How To Refelt A Pool Table? 8 Steps To Install A New Pool Table Felt

Pool tables are typically seen as a long-term investment by pool players because they may last for a long time with a reasonable initial cost. However, to keep the pool table in excellent working order, you must protect the pool table cloth, which, if damaged, can modify the direction, speed of the balls, and especially ball spins. Refelting a pool table is a common procedure that can help you keep it in good shape. This article will show you how to refelt a pool table in 8 simple steps.

Prepare all necessary materials and tools

Before starting to learn how to refelt a pool table, you have to prepare all the needed materials and tools for the whole process so that you will not waste time looking for different things while working.

Felt

The pool table felt or cloth is an essential component of any pool table. It has an impact on the appearance, feel, performance, durability, and amount of enjoyment you’ll experience from your table. There are 3 types of pool table cloth that you can consider depending on your needs.

• Recreational-grade cloth has a larger nap and tends to play slower, making it more forgiving for beginners or children. 
• Intermediate cloth is often speedier and more durable than leisure cloth. 
• Professional-grade cloth is what you might see in high-end pool rooms or on television during professional events. Professional-grade material has a high wool content and a tight weave, making it incredibly smooth and rapid to play. These are ideal for usage at home by more experienced players who want to get the most out of their table. Get professional cloth for your table if you want it to behave like a professional table.

Other tools

Besides the pool tablecloth, you will need many other tools to do the job smoothly. They include the level, screwdriver, ratchet, stapling gun, adhesive, and wire cutters,… All these tools help you to dismantle the table and the old felt easier as well as attach new felt to the pool table with ease.

Disassemble the table

After preparing all the needed tools, cut the stapling which keeps the pocket holes in place. To avoid getting staples inside your clothes or stepping on them, gather them all while falling. Remove the pockets and set them aside after removing all of the rail staples.

The next step is to use your wrench to unscrew the side rail bolts and remove them. The side rail on your pool table may be in one piece or numerous pieces, depending on the model. When you lift the last bolt keeping it in place, you’ll be able to carefully remove the rail from the table.

Remove the old felt

The fool table’s felt covering, like the rails and slate bed beneath the cover, might be made up of several pieces. In any case, removing the felt will take a long time, depending on how it was originally assembled on the table. If you don’t want to damage the slate or the cushions, you’ll want to work slowly and carefully. Besides, the way you remove the old felt is also different depending on how the old felt is attached to the table:

By glue

If the felt was glued to the table, it can simply be ripped away. Pieces of adhesive may be left on the surface after peeling off the felt, which can be scraped away. While scraping, take care not to scratch the table.

By staple

Staples are also used to attach the felt to the table. Simply use a staple remover to remove the staples. Again, you’ll work slowly and carefully to avoid harm. After removing the felt, make sure there are no staples left in the cloth, fold it, and set it aside.

Clean the Slate

Slate is used to constructing a pool table. It is a nearly indestructible material with a long lifespan. That is why, in most cases, purchasing a pool table is a one-time investment. It is recommended to wipe the slate when re-felting after removing the previous or worn-out felt.

To eliminate dust, use a dry towel. Wet cloths or dusting sprays should never be used on slates since they might create moisture and soften. Scraped off any old adhesive residue with a clean, dry cloth if there was any.

Measure the table

You have to measure the table to know what size of tablecloth you need. Use a measuring tape to check your table’s dimensions. Make sure you have measurements for the bed and railings, but leave out the cushions and the insides of the pockets.

Pool tables are often available in standard sizes. Because the length is usually double the breadth, measuring the width alone should suffice. However, measuring it lengthwise will not cost you anything. It’s always a good idea to buy a few extra inches of material just in case, especially if you’ll be cutting it up later.

Cutting the felt

After you’ve purchased the felt, lay it out on the table and let it sit for a while. Feel for any bumps or rough spots beneath the felt with your fingers. The felt should have a basic and smooth feel to it. Then, using a sharp pair of scissors, cut the felt to the measurement you took earlier. After cutting, there should always be enough felt left behind to re-felt the rails.

Install new felt

How to install pool table felt? There are 2 ways to install the new felt after removing the old one depending on the table material. 

Stapling the felt

Stapling is a popular way that people use for replacing pool table felt. However, this option just can be used if your slate has a wood lining beneath it through which staples can pass.

Place the felt on the table and begin stapling one shorter side, starting in the center and working lengthwise. Then go to the other side and start from the center, remember to draw the material toward you to make sure it is tight enough. Start stapling that side from the center to the end while pulling it all the time. You may end up with lumps if you don’t spread the felt uniformly across the entire table, resulting in an uneven playing surface. Rep the process on the other side of the felt, pulling it to a constant stretch.

When the cover is sufficiently fixed on all sides, use a razor blade to cut apertures for the rail bolts to pass through. Make sure the holes are directly above the bolt holes before cutting them out. Finding a hole with your finger and directing the cut from the bottom up is the simplest approach to ensure this.

Gluing the felt surface

Gluing the felt to the table is another pool table refelting option if your pool table doesn’t have wood backing under the slate. Start on the shorter side in the middle and make your way to the end before switching sides. The only difference is that you’ll need to apply the adhesive to one end of the slate before scattering the cloth on the opposite end. Allow a half minute for the glue to get sticky before pressing the felt to the slate. Stretch the table cover as you go around the entire table. When you’ve completed placing the adhesive on the last side, start cutting holes for the railing on the side where you started. In addition, whether you use staples or glue to hold the felt, you’ll need to cut the pockets as well. Cut 3-4 slices for each one, keeping them at least 1/2 inch away from the slate’s edge. Underneath the slate, peel the cloth slices and glue them in place. You can also use adhesive to line the pockets with a piece of cloth to make them seem nicer.

Reinstall the rails

Another important step after replacing the felt is changing the felt on the rails and assembling the pool table. The covering of the pool table rails, as well as the bolts that secure it, are critical to its correct function. Failure to properly install the rails could result in your balls rebounding at different speeds. Therefore, when installing, secure every bolt, starting with the side rails and concluding with the head and foot of the table. 

For changing the felt on the rails, use the same approach as when replacing the pool table felt on the slate. If you’re using a stapling gun to secure the material, be sure the staples are close enough together to prevent movement during use. This section can be hard, so proceed with caution. Similarly, you also can use glue to attach the felt to the rails since the rail material is normally harder than slate which can cause difficulty using staples. 

FAQs

Conclusion

In general, you can easily locate a pool table felt replacement service and have everything ready in no time. However, if you use this service daily, the cost is not cheap, and you also can not require them to do what you want. If you have your pool room, learning how to refelt a pool table can be beneficial. Therefore, try to study all of the above-mentioned 8 procedures to refelt a pool table and execute it on your own to get the most satisfying pool table condition for playing.

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