Starting This Crazy Idea

So yeah, that bumpy volleyball court near my garage? Been tripping over it for months. Decided I’m sick of it and want something smooth, something I can actually walk on without twisting my ankle. But hey, I don’t wanna build something permanent either. Got me thinking about making removable wooden flooring, like giant sleeping mats but for volleyball. Sounded a bit nuts, right? Figured I’d just give it a shot.

Digging Around the Shed First

Went rummaging through the garage and shed, hunting for anything flat and wooden. Found a bunch of those old plywood sheets I used for a temporary workbench ages ago. They were kinda rough and dusty, some warping at the edges, but they looked mostly salvageable. Also grabbed those thick, plastic carpet protector runners we stopped using. Figured they might be good for the bottom, protecting the actual court surface.

What I Gathered:

• Beaten-up plywood sheets (about 4ft x 8ft)
• Plastic carpet runner thingies (roughly the same size)
• Plenty of wood screws from the coffee can
• Sandpaper (different grits, half-used packs)
• Wood stain leftovers (some reddish-brown color)
• That cheap polyurethane varnish, almost empty
• Power drill (battery halfway charged, fingers crossed)
• Measuring tape (the bendy kind)
• Pencil (always snapping)

Making Things Actually Flush

The biggest headache? Getting the plywood pieces to sit perfectly next to each other without tripping points. Spent forever measuring and marking cut lines. Laid them flat on the driveway, butted them up, and saw those gaps and uneven edges. Okay, sanding time. Used the coarsest sandpaper first to really take down the high spots where two pieces met. My arms were killing me after an hour! Switched to finer grit to smooth everything out. Dust everywhere, looked like a woodpecker exploded.

Putting The Pieces Together

Next step: making the sleepers – basically, wooden squares you can link together. Took my sanded plywood sheets and cut them down into smaller squares using my circular saw, trying to keep them roughly 2ft x 2ft. Messed up a few cuts, totally lopsided, had to re-cut those. Sanded the edges again because those fresh cuts were nasty splinter hazards. Then came attaching the plastic runners underneath. Marked positions, laid the plastic down, and started driving screws through the plywood into the plastic. Had to be careful not to go too deep and punch through the plastic – ruined a couple pieces doing exactly that early on. Very annoying.

Staining & Sealing Chaos

Applied the leftover stain with rags. Looked blotchy in spots, especially on the edges where the old plywood was rougher. Didn’t have enough stain to do a super clean second coat everywhere, so some squares look darker than others. Oh well. Then brushed on the polyurethane varnish for protection. Trying to avoid drips was messy. Finished the last square just as the can ran dry – talk about close! Let everything sit stinking in the garage for two whole days.

Testing Time On The Actual Court

Finally, the moment of truth. Dragged the squares out to that crappy bumpy patch. Started laying them down on the court surface. Kicked and wiggled them together, trying to get them nice and flush. Could feel where some gaps were still a little bigger than others underfoot, but overall? So much smoother! Walked on it, jumped a bit. Actually felt pretty solid. The plastic runners underneath seemed to hold them steady and protect the court below. Best part? Finished playing? Just pick ’em up one by one! Stacked ’em up against the garage wall like oversized puzzle pieces.

Yep, It Actually Works!

Not gonna lie, it’s a bit rustic looking with the mismatched stain and some rough edges. Definitely not some fancy engineered floor. But it does exactly what I wanted: it flattens out that awful bumpy patch, it’s totally removable, and those runners keep it from sliding around underfoot. Feels pretty darn good under the feet for volleyball. My back and ankles are thankful. Cheap, used stuff mostly, and it actually functions. Mission accomplished!