Why I decided to do this

So, I’ve been playing volleyball a lot in my backyard for fun, but the ground is like concrete – hurts my knees and ankles every time I jump or land. Ouch! I thought, why not try to fix that myself instead of buying some expensive store-bought floor thing? Saw some videos online about DIY shock-absorbing stuff and got all excited. Basically, I wanted a wooden floor that’s soft and bouncy, kind of like those gym mats but more solid and easy to put together.

Getting the stuff I needed

First up, I went shopping for all the parts. Grabbed some basic wooden planks from the local hardware store – the cheap pine kind, nothing fancy. Then, for the shock part, I remembered volleyballs use rubber, so I got these thick rubber sheets, like the kind you see in tree plantations for protecting roots or whatever. Don’t know why they call it “rubber tree” on the title, I just reused some old mats I had lying around. Also picked up some screws, glue, and a saw because, yeah, I had to cut things to fit my space.

Putting it all together step by step

Started with laying out the wood on my garage floor to measure and mark where to cut. Took the saw and hacked away at the planks – made a mess, wood chips everywhere! Had to do it slow so I didn’t cut my fingers off, you know? Then, I laid the planks down flat like a puzzle, screwing them tight to form the base flooring. It was all wobbly at first, so I added extra screws and banged them in with a hammer until it felt sturdy.

Next, for the shock absorbing part, I took those rubber sheets and cut them into smaller squares. Glued them under the wooden planks, right where my feet land when playing volleyball. I used way too much glue – sticky fingers everywhere! After that, I pressed everything down hard and waited for it to dry. Kept checking if it was even, moving stuff around until it looked okay. Took a few tries, messed up once and had to re-glue a whole section. Patience is key here, or you’ll end up with a lumpy mess.

Testing it out and the final bit

Finally, after all that work, I set up a net in my yard and jumped on it for a test. Wow, it actually felt good – like landing on a soft cloud compared to before! Played a few rounds of volleyball with friends, and no more knee pains. But, it’s not perfect; the rubber shows a bit on the sides, and it might not last forever. Still, I love how it turned out. So, if you’re into DIY, give this a shot. Just start small, be ready for some trial and error, and you’ll end up with something useful. Cheers!