How to Choose a Pool Table
Buying a pool table? Consider these factors.
Room Size
What room will your pool table be in? How much space do you need? We can help. Pool tables vary in size, from as small as 3x6 feet to as large as 6x12 feet. A good starting point is the rule of thumb: you need approximately 5 feet of space off each rail. So, if you're considering an 8-foot table (4 ft x 8 ft), you'll need a room space of 14ft X 18ft.
You may also be thinking about putting in a bar or TV or other games. In that case you will have to add space to the equation. I have seen more times than I can count, where people will put to big of a table in a room, and wind up having to use a short stick to play with. Sometimes we just have to make sacrifices. I mean, We're pool players after all. I get it.
You might be thinking about putting it in a garage. That works too. But some tables are sensitive to humidity changes. Tables made of press boards will swell up and start breaking on you, cloth can become dry rotted, rail rubbers can become very hard. These things can cost you a lot of money. So keeping these tables in a garage will have to be climate controlled. Putting in AC will work fine. Solid wood tables will last a whole lot longer in these conditions, the only thing you have to worry about is the rails getting hard on you. If it does, Call us, we can fix that.
Where to Find Used Pool Tables
- Craigslist Is still a great place to find pool tables.
- Facebook Is a hot spot for finding pool tables.
- OfferUp Is a pretty good spot to look also.
- Ebay Is something to consider as well. They have local pick-up listings.
Inspecting the Table You Found
The number one thing we find wrong with tables is the rail rubber (cushions). We run across many with dead rails.
- Take a ball and bounce it off the rail.
- Does it have a nice bounce to it?
- Did you hear any vibration in the railing system?
- Pinch it. Does it feel soft?
- Shake the table a little bit but be careful. Does it feel sturdy?
- Is it a three piece slate pool table?
- Next feel across the bed of the surface of the table.
Sometimes it's worth the extra cost to fix that. After all, used tables hold their value for a long time. You can spend two grand on a table, and in ten years, get your money back. At any case, we can fix that.
One of the things I deal with all the time is armateur installers will either tighten legs too tight and stript out the insert. The table will fall to the floor or land on a pet. I seen rails cracked from over torqued. Most of that we can fix on the spot. But cracked rails, You would have to order those. I could build them and get it pretty close in some cases, but getting the stain colors to match is really hard. Manufactures usually have their own flavors that they don't sell anywhere.
Here's a photo of a common pool table, looking at it from underneath. You may have to blow it up on your phone to see it. Where the red circles are is where you can see where the slate joins together. If it's a one piece, it cost more to move it. It requires more people to carry it. Odds are pretty slim that it's a one piece. There isn't very many made for home use.
What you're looking for is if the slate has any cracks in it. Sometimes the owner is not even aware of any cracks. They can be very hard to find. You can drop a ball on it from 2 inches up and you will hear that it has a crack. I wont have to tell you what it sounds like, YOU WILL KNOW. 90% of the surface has one tone and the cracked area will sound a lot different. Fixing things like this can exceed the value of the table. If the slate simply got separated, that's not a big deal, easy fix. No extra charge for that.
DON'T TRY TO MOVE IT YOUR SELF
There is a whole lot more to it than just grabbing four guys and picking it up and throwing it on the back of a pick up truck. Oh no, these tables have to be disassembled piece by piece. Four guys can destroy your table in 3 seconds. The slate can shatter, the legs can break, the rails will break, you name it, it can and most likely will.
If your a absolute DIY person and refuse to do it any other way. If the home owner will even let you. Follow these rules and steps and you should be able to get through this. Now this is for the common tables only. Antiques and custom table are way different.
Never grab the corners to pick it up, never lean it on its side to carry it. Very few tables are made for that.
- Start with the pocket. Just the little screws holding the laces. Sometimes they are stapled.
- Un-bolt the rails. There's usually 18 to 24 bolts depending on the make of the table.
- CAREFULLY flip the rails over. Most of the time it's two sections. Get's some help with that. Now you can un-bolt the pockets from the rails. Wrap them up for transport.
- Bed cloth. Pull out the staples one by one. God forbid if they use brad nailers. I got a list of list of complaints about that! But pull them out one by one, underneath and on the side. If it's glued down, just be careful not to rip it. There's a curtain way I fold the felt up so that it doesn't leave creases.
- Un-screw the slate. There's 12 to 16 depending on the make of the table. Sometimes they have some in the middle. When you load the slate in your vehicle, find something to put it on like a couple of 2x4's so you can get your fingers under it. Now these slates can weigh anywhere from 150lb to 400lb a peace.
- Un-bolt the legs. Some models you have to take off the slate support first, which is a 4x8 sheet of MDF board on the top of the frame. Once you got the legs off, you're ready for transport.
- Some frames has to be taken apart. You'll know if you got one of them by when you pick it up and it starts twisting and turning on you. Set it down and take that apart to.
- Setting it up is a completely different ball game. Sorry. Those are trade secrets. Besides, every table seems to have it's own personality. I could write a fat book on putting tables together.