Okay, here’s my attempt at capturing that blog post style, focusing on the “batten Volleyball sleeper wooden flooring” project:

Alright, so I’ve been wanting to upgrade my home gym area for ages. The concrete floor was just killing my joints, especially when I’m doing plyometrics or, you know, pretending I’m still good at volleyball. I did some digging, and a sprung wooden floor seemed like the way to go. I ended up deciding on a batten (or sleeper) system – seemed like something I could actually tackle myself.

Getting Started

First things first, I cleared out the entire space. This was probably the most annoying part, honestly. Moving all that weight equipment was a workout in itself! Once everything was out, I gave the concrete a good sweep and made sure it was pretty level. I mean, it wasn’t perfect, but I figured the battens would help even things out.

Next up, I got my materials. I went with treated lumber for the battens – didn’t want any moisture issues down the line. I also picked up some thick plywood for the top layer, and some rubber padding to go between the battens and the concrete. Oh, and a ton of screws. Don’t forget the screws!

Building the Batten System

This was the core of the project. I laid out the battens across the floor, spacing them about 16 inches apart. This felt about right for support, but I’m no engineer, so I kinda just eyeballed it and hoped for the best. I used some shims in a few spots where the concrete was a little uneven, just to make sure the battens were relatively level with each other.

Before I screwed anything down, I cut and placed the rubber padding underneath each batten. This was to help with shock absorption and to give the floor that “sprung” feeling. It also helps with sound dampening, which is a bonus for the rest of the house!

Then came the fun part (not really): screwing everything together. I used long construction screws to attach the battens to the concrete. I made sure to pre-drill the holes, because I didn’t want to split the wood. This took a while, and my back was definitely feeling it by the end.

Laying the Plywood

Once the batten system was solid, it was time for the plywood. I staggered the plywood sheets, like you would with bricks, to make the floor stronger. This also meant I had to do some cutting, which was always a bit of a pain, my cuts are never truly straight.

I screwed the plywood down to the battens, making sure to use plenty of screws. I didn’t want any squeaks or movement later on. I also left a small gap around the perimeter of the room to allow for expansion and contraction of the wood.I also added some extra rubber matting between this gap later.

The Finished Product

After all that work, I finally had my sprung wooden floor! It definitely feels a lot better on my joints than the concrete did. My not-so-graceful volleyball landings are a little less jarring now.

It wasn’t a super easy project, and it took me a couple of weekends to get it done. But, honestly, it was worth it. I saved a bunch of money doing it myself, and I have the satisfaction of knowing I built it with my own two hands. Plus, my knees are thanking me. Win-win!