Okay, so I’ve been wanting to redo my home gym floor for, like, forever. The concrete was just so…blah. And cold. I looked at a bunch of options, but finally landed on this idea: using those rubber volleyballs (you know, the cheap ones) and some leftover birchwood I had from another project. Sound crazy? Maybe. But it turned out pretty cool!

Getting Started: Cutting Up Stuff

First thing, I needed to gather everything. I already mentioned the wood, thankfully I collected them. Then hit up a few stores for the cheapest volleyballs I could find. I needed a lot. Like, more than I thought. Make sure you’ve done that, or you’re going to run into some trouble!

• The Volleyballs: I grabbed a bunch of those standard rubber ones. Different colors – didn’t really matter since I’d be slicing them up.
• The Wood: This was leftover birch plywood, already cut into planks. Lucky me! If you don’t have this, you’ll need to get some and cut it to the size you want.
• Tools: A sharp utility knife, a good saw (I used a circular saw), a strong adhesive (construction adhesive is what I went with), safety glasses, and gloves. Don’t be a hero, use gloves.

The Dirty Work: Prepping the Materials

The first real step was prepping the volleyballs. I started with the utility knife to stab a hole then, carefully cut them in half. Then it became the tough work, cut the halves into smaller, roughly square-ish pieces. It didn’t need to be perfect, but I wanted them somewhat uniform in size.

This took…a while. Put on some music or a podcast, it’s going to take some time.

Next up, the wood. Since mine was already in planks, I just needed to give them a quick once-over with the saw to make sure the edges were clean and straight. If you’re starting from scratch, measure twice, cut once! You want your planks to fit together nicely.

Putting It All Together: The Assembly

Okay, the fun part! (Well, more fun, anyway.) I started by laying out the birch planks on the floor, dry-fitting them to make sure everything looked good. I wanted a simple, staggered pattern.

Then, I started gluing. I applied a generous amount of the construction adhesive to the back of a wood plank, and then carefully started placing the rubber pieces on top. I pressed them down firmly to make sure they had good contact with the glue. I didn’t cover the entire plank with rubber – I left a small border of wood exposed, for, you know, looks.

I repeated this process, plank by plank, until the whole floor was covered. Make sure you keep things lined up as you go! Also, leave room for expansion. Wood expands and contracts with the change of the temperature. Don’t say I didn’t remind you.

The Finish Line

After the adhesive had dried (I gave it a full 24 hours, just to be safe), I did a final inspection. I added a bit more glue to any loose rubber pieces, and trimmed any excess that was sticking out.

And…that’s it! My crazy rubber volleyball and birchwood floor was done. It’s definitely unique, and it feels way better than the cold concrete. Plus, it was a fun project, and I got to use up some leftover materials. Win-win!

If you’re looking for a cheap and kinda of a different flooring idea, give this a try. Just be prepared for some serious cutting. And remember, safety first!