So I’m back at it again with another DIY project that sounds way fancier than it really is. Got tired of wrecking my knees playing volleyball on concrete, but renting indoor courts? Forget it. That crap gets expensive quick. Thought, why not slap together some cheap flooring myself?
The Plan (Or Lack Thereof)
Basically wanted something easy to roll out and pack away. Removable is key, right? No permanent installation. Saw stuff online – holy expensive. Decided plywood was my best buddy on this one.
Grabbed this junk:
- 1/2 inch plywood sheets – the good stuff? Nah. Cheapest I could find.
- Heavy duty velcro strips – like, the industrial sticky kind.
- Cheap carpet pieces – the kind you cut to fit rooms, felt backing.
- Wood glue & screws – just some basic stuff.
- Tape measure, saw, drill – borrowed my neighbor’s.
Measured out the space I needed first. Wanted a decent patch for a net. Got the plywood sheets cut down to manageable sizes at the store – easier than doing it myself. Went with 4×4 feet squares. Big enough not to feel like a million pieces, small enough for my car trunk.
Making the Pieces
First thing? Sanded the cut edges. Didn’t want splinters biting ankles. More annoying than hard.
Laid the carpet pieces flat. Cut them a tiny bit smaller than the plywood squares. About half an inch shy all round. Smothered one side of the plywood with wood glue – messy hands guaranteed. Plopped the plywood down onto the carpet piece, glue side down. Weighed it down with books and bricks overnight. Made sure that carpet wasn’t gonna bubble up.
The Velcro Trick
Here’s the “removable” part. After the glue dried solid, flipped the plywood-carpet squares over. Took those heavy-duty velcro strips. Measured where the edges met when I put two squares together.
Stuck one half of a velcro strip near the edge on the top of square one. Stuck the matching half velcro piece on the bottom side, near the same edge, of square two. Key point! Half on top, half on bottom. So when I put the squares side-by-side, the velcro mates – top of one hooks to the bottom of its neighbor. Like a hinge, but with sticky hooks.
Did this for all edges where squares would connect. Used a lot of velcro strips, honestly. Spent more on velcro than plywood, pretty sure. But screw trying to bolt stuff together – velcro’s my lazy hero.
Putting it Together & Testing
Cleared the concrete area. Just laid the first plywood square down, carpet side up. Took the next square, lined up the edge where the velcro was, and kinda leaned it down. Click! The velcro grabbed hold. Did that for the whole grid. Felt like assembling puzzle pieces for giants. Took me maybe ten minutes? Way faster than I thought.
Stood on it. Jumped a bit. Squares felt solid, didn’t slide apart. The velcro held. Yes!
Got the gang together for a real test. Smacked some volleyballs around. Slides? Weird bounces? Nope. Floor felt surprisingly good. Stable enough, definitely softer than concrete. Carpet gave just enough grip. After the game? Just peeled the squares apart along the velcro seams. Stacked ’em up and chucked ’em in the garage.
Would I Recommend?
Pros: Way cheaper than buying a system. Actually removable. Simple tools. Feels pretty decent to play on.
Cons:
- Plywood sheets are heavy. Lugging them sucks.
- Velcro ain’t magic forever. Bet it wears out eventually.
- Edges aren’t perfectly flush – tiny trip hazard maybe? So far, so good though.
- Not professional level. But perfect for us casual losers.
Biggest win? Got to play volleyball without wrecking my joints. Did it with stuff I mostly got from the hardware store and zero fancy skills. If I can do it blindfolded after coffee, anyone can. Works. That’s all I wanted.
