Pool Table Buyer’s Guide

The pool or billiard table has become a staple of many American rec rooms.  As with any major purchase it would behoove the consumer to become well informed about the product one is preparing to acquire.  

Size of the Room

Your first consideration should be the size of the room in which you intend to place the table.  Pool tables typically come in three sizes; seven foot, eight foot and nine foot.  The seven and eight foot models are by far the most popular.  In general you’ll want a minimum space of four feet around each side of the table to allow for comfortable play with your predator p3 black luxe pool cues.  

As a general rule, a seven foot pool table will measure seven feet long by three and a half feet wide.  This means you’d need a room size of fifteen feet by eleven and one half feet to allow for comfortable play on a seven foot table.  Remember this is a general rule and many have used a smaller room with varying degrees of success.

Purpose of Table

Second, you should decide the purpose of the pool table.  Will it be used for adult gatherings, a game for the kids to play or simply as a piece of furnishing which is simply there for its looks?  Once you’ve decided whether the pool table will serve function or fashion it’s time to consider construction, and your custom hard top pool table cover.  The playing surface on many cheaper models will be made of some type of plywood.  While this might be fine for kids to use in the basement it’s not recommended for adults who wish to have friends over for a game.  Slate is the recommended material for the playing surface.  It will come in a variety of thicknesses and quality.

Side Rails

Next, consider the side rails.  They are just as important to game play as the playing surface.  Three parts make up the rails; the cushion, the sub rail and the cap.  The cushions are typically made of rubber and the best cushions are made with ‘live gum rubber’.  Cushions with a higher percentage of gum rubber will give a more consistent bounce.  

Just as the playing surface is covered with varying qualities of felt, so too the cushions will be covered with the same material.  The sub rail is underneath the cushion.  The sub rail connects the side rails to the slate and the tighter the fit the better the table will perform in game play.  The rail cap is the decorative part of the rail.  It can be solid wood or laminate.  Other materials like mica are used in very expensive tables.

Frame

A final consideration should be the pool table frame.  Tapered frames and straight frames are the two most common types.  Tapered frames narrow from the table top to the floor.  Straight frames are, as the name implies.  There width is the same from top to bottom.  In most cases, your choice will depend on appearance preferences. Do however; make sure the frame is of sturdy construction.  It does need to support the playing surface.

As stated, this information is intended to be a starting point for your research.  In no way is it intended to be the definitive educational tool for your pool table purchase.  Remember to shop around.  Ask questions.  Compare different tables from several manufacturers and retail outlets.  If you choose carefully your new pool table should last a lifetime.

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Turn Your Garage into a Game Room

A game room is a great addition to any home, and in many cases it is a better alternative to keeping a vehicle in the garage (or if you have a two car garage, converting one side of it into a game room).  If you’re looking for some private space to watch the game, or maybe a big enough space to put that pool table you’ve had your eye on, the garage just might be the answer you’ve been looking for.

Turning your garage into a game room is an easy, cost-effective way to get the game room convenience without having to sacrifice space elsewhere, or having to put a foosball table in a place where it doesn’t belong, like the back of the living room. You might even be able to move your television out of the family room to be more conducive to conversation flow.

Where to Start

The first thing you should ask yourself is, “what am I doing with my garage already?” If you’re using your garage for something other than keeping your car, you might think about having a garage sale, or moving those boxes up to the attic or a to a coat closet. Metal buildings aren’t terribly expensive, so if you’re lacking storage space, you might think about having one built.

If your garage is where you store your car, then turning your garage into a game room is still possible, depending on the garage’s size. It’s a good idea to test the new situation for a week or so, before you go out and fill up your game room with a bunch of new toys like a predator p3 black luxe pool cue, to make sure it’s safe and not too much of an inconvenience for you.

Now What?

Once you’ve cleared out the space in your garage, you can decide whether to remove the garage doors to make the room appear more like the rest of the house – by adding walls and flooring other than the concrete floor and unfinished walls of most garages. This won’t be too much of a task as garage doors are not “load bearing”. Keep in mind, however, that if you go to sell your home later on down the road, a garage is a big plus – so if you have just a small garage you might be better off converting a room in the basement or elsewhere into a game room or building an extension onto the home.

If you do just keep your regular garage doors, you may want to consider adding additional security features as most garages are the main entry point for most would-be thieves.  Billiard tables and custom hard top pool table cover are a nice addition to any game room, but be sure you have enough space to allow for a 4-6 foot perimeter around the table for shooting space. If you are going to have a TV in your game room, you’ll have to first make sure you have all the proper electrical and cable accommodations for it.

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