Okay, here’s my experience with installing LVL Volleyball parquet wooden flooring:

So, I decided it was finally time to upgrade the flooring in my home volleyball “court” (aka, the basement rec room). I’d been using those foam puzzle-piece mats, and, well, they just weren’t cutting it anymore. I wanted something that felt more…real. More professional, you know? After some digging, I settled on LVL (Laminated Veneer Lumber) parquet wooden flooring. Seemed like a good balance of durability, cost, and that classic gym floor look.

Getting Started

First thing I did was measure, measure, measure! Gotta know how much material you need, right? My space isn’t huge, thankfully, so the overall cost wasn’t too scary. I then ordered the LVL parquet tiles and the recommended underlayment. You don’t want to skip that – it helps with sound dampening and makes the floor feel a bit more forgiving on the joints. Also picked up some adhesive, a good quality trowel, and a tapping block (more on that later).

The Prep Work

This was probably the least fun part. I cleared out the entire room, obviously. Then, I spent a solid afternoon cleaning the concrete subfloor. It had to be spotless – no dust, no debris, nothing that could mess with the adhesive. I even used a concrete cleaner and let it dry completely. This part is super important, so don’t rush it!

Laying Down the Floor

Okay, finally, the fun part! I started by laying out a row of tiles without adhesive, just to get a feel for the pattern and make sure I liked how it looked. I went with a classic herringbone pattern, because, why not? It looked tricky, but honestly, it wasn’t that bad.

Then, I grabbed my trowel and started spreading the adhesive. The key here is to get an even layer – not too thick, not too thin. I worked in small sections, maybe 3×3 feet at a time, so the adhesive wouldn’t dry out before I got the tiles down.

Placing the tiles was surprisingly satisfying. You kind of slide them into place, making sure the edges are tight against each other. Then comes the tapping block. I used a rubber mallet and the tapping block to gently tap each tile into place, ensuring full contact with the adhesive and a nice, even surface.

• Tip: Don’t pound the tiles! Gentle taps are all you need. You don’t want to damage them.

I kept going, section by section, until the whole floor was covered. I left a small expansion gap around the perimeter of the room, just like the instructions said. Wood expands and contracts with changes in humidity, so you gotta give it some room to breathe.

The Finishing Touches

After letting the adhesive cure for a full 24 hours (again, follow the instructions!), I installed some baseboards to cover that expansion gap and give it a clean, finished look. I also applied a couple of coats of polyurethane sealant to protect the wood and give it that nice, shiny gym floor sheen. The polyurethane also really brought it.

And that’s it! It took a couple of weekends, but it was totally worth it. The floor looks amazing, feels great underfoot, and it’s definitely upped my home volleyball game (or at least, it feels like it has!). The bounce is good. My dog enjoys the new space to play fetch and roll around on. Would I do it again? Absolutely.