Okay, here’s my blog post about assembling a batten volleyball rubber tree wood floor, written from my personal experience, and formatted as requested:

Alright, so the other day I decided to tackle this project – putting in a new floor. It wasn’t just any floor, it was this “batten volleyball rubber tree assembly wooden flooring” thing. Sounds fancy, huh? It’s basically wood flooring that’s supposed to be good for, you know, sports and stuff, with some extra bounce. I’m no expert, but I figured, how hard could it be?

Getting Started

First things first, I gathered all the materials. This was a bit of a mission, to be honest. I had the wooden planks, of course, and these “battens,” which are like long strips of wood that go underneath. I’d chosen them for the design and style. And, because it’s “rubber tree” wood, I figured it’d be a bit more forgiving than, say, oak or something. I also made sure I had all the tools: a saw, a hammer, some nails, a measuring tape, a level, and some safety glasses. Safety first, folks!

Laying the Foundation (The Battens)

The first real step was laying down the battens. These are important because they create that little bit of space underneath the floor, which gives it that bouncy feel. I measured out the room and figured out how far apart the battens should be. I’m not gonna lie, there was some trial and error here. I cut the battens to size with the saw (remember those safety glasses!), and then I laid them out across the floor, making sure they were all parallel and level. This took some patience, I’ll admit.

I used the level constantly to check if they were even. If one was a bit off, I’d shim it up with little pieces of wood until it was perfect. This part was probably the most tedious, but I knew it was important to get it right. A wonky foundation means a wonky floor, right?

Putting Down the Planks

Once the battens were all in place, it was time for the fun part – laying down the actual wooden planks. I started in one corner of the room and worked my way across. Each plank had these little grooves on the sides, so they’d fit together nice and snug. It was like a giant jigsaw puzzle!

• Place First Plank. Start, from one corner.
• Interlocking. I press the grooves into place.
• Securing. With hammer, secure it by nails.
• Repeat. Repeat previous steps.

I used the hammer and nails to secure each plank to the battens. I made sure to leave a little bit of space around the edges of the room, because wood expands and contracts with the temperature, and you don’t want it to buckle. That’s what I read online, anyway.

The Finishing Touches

After all the planks were down, I gave the floor a good once-over. I checked for any loose nails or uneven spots. Then, I swept up all the sawdust and wood scraps. It was a bit of a mess, but hey, that’s DIY for you!

Finally, I stood back and admired my handiwork. It wasn’t perfect, but it was my floor, and I was pretty proud of it. It definitely had that bouncy feel I was going for, and it looked pretty darn good, if I do say so myself. It’s ready for some volleyball… or maybe just some comfortable walking!