Nothing breathes new life into a tired old pool table, or spices up that boring game room, more than putting new felt on your pool table. Get rid of those scuff marks, rips and stains, get rid of that boring old green and try something bright and bold like a blue, gold or burgundy, or even try patterns and images. You’ll be amazed at the change it will make to both your pool table and the look of your game room.
Retrieving your pool table is generally an easy enough task that anyone who can use a wrench and a stapler can handle in a day. Here are answers to some of the basic questions before you start.
How do I determine the size of my table?
The tables come in four different sizes. You will need to know the size of your table before ordering new felt. All you need to do is measure the width of your table between the bumpers. If it’s 39″, you have a 7′ table, 44″ is an 8′ table, 46″ is called an 8′ oversized table, and 50″ is a 9′ table.
Do I need to glue the felt?
Most of the felt is attached by stretching it over the edges and stapling along the bottom edge. On some tables, the felt is held in place by a band of glue along the edges of the board.
How do I know which side of my new felt is facing up?
The smoothest side, usually with the manufacturer’s logo, is the top side.
What Pool Table Felt Should I Use?
Determining which brand of felt to buy to cover your pool table really comes down to your budget. Available brands include:
Forstmann’s Arcade is an inexpensive felt. Arcade is a rugged option for high-traffic pool tables. This felt was developed specifically for coin trading. If it can withstand the heavy use it gets in commercial settings, it’s sure to last a long time on home pool tables. It is a blend of wool and nylon and comes in 8 colors.
Mali pool table felt is an intermediate felt. This is a 21 oz wool/nylon blend. Malifelt comes in 16 colors.
A top of the line felt is the Milliken SuperPro. With a blend of 70% merino wool and 30% nylon, SuperPro Worsted Pool Table Felt gives you a soft and durable playing surface. All SuperPro felt is treated with SpillGuard protector. SpillGuard is a special coating that protects each fiber from swelling, smelling or staining. SuperPro’s playing surface stays fast and responsive and looks good throughout the life of the felt. SuperPro pool table felt comes in 7 colors.
Simonis pool table felt is generally considered to be the top of the line. Simonis felt is used in most professional tournaments. Simonis felt is made in Belgium. Its worsted worsted wool and high thread count ensure long-lasting wear. This felt is nap free and does not pill or lint. The Simonis felt is available in the 760 and 860 versions. The Simonis 760 is slightly faster than the 860 and is more suitable where the main game is 8-ball. The Simonis 860 felt was developed especially for competition 9-ball billiards. It is a bit slower than the Simonis 760 mix. Simonis felt comes in 4 colors.
Comparable to Simonis is a felt made by Sterling. This quality pool table felt is worsted wool. Sterling is remarkably similar to Simonis 860. With a high thread count and made from 90% wool and 10% nylon, it’s guaranteed to be pill-free, lint-free and hair-free. It can give you consistent gameplay for a longer period of time. Sterling felt comes in standard green.
For something really different, try an ArtScape pattern from Milliken. ArtScape pool table felt is a kaleidoscope of color and pattern. Eye-catching designs are the latest way to make a noticeable difference to your game room décor and make pool tables more exciting and fun. ArtScape designs transform the playing surface of pool tables with vibrant, full-color patterns printed on high-quality SpillGuard protected combed wool felt. Pool tables become the center of attention and playing is more fun.
That’s generally all there is to it; Measure your table, choose your felt and color, take off the rails and get to work. You’ll be amazed at how easy it is and what a difference it will make to your table and game room.