how this whole mess started
So there I was last Tuesday, staring at my sad little concrete backyard. Wanted volleyball. Needed volleyball. Concrete? Bad for knees. Grass? Muddy mess after rain. Stupid expensive permanent court? Nah. Watched some volleyball fail videos online, saw people eating dirt diving for balls. Thought: gotta make portable wooden stuff. Click together. Take apart. Store easy. Sounds simple. Hah.
the grand plan (which went sideways)
Drove to the lumber place. Eyeing wood like a weirdo. Oak? Too pricey. Pine? Too soft. Found some larch wood. Guy at counter goes, “Good outdoors. Treated. Less rot.” Sold. Grabbed planks 6 feet long, 2 inches wide. Sounds right. Heavy though. Really heavy. Shoulder almost died loading truck.
- The Loot: Larch planks, box of heavy-duty latches, wood screws, sandpaper sheets (coarse and smooth), big ol’ container of weather sealant, circular saw, electric sander, measuring tape.
Back home, garage became war zone. Dust everywhere later. Measuring tape out. Marked cutting lines on larch planks with thick pencil. Simple rectangles. Goal: make tiles. Say, 3ft by 3ft squares. Sixteen tiles for a decent small court. Picked up circular saw. Thing shook like crazy. First cut looked like a drunk beaver did it. Crooked edge. Garbage. Took breath. Clamped plank down tight next time. Better. Still needed coffee break after two planks. Arms vibrating.
sanding hell & clicky bits
Cut wood? Rough. Splinters waiting to happen. Electric sander time. Grabbed coarse sandpaper first. Switched on. Sounded like angry bees. Dust flew straight into face. Coughing fit. Learned: WEAR MASK. Sanded every plank, every side. Felt smooth? Good. Then fine sandpaper for baby-skin feel. Took forever. Seriously.
Now the removable part. Brain hurt. How to click together? Looked at fancy wood joinery videos online. Too complicated. Gave up. Bought those steel latches instead. Heavy-duty ones you slam shut. Marked spots near plank ends. Predrilled holes so wood wouldn’t split. Screwed latches onto plank edges. Tried connecting two tiles. CLUNK! Latched them. Lifted one… other came up too! Felt weirdly proud. Like caveman discovering fire.
slapping on the armor
Outdoor weather sucks. Rain. Sun. Decay. Needed sealant. Stirred giant can of goopy wood protector. Smelled awful. Gloves on. Slathered that thick liquid on every plank with a big brush. Covered top, bottom, sides. Careful not to gum up the latches. Took forever dripping everywhere. Set planks on sawhorses drying. Garage smelled like chemical warfare. Dog sneezed.
test run chaos
Dry next day. Dragged tiles to backyard. Slapped them down on the concrete. One, two, three… sixteen. Latched them all! Made a rectangle! Standing on my wooden island. Bounced ball. It bounced! Success! Mostly. Tried spike run-up. Foot slid a tiny bit near edge. Forgot traction! Minor panic. Thought about sand mixed in sealant? Maybe next project. Neighbor came over curious. “Whatcha wrecking now?” Let him walk on it. He nodded. His chihuahua peed on corner tile. Typical.
the breakdown & stash
Party done. Time to break court down. Unlatched tiles. Heavy lifting again. Stacked six tiles flat, latches unlocked. Could manage it. Stuffed piles into garage corner. Takes space? Yep. Less space than permanent slab. Worth it for now knees not screaming after playing.
Still breathing heavy. Sweaty mess. Back hurts. Hands smell weird. But hey… I got portable volleyball flooring made outta larch. Mostly works. Needs traction tweaks. Maybe lighter wood next time. But hey. Done.
