Okay folks, today was one of those “looks easier than it is” projects. It started simple enough – my kid’s team needed some extra practice space that wouldn’t wreck their knees, especially on rough ground. Saw this idea online for portable wood flooring with a bit of bounce, thought, “Larch? Hardwood, durable, shouldn’t be rocket science.” Boy, was I naive.

Grabbing Stuff and Getting Ripped Off (Probably)

First things first, headed to the lumber yard feeling all confident. Told the guy I needed planks for a shock-absorbing volleyball surface, portable. He nodded, charged me what felt like an arm and a leg for these larch boards he swore were “perfectly conditioned.” Looking back, I think I saw his eyes light up like dollar signs. Loaded up the truck – wood ain’t light, lemme tell ya. Shoulders were already complaining.

The Garage Became a Splinter Minefield

Cleared out the garage, laid everything out. The plan? Simple: a bunch of long planks for the surface, some shorter cross pieces underneath for bracing and bounce, and rubber feet for grip and vibration. Figured spacing the top planks a bit would help ’em flex. Cut stuff roughly to size with the circular saw – sawdust went everywhere, even inside my safety glasses. Miserable.

Assembling the Beast

Started assembling the base frame. Measured once, cut twice – yep, messed up a few braces. Had to go back for more wood (another dent in the wallet). Got the base frame together with screws, felt solid enough. Then came the real headache: attaching those top planks. Wanted them spaced evenly. Measured, marked, measured again. Used my pocket jig to drill pilot holes – didn’t want the wood splitting. Screwed them down slowly, one by one. Took forever, and my back was screaming.

The “Shock Absorbing” Part… Or Not

This is where it got tricky. My big idea was these heavy-duty rubber vibration damper pads, kinda like big rubber feet. Glued them to the bottom of the cross braces with that black adhesive stuff they use for cars. Messy. Thought that was the magic bullet for bounce. Flipped the whole thing over – heavy as hell, barely portable! Tossed a volleyball on it… thud. Dropped one from higher… louder thud. Definitely felt firmer than concrete, but “shock absorbing”? Nah. More like “slightly less murderous.”

Trial Run (and Immediate Failure)

Tried bouncing on it myself. Solid? Yeah. But bouncy? Not really. The rubber pads helped dampen vibrations some, stopped it rattling, but that gentle bounce I imagined just wasn’t there. Then the real test: hauling it to the back yard. It was bulky, awkward. Had to take it apart into sections just to move it, screwed it back together on-site – total pain. Kids tried passing a ball. Didn’t roll straight, bounced weird on the seams. One of the rubber pads peeled off. Awesome.

Final Thoughts? Save Yourself the Agony

Honestly? It kinda works as a portable-ish surface, maybe better than hard dirt for drills. The larch looks nice and seems tough. But shock absorbing volleyball court? Level Larch ain’t cutting it like that. The bounce I thought I’d get just wasn’t there with this setup. Maybe thicker pads? Different wood? More complex suspension? Forget it. Way too heavy already, and the cost? Ouch.

Here’s the brutal truth I learned:

• Material Cost Lies: Larch ain’t cheap, especially “good” stuff. Probably paid too much.
• Portable ≠ Easy: It’s portable in theory. But heavy, awkward sections needing reassembly is no fun.
• “Shock Absorbing” Takes Layers: Rubber pads underneath a rigid wood frame give vibration dampening, not bounce. Real “shock absorb” needs way more sophisticated (and expensive) layers.
• Surface Consistency Sucks: Seams screw up ball roll. Sanded them smooth, still a problem.
• Professionals Use Composites for a Reason: Now I get why those fancy tiles cost so much. They’re light, snap together, have actual built-in bounce, and the surface plays even. Annoying, but true.

Spent all weekend and half my monthly hobby budget to prove that sometimes, the off-the-shelf solution, however pricey, is the smarter play. My garage smells like sawdust and regret. Back to the drawing board… or maybe just saving up for those proper tiles.