Okay, let’s talk about building my portable volleyball court. This whole mess started because my backyard parties got boring with that same old grass patch. People were tripping over roots during games. I wanted real wooden flooring like pros use, but without cementing it down forever.

The Idea & Stuff Hunting

First thing: I needed wood that wouldn’t warp when rain came. Oak popped in my head – tough stuff. I drove to lumber shops, poked at planks for an hour like some weirdo. Finally grabbed 50 oak boards, each about knee-length. Also scooped up:

• Rubber spacers (those little squishy dots)
• Galvanized bolts & wingnuts
• Marine-grade sealant (water hates this stuff)
• Sandpaper rough enough to scrub dirt off shoes

Cutting Chaos & Sealant Hell

My garage turned into a sawdust jungle. Measured every plank like baking cookies – got two inches wrong on the first batch. Had to recut while dodging my neighbor’s judgmental stares through the window. After wiping off sweat and sawdust, came the sealant phase. Glooped that sticky gunk on every side of every plank. Smelled like a chemical factory exploded. Pro tip: wear gloves unless you want shiny purple fingers for a week.

Assembly Puzzle Time

Laid planks face-down on the driveway. That’s when the design clicked – left little gaps between boards for rain drainage. Shoved rubber spacers in those gaps so planks wouldn’t rub raw. Then drilled holes through every plank edge like stitching a giant oak quilt. Took forever, and my drill battery died twice. Used bolts + wingnuts to clamp planks together side-by-side. No glue needed, which saved my butt later.

The Removable Trick

Here’s the magic bit: Each 5x plank section bolts together into a tile – like building LEGOs for giants. Once I had all these oak squares done? Just clicked ’em together on the lawn! Dug tiny pilot holes with a hand auger to keep things steady. Whole court snaps together in under 30 minutes now. If I need the yard back? Yank those wingnuts loose, pop the squares apart. Stack ’em behind the garage like lumber Jenga.

Volleyball Murder Test

Hosted the first game last Sunday. Some buddy spiked a ball so hard it should’ve cracked oak. Nothing. Rain poured Tuesday? Wood dried without curling. That marine sealant’s holding up. Best part? Grass grew back fine underneath after moving it. Only glitch: One square rattled ’cause I forgot a spacer. Took 60 seconds to fix mid-game. Friends kept asking where I bought it. Nah – just glued, screwed, and sweated blood for this thing.