Okay, here’s my blog post about assembling the keel, volleyball, beach, and wooden flooring:

Man, what a project! I decided to put down some new flooring in my backyard area, and I wanted something that could handle both volleyball games and just general chilling on the beach. So, I went with this keel, volleyball, beach, wooden flooring setup. Let me tell you, it was a bit more involved than I initially thought!

Getting Started

First, I had to clear the area. This meant removing all the old sand, grass, whatever was there. I used a shovel and a wheelbarrow, and it took a good few hours of sweating and grunting. I even recruited my neighbor to help – beer bribes work wonders, let me tell you!

Once the ground was clear, I needed to level it. This part was super important. I got a long level and some crushed stone. I spread the stone around, raked it, and then used the level to make sure everything was, well, level. It took a lot of adjusting, adding stone here, removing it there. It wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough for a backyard court, right?

Building the Keel

Next up, the keel. Now, this is the backbone of the whole thing. It’s basically a wooden frame that supports the flooring. I used pressure-treated lumber for this because it’s going to be exposed to the elements. I cut the wood to size, according to the plan I’d sketched out (nothing fancy, just a basic rectangle). I used a circular saw, and let me tell you, always wear safety glasses! Sawdust in the eye is no fun.

I assembled the keel frame using screws. Plenty of screws. My drill got a good workout that day. It’s crucial to make sure this frame is square and solid, or the whole floor will be wonky.

Laying the Flooring

Then came the flooring itself. These were interlocking wooden panels, designed for outdoor use. They were pretty easy to snap together, like giant puzzle pieces. I started at one corner of the keel and worked my way across. It went pretty quickly, which was a relief after all the prep work.

• Tip 1: Make sure to leave a small gap around the edges for expansion and contraction. Wood moves with changes in temperature and humidity.
• Tip 2: Stagger the joints of the panels for a stronger and better-looking floor. Think bricklaying, but with wood.

Adding the Sand

Once all those panels were down, I filled the entire area with the sand, it got everywhere, but after I was done, the project was finally complete!

The whole thing took a couple of weekends, but it was worth it. We’ve already had some epic volleyball games, and it’s just a great place to hang out. If you’re thinking of doing something similar, just be prepared for some hard work. But hey, it’s a good workout, and you get a sweet volleyball court/beach hangout out of it!