So, I decided to tackle this shock-absorbing volleyball parquet floor project last week after watching my buddy bust his knee on his old hardwood setup during a game. The pain made him quit early, and I thought, “Nah, we need something softer to play on.” That’s why I jumped in and figured I’d share how it all went down, from scratching my head to stomping around on it.

Getting the Stuff Ready

First off, I went shopping online for what I needed, knowing I had to find pieces that’d bounce back nicely. I grabbed:

• A bunch of wooden parquet tiles that came with shock pads under ’em—they felt squishy when I poked one at the store.
• Some special glue that claimed to stick like crazy and not get messy.
• Basic tools like a rubber mallet, a measuring tape, and a saw for trimming edges.

Then, I cleared out my garage space, sweeping the concrete floor super clean so no dust could mess up the bonding later.

Putting It All Together

Once I had everything laid out, I started snapping the tiles in place real slow. I marked the center of the floor with chalk and began from there, pushing each piece tight against the next.

• I spread the glue on the concrete first, using an old paintbrush—made it thick but not gloopy.
• Laying the tiles down one by one, I tapped ’em lightly with the mallet to make sure they sat flat.
• Had a hiccup when one tile wouldn’t fit right at the edge—I measured twice and cut it down with the saw, shaving off just a tiny bit.

It took hours to cover the whole area, bending my back a lot. By the end, my fingers were sticky from the glue, and I kept wiping ’em on my jeans without thinking.

Testing It Out

After letting it dry overnight, I tossed a volleyball down hard. The bounce was way softer than before, with no loud smacks. I did a few jumps myself—felt like landing on a cloud compared to my last setup. Sure, some spots creaked a bit on day one, but after walking over it a few times, it settled smooth.

Now, why do I even care about volleyball floors so much? Well, back in high school, I played for a team and tripped on a loose board during practice. Tore something in my ankle, and it put me out for months. That’s when I started tinkering with safer options, fixing up courts in community centers for fun. Now, it’s just my hobby to share what works without fancy gear—keeps me busy and maybe helps others avoid a wipeout like I had.