My Boneheaded Start & the Wood Panic

Okay, confession time. I almost messed this whole project up right from the jump. My local gym wrecked their old volleyball floor. Total disaster. Boss asks me, “Hey, you fiddle with wood, right? What should we use?” My smooth brain immediately went, “Maple! Hard maple! Like basketball courts! Sounds tough!” Ordered a big batch online, feeling real proud… until the pallets arrived.

Yeah, this stuff was THICK. I ain’t talking nice flooring thick. I’m talking “did I accidentally order butcher block countertops?” thick. Felt like solid wood bricks. My first thought? “Oh crap, how heavy is this gonna be? How do I even move these?” Seriously underestimated it. Stared at that pile sweating for a good hour, wondering if I needed to rent a forklift just for my garage.

Okay, Panic Over. Time to Make a Plan

Didn’t wanna look like a total fool in front of the gym owner. Took a deep breath. “Alright,” I mumbled to myself, “This ain’t rocket science. Wood is wood. It just needs stickin’ together.” Here’s what I did:

• Measured the Pad Like a Madman: That concrete pad under where the old floor was? Measured it sideways, longways, diagonally… you name it. Made a big sketch. Didn’t wanna be short planks.
• Unboxed & Looked ‘Em Over: Cracked open some crates. Had to check these beasts. Were they warped? Cracked? Nah, mostly good. Some needed a light sand on the edges, felt kinda… klunky?
• Let ‘Em Chill Out: Didn’t jump in. Left the planks piled near the concrete pad for, like, 4 days. Just let them sit there. Figured they needed to get used to the gym’s weird sweaty air before I locked ’em down. Smartest thing I did, probably.

The Actual Glue & Nail Marathon

Day of assembly. Took deep breaths. Called a buddy – no way I was lifting these solo. Here’s how it went down:

• Bottom Glue First: Got down on the concrete pad. Squirted that thick construction glue – stuff smells strong – in fat lines where the first planks would go.
• Hefting Wooden Bricks: Buddy and I manhandled the first plank into place. It was heavy. Like, “grunt like you’re lifting weights” heavy. Got it lined up perfect along my starter chalk line.
• Nailing Party! Broke out the pneumatic nailer. WHACK-WHACK-WHACK! Sunk nails at an angle through the tongue of each plank, deep into the concrete pad below. Felt solid instantly. That thunk sound? Satisfying.
• Mind the Gap! After each plank, slid in one of those little plastic spacer things between the wall and the wood. Not much, maybe 1/4 inch? Gotta give this chunky wood room to swell a bit without exploding the floor later. Can’t forget this!
• Lube & Lock: Before dropping the next plank, squirted some wood glue into the groove of the one already down. Then, lined up the tongue of the new plank, kinda angled it in, dropped it, and WHAM! smacked it with a mallet. Solid clunk meant it was locked in tight.

Rinse, repeat, sweat buckets. Buddy swapped out after a few hours. My knees hated me. Floor slowly grew, plank by plank, until we hit the far wall.

Why This Thick Monster Might Actually Be Brilliant?

Took a break sitting on this ridiculous solid floor. Felt… different than the old one. Started realizing why it might work:

• Feels Like Jumping on Firm Ground: You know how some floors feel like jumping on a sponge? Not this. Land on it? Feels stable, like landin’ on concrete, but way nicer on your knees. That thickness just absorbs the shock without bouncing weird.
• Players Won’t Wreck It in a Week: Tapped it with my hammer. Barely a scratch. This hard maple is like iron. Scuffs? Scratches? Forget it. Kids slammin’ balls down? This stuff will laugh. Lasts forever.
• Bounce is Actually… Good? Rolled a volleyball on it. Didn’t fly off like a rocket, didn’t just die. Had a nice, predictable, solid bounce. Felt consistent. Perfect for volleyball.

Looking Back – A Backache But Worth It

Yeah, my back is still mad at me for lifting those planks. Would I do it again? Honestly… probably. It was tough, no lie. Way heavier than expected. But seeing that finished floor? Rock solid. Quiet underfoot. Players jumping around on it later? Didn’t budge an inch. Felt professional. That hard maple, as beastly as it was, just works for pad volleyball. It’s built like a tank. That whole process? Actually pretty darn satisfying.