a few panels with a handsaw). Sore knees, definitely a smashed thumb or two.

The Last Piece & The First Bounce

Getting to that final panel felt like running a marathon. Had to slide it in at an awkward angle because I couldn’t lift the whole connected floor. Lots of wiggling, gentle hammer taps on the edge, and finally… it clicked. The whole thing was one solid piece. No gaps! Gave it a stomp test – firm. Grabbed my volleyball and just… dropped it. That satisfying thwack-bounce! The sound was crisp, the bounce high and true. Felt like magic.

Finished Product Thoughts

Looking at it now? Honestly impressed. It’s not NBA court level, but for my garage gym? Killer. Feels solid underfoot. The larch wood is smoother than expected, ball rolls predictably. Best part? I know exactly how it comes apart when I need my garage back. Worth every headache and stubbed toe to finally have my own removable volleyball zone. So proud of that.