The Starting Point

I got this wild idea to build removable volleyball flooring after watching tournament videos where crews struggled with permanent courts. Ordered these modular wooden tiles claiming to be “easy assembly” – yeah right. The delivery guy dropped off twenty heavy boxes that almost crushed my porch. Had to recruit my neighbor Tom to haul them indoors.

Prepping Like a Pro (Not Really)

First rule: clear space before unpacking chaos. Moved all living room furniture to the garage – wife wasn’t thrilled about that. Unboxed one tile to inspect: tongue-and-groove connectors with rubber padding underneath. Looked simple until I saw the locking mechanism required precise alignment. Already regretted my life choices.

Gathered tools:

• Rubber mallet (supposedly gentle on wood)
• Carpenter’s square
• Chalk line for marking
• Tape measure
• Level

Forgot knee pads – biggest mistake ever. My joints still hate me.

Assembly: Sweat & Swears

Started from the center like instructions said. Laid four tiles in a square, tapping connectors with the mallet. Heard this scary CRACK on the third hit – thought I split the wood. Turned out the locking mechanism just snapped into place. Panic attack for nothing.

Expanded row by row, crawling on all fours like a madman. Halfway through, noticed gaps developing between tiles. Measured everything – my starting square wasn’t perfect 90 degrees. Had to disassemble 12 tiles to fix the drift. Cue existential crisis.

The worst part? Edge pieces needing angled cuts. My circular saw screamed through maple like a demon. Sawdust coated everything – my living room looked like a lumberyard crime scene.

Lightbulb Moments & Fixes

Three key lessons emerged:

• Dry-fit entire rows before hammering
• Check level every three tiles
• Cut pieces outdoors unless you enjoy vacuuming for hours

Protip: when boards won’t lock, slide a credit card under the groove for leverage. Saved me when tile #17 stubbornly refused to cooperate.

The Big Reveal

After eight back-breaking hours spanning two weekends, I had this beautiful 9x18m maple surface. Jump tested it – solid with just the right bounce. Even did a dramatic dive (nearly cracked ribs but worth it). Disassembly took 45 minutes with Tom’s help. We numbered tiles with chalk for next setup – total gamechanger.

Was it worth it? For the convenience of storing court tiles in garage bins – absolutely. Would I do it again? Ask me after my knees recover.