Alright let’s talk about my latest project – trying to build a shock absorbing volleyball court on my driveway using birch wood. Sounded simple enough in my head, but yeah… things got interesting.

Getting Started: The Excitement Phase

So, I saw these birch wood planks advertised online for cheap. “Perfect for sports flooring!” they said. “Easy to assemble!” they promised. Sold. A big stack arrived on my driveway last Thursday afternoon. Looked pretty good, honestly – nice and light-colored wood. I dragged my toolbox out, feeling pretty confident.

Tools I grabbed:

• My trusty rubber mallet (figured it would be kinder to the wood)
• A decent level, gotta make sure it’s flat, right?
• Measuring tape because, well, numbers.
• A bunch of those click-together spacers folks use for decking.
• Safety goggles… learned that lesson the hard way years ago.

Assembly Begins: Where the “Fun” Started

I started laying the boards down on the concrete drive. The “tongue and groove” system felt solid clicking together with the mallet. Boom, boom, boom. First row went down okay. Got the second row going… and then I saw it. Gaps. Bigger than I expected between some boards.

I used the spacers everywhere, honestly thought I was being careful. The birch was nice, but man, some pieces were definitely warped or cut slightly off. Had to really muscle some together, sweating buckets by then.

Testing the “Shock Absorbing” Claim

After a whole afternoon of pounding boards together, I finally had a decent sized patch done. Time for the real test. Grabbed my volleyball and gave it a good, solid bounce right in the middle of my new birch floor.

THUNK. That was the sound. Seriously, it felt and sounded like bouncing the ball directly on the concrete driveway underneath. Maybe a tiny bit softer? Barely noticeable. My shoulders sagged. This wasn’t the nice, cushioned feel I was hoping for at all.

Thinking and Fixing (Sort Of)

I sat on the edge of the boards, staring at my hard work. The birch looked great, yeah. Assembling it wasn’t too terrible once I accepted the gaps weren’t all gonna close perfectly. But that bounce… useless.

I went back online, searching forums like crazy. The obvious thing I completely overlooked? A shock pad layer underneath! Everyone said it’s essential. You need something rubbery or foam-like between the hard subfloor (concrete, in my case) and the wood planks to actually get that shock absorption.

So, I didn’t exactly plan this part well. Major facepalm moment. Real solution involved taking everything apart and adding that layer. Wasn’t happening that day. Got desperate. Found some old rubber exercise mats buried in the garage – thin, cheap things. Shoved them under a couple of the birch boards I hadn’t fully secured yet. Dropped the volleyball again on that spot.

Better! Not perfect, but better. Way better than just the wood on concrete. A noticeable difference – softer landings, less harsh sound.

Lessons Learned (The Hard Way)

Took everything apart again because those flimsy mats weren’t a real solution. But, here’s what I actually learned:

• Birch is pretty, assembles okay with the tongue/groove, but it’s HARD wood. Doesn’t absorb shock by itself.
• Shock absorption comes from the layer UNDERNEATH. Seriously, don’t skip this part like I did! You need proper foam roll or rubber tiles designed for this.
• Expect gaps.
• Assembling is mostly just snapping, hammering, sweating, and occasionally cursing at warped boards.

Project’s on hold now until I order the actual underlayment. Feeling kinda dumb, but hey, learned something. Sometimes cheap birch doesn’t equal easy or functional, I guess. You gotta build it right, bottom layer up. More to come when I get that padding sorted!