Man, this removable volleyball court project was a real headache at first. When my kids started begging for a backyard volleyball net, I figured slapping down some wooden planks would be easy. Boy, was I wrong!

The Boneheaded Mistake

Took me three weekends just to realize regular decking wouldn’t cut it. First try? Used cheap pine boards from Lowe’s. Laid ’em straight on the grass, hammered nails through the corners – thought I was genius. Next morning, walked outside to a wavy mess! Rain soaked through, boards warped like bananas. Kids stepped on one end and the other end popped up like a seesaw. Total garbage.

Sweat & Sawdust Phase

Went back to the drawing board with thicker oak planks. Cut each piece to 3ft×2ft size using my jigsaw – took forever! Drilled holes near the edges instead of nailing. Grabbed a bunch of thick tent stakes from Walmart to pin them down. Looked stupid but held better.

Major game-changer: put tarps underneath after the warping disaster. Noticed rain pooled under the wood, so added drainage:

• Cut slits every foot in the tarps
• Put gravel bags along the edges
• Used shims to tilt each plank slightly

Locking System Fiasco

Thought connectors would make setup faster. Tried hook-and-eye latches first – terrible! Pieces shifted when spiking the ball. Then bought cabinet drawer sliders. Still wobbled like Jell-O when anyone jumped.

Finally rigged my own solution with chains and carabiners from old bike locks. Attached hooks to the plank edges, chains across the seams. Sounds janky but clicking those carabiners together? Pure satisfaction.

Maintenance Reality Check

Learn from my stupidity: sealed the wood AFTER installing. Oak turned grayish in two weeks! Had to disassemble everything, sand off the mildew, slap on marine varnish. Now I brush the whole thing with water sealant every spring while my kids whine about volleyball withdrawal.

Yeah it looks like Frankenstein’s patio, but we play tournament-style every Saturday now. Best part? When it rains, we undo the carabiners in ten minutes, stash the planks in the garage. Kids call it my “ugly magic puzzle” – best compliment ever.