So last weekend I thought, why not make my backyard more fun? Saw my neighbor’s kids playing volleyball on bumpy grass and thought, there’s gotta be a better way. That’s when I stumbled online looking for outdoor flooring.

Finding the Damn Thing

First, I typed stuff like “outside volleyball floor” and “portable court thingy”. Got a zillion ads for plastic tiles or giant expensive panels. No thanks. Then I saw this “pad volleyball soft maple” flooring. Pictures showed it snapped together like puzzle pieces. Okay, that caught my eye. Seller claimed it was wood but light, wouldn’t rot, and could handle weather. Sounded too good? Maybe. Worth a shot.

Getting My Hands Dirty

The boxes arrived. Heavy suckers! Almost crushed my foot dragging ’em to the backyard. Opened the first crate – oh yeah, real maple planks. Felt smooth, kinda warm to the touch. Smelled… woody. Nice. Each plank had these plastic ridges underneath and metal clicky latches on the sides.

Unpacked everything right on my grass patch. Cleared away all the sticks and rocks first – ain’t nobody want lumps under their knees. Started at one corner:

• Placed plank #1: Just laid it down flat. Easy.
• Took plank #2: Lined up the latches with the grooves on plank #1. Gave it a good stomp with my foot CLACK! – locked in tight.
• Repeated like crazy: Walked sideways, clicking and stomping like some weird dance. Left arm getting sore holding the planks up.
• Hit an uneven spot: Ground dipped a little. One plank wobbled. Cursed softly. Grabbed my shovel, scooped some dirt underneath, packed it down hard, then tried again. Solid.
• Trimmed the edges: The area wasn’t a perfect square. Had some leftover. Used a handsaw – rough cut but it fit.

The Big Test

After maybe an hour? Sweaty and thirsty. Stood back looking at my… court? Kinda. Kids ran over screaming. Dropped the volleyball and WHAM – first serve hits the wood. Bounced way better than that soggy grass. No weird rolls. Felt smooth under their bare feet too, no splinters. Later that afternoon:

• Neighbor dude walked by: “Whoa, that’s slick!”
• My dog tried to dig a corner. Teeth skidded right off. Ha!
• Left it out overnight. Next morning? Dry, solid. No dew soaking in.

Final Thoughts

Was it worth the lift? Heck yeah. Used it every day this week. Rain came yesterday – just wiped it down with a towel. No warping. Still clicks apart easy if I wanna move it for mowing. Didn’t think wood could handle outside stuff like this, but that “soft maple” seems tough enough. Real game changer for backyard fun without breaking the bank or my back too much.