Maintaining your pool table
Pool Table Maintenance Guide
Keep your pool table in a room temperature dry place – For the best table maintenance, it is recommended that you keep the table in a dry room with temperature control. We do not advise keeping tables in icy areas. Tables will always last longer and play better if held in an environment that you would feel comfortable in.
Provide enough space around your table to play shots - The tighter the area around your table the more likely it is to get scratched or knocked. It may also mean that a player has to lean heavily on the table when playing a shot. A tight playing space may also result in dangerously angled shots into the cloth being played because of obstacles. You should have as a minimum from the edge of the table enough space for the longest cue you use on the table.
You should brush and clean your cloth/baize after every week of use - You should use a good quality table brush to maintain a good-looking longer lasting cloth.
A traditional wool cloth that is found on most UK pool tables should be brushed in one direction only. Always brush with the nap of wool and never against it. The cloth nap should always run from the end you break off from down the table.
A speed cloth can be brushed in any direction as it does not have a directional nap on it.
A racking cloth can be used every time you rack the balls in the triangle or diamond – Cloth maintenance is helped by using this is a piece of spare fabric used when racking up the balls for each game. It just prevents the abnormal wearing of the cloth in one area of the table; also on speed cloth, it can avoid unnecessary bruising of the cloth.
Using a cover on the table will increase the life of the cloth and maintain the quality of the table – Dust covers are available for most table sizes and also come in a couple of different durability's. A standard cover is designed to keep dust and spills off the table.
Using the correct colour chalk for your cloth – Cloth maintenance is improved when the same coloured chalk as your cloth colour is used on your cue tip. This helps maintain the quality and aesthetics of the baize. Every shot that is taken leaves a certain amount of chalk dust in the cloth, and over time this will spoil the look of the felt, it will seem more worn and used than it actually was.
Having a cue rest for the table - It is sometimes a good idea to have a cue rest for the table. This is especially recommended for a larger size table or where smaller children often play. This stops players from needing to put their full body weight on the table to play long shots or stretching to play an awkward ball, which may risk tearing the cloth.
Make sure the cushions are on tightly - It is good to go around the cushions on your slate bed table every few months & check that all the cushion fastenings are tight. If the cushion fastening starts to get loose, then this will cause the cushions to lose their bounce making it look like the cushion rubbers have perished. It is a straightforward job to remove the top frame and tighten any loose cushion rails. Please feel free to give us a call if you would like any advice on how to do this.
You should re-mark and or re-spot your table periodically – Once a year it may be useful to re-mark your pool markings on the cloth. This can be done using a D marking stick and marking pens or pencils along with table spots. This will maintain the aesthetic look on the playing surface.
All of the above tips are recommended for excellent Pool Table Maintenance.
