Millions of homes across America, along wth many bars and entertainment establishments, house pool tables. Pool tables, used for playing billiards, can be considered fine furniture, and proper maintenance helps preserve the wood finish and smooth felt playing surface. The familiar green felt of the pool table is actually constructed of a type of worsted wool known as baize. The baize playing surface often degrades much faster than the wood finish due to use. Here are some tips to keep your pool table's green surface working longer. Does this Spark an idea?
Felt Cleaning
The thick, coarse hairs of pool table felt are perfect for trapping large amounts of dust, dirt and chalk. These corrosive substances can break down the felt's fibers and, over time, can make the surface more susceptible to tearing and scratching.
A long-handled vacuum with an upholstery attachment is optimal for cleaning pool table felt. Set the vacuum's power on medium and drag the upholstery attachment across the pool table from end to end as if you were mowing a lawn. Always make sure your strokes are traveling in the same direction. If you notice that the pool table felt seems as if it's being sucked into the upholstery attachment, lower the vacuum's power, as this can stretch the felt and make the playing surface uneven. Vacuuming should be completed after each use of the pool table, or at least once a week.
Ball Cleaning
Even after cleaning the felt, a large amount of dirt can be transmitted to the pool table by the billiard balls. The pool cue can bury quite a bit of chalk into the felt, and other balls can harbor enough dust to dirty up your felt playing surface. Balls can be cleaned by rubbing them with a microfiber cloth that can remove dust and chalk. The pool cue should be cleaned of chalk after each game, and all balls should be cleaned after each session.
Other Maintenance Tips
Some basic rules can dramatically reduce the risk of abusing your pool table into disrepair. Do not sit, or place any large weight, on your pool table or bumpers. Many bumpers are glued to the pool table and can break off if a person is resting their entire weight on them.
Purchase balls that are constructed with a phenolic resin finish. As billiard balls contact each other at high speeds, the friction caused by impact can cause a brief flash of heat that can spike up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Although quick, the intense heat can cause slight melting of the ball's resin finish and even burn the felt playing surface. White marks on your pool table felt are evidence of these burns. Phenolic resin resists heat caused by friction, and can prevent both felt burns and ball damage.
It's recommended that you have your pool table inspected by a pool-table mechanic after the first year of use. Among other things, the mechanic will check for a properly taut felt surface, excessive felt wear, the bumper rail attachments and an unlevel playing surface.
Well-maintained pool surfaces can last for years, but will eventually need to be replaced. When replacing the felt layer of your pool table, search for a fabric that has a minimum weight of 19 ounces per yard. Denser, thicker fabric will have a longer lifespan than thinner fabric.
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