Getting Started with the Oak Flooring Project

Okay, so I really wanted a proper place to practice volleyball at home without wrecking my knees on concrete. Saw some fancy shock-absorbing floors online, but man, those prices made my eyes water. Figured, how hard could it be to make my own version? Grabbed my measuring tape and headed to the local lumber yard.

Stuff I Had to Buy

• Oak Boards: Got a bunch of those tough oak planks – heard they bounce back well. Chose a medium thickness; didn’t want it too heavy but not flimsy either.
• Rubber Pads: Found these thick, dense foam rubber squares at the hardware store. Seller claimed they were good for absorbing bumps and vibrations.
• Construction Adhesive: Big ol’ tube of the heavy-duty sticky stuff.
• Wood Screws & Tools: My drill, saw, level, and lotsa coarse-thread screws.

The First Hurdle – Cutting and Fitting

Laying the oak boards out in my garage was step one. Measured where my court lines would roughly be and started sawing. Sawdust everywhere. My lungs hated me. Dry-fitting them together was tricky; turns out not all oak boards are perfectly straight buddies. Had to shimmy some around, recut a few ends. Took way longer than expected – always does, right? Got them sitting mostly flush eventually.

Sticking Down the Shock Part

Alright, time for the “shock absorbing” magic. Thought it’d be simple: glue rubber pads to the bottom of each oak board section. Slapped down that construction adhesive like I was icing a giant cake. Pressed the rubber pads firmly onto the goo. Realized pretty fast I needed weight to hold them flat while they dried. Used old paint cans and spare bricks – looked messy as heck.

Assembly Time (Fingers Crossed)

After the glue dried solid overnight, came the big moment: assembling the whole floor. Started joining the oak sections together, drilling pilot holes and driving in screws. Wanted it tight, snug, but not splitting the wood. My level got a workout checking for dips or wobbles. Found a couple spots where things weren’t sitting quite right; had to loosen screws, nudge boards slightly, and tighten again. It definitely felt sturdier once locked together. The real test was jumping on it – felt surprisingly springy underfoot! Not concrete anymore.

Does it Actually Work for Volleyball?

Took the finished floor sections outside onto the patio where it was flat. Laid them all down, stepped back. Looked pretty damn good for DIY! Got my volleyball and gave it some decent spikes. That satisfying thump sound? Check. The ball bounced back nicely, and when I landed from a jump, my knees didn’t scream murder. The rubber underneath was really taking the bite out of the impact. It’s not NBA-smooth, but it does that cushy, shock-absorbing thing perfectly for my backyard sessions. Needs re-leveling sometimes after moving it, but hey, totally worth the sweat.