Keeping the Game on the Level: Your Pool Table and Your Floors
“Understanding the foundation beneath your pool table is crucial. It’s not just about the table itself but ensuring the floor can handle the dynamic pressures of gameplay. From the weight of the table itself to the weight of players leaning over for that tricky shot, your flooring must be up to the challenge. It is safe to say that, in 90% of Home and Commercial Pool Table and Snooker Table installations your floors will not be a concern. However, there are some issues to consider to make sure your table can have and maintain the precision level need for optimal play.”
- Types of Flooring:
- Concrete: A concrete slabs provides a stable base but need careful leveling. Even in a Highrise condo installation your floor will be solid and stable. BUT you don’t get away to easily. Due to the density of concrete you may be surprised to learn your concern wont be leveling but sound. Yes, I had a client who had a 5×10 snooker table on the 22nd Floor of the Harbour Square Condo’s in Toronto. His neighbours below him complained about hearing the balls role on the table. His late night games after 11:00 to help put him to wind down, just couldn’t happen. Some sound proofing under the table helped but..
Custom Snooker Table and Shuffleboard on 22 Floor of Harbour Square Condo’s in Toronto Having said that if you have a basement with a concrete slab and you are planning or have installed a sub floor. The type of subfloor becomes a concern. If you have the new prefab sub flooring styles that have been engineered. You will not have any issues.
subfloor-insulation
- Concrete: A concrete slabs provides a stable base but need careful leveling. Even in a Highrise condo installation your floor will be solid and stable. BUT you don’t get away to easily. Due to the density of concrete you may be surprised to learn your concern wont be leveling but sound. Yes, I had a client who had a 5×10 snooker table on the 22nd Floor of the Harbour Square Condo’s in Toronto. His neighbours below him complained about hearing the balls role on the table. His late night games after 11:00 to help put him to wind down, just couldn’t happen. Some sound proofing under the table helped but..
However, if you have the sub Flooring with strapping. There are some issues to be aware of. Here again the size of table and the quality and thickness of the sub flooring will be of concern. If you have a 3/4″ (19 MM) Plywood top sheeting. You shouldn’t have any issues. Thinner or say OBS board. There may be some concerns. So the thing to check is; will the legs be sitting directly on top of the strapping? If so then you are ok. But let say there is no way to get away from being right over the span and the table sags when you put your weight on the corner. 
What can you do? Well it may sound extreme but if you don’t want to live with this. I have drilled holes where the legs will be and simply fill the cavity with some dry mix. That’s a cement and a sharp sand mix with very little water. Also known as Screed. This will give you a good solid base for your pool table. If you are doing a 6×12 table, weighing in at over a TON then this is a good plan anyway.
Second floor installations on a Joist flooring structure;
- Wood Joist flooring , Again in 90 % of Pool table installations a 4×8 even a 4.5×9 ‘ table should not cause you any concerns. HOWEVER; to be sure it is best to talk to the builder or architect let them know the specifics of your plans. The table weight and the exact location you plan to install the table. 8′ & 9’ tables will usually be under 1300 LBS ( 600 KG)
Now if you are planning a 5×10 or even a 6×12 these tables will weigh in at 1700 lbs (1000 kg) to 2500 lbs (1150kg) Talk to the builder or Architect Before you purchase or build the house. Let me repeat that – Talk to the builder or Architect BEFORE you purchase or build the house!
- Carpet: When it comes to any Pool or Snooker Table. Carpeting is really not an issue. There is no need to cut the carpet out as I have seen all to often. Now if it is a smaller light weight 4’x8′ it may be a challenge to level it. But once level it will all settle into the carpet the same. Yes with a heavy thick pile carpet it will leave a dent in the carpet pile but this is really not an issue. If the installer has issues …. find a better installer.
- Installation Considerations: Leveling Techniques: Leveling Maintenance Tips:
Apart from what I’ve mentioned above when it comes to, Installation Considerations, Leveling Techniques, Leveling Maintenance Tip. These are really issues that should be left to a professional. I will address these in a technical section of our Billiard Blog.
For Interior Designers or Home owners your next concern in the planning stages should be Lighting.
Check out our next post, Coming soon, on your Lighting in our next article “Shine a Light on Fun: Illuminating Your Games Room”