Al’s Blog

While you can’t, in most cases, change the square footage of a room figuring out what is the best use for the room is the first step.  We recently helped a family realize that the basement was not the best room to create a gameroom and a media area.  When they thought about it the living room never gets used and the dining room is used 3 to 4 times per year.  The family room next to the kitchen and eating area was the most used space.  But a constant battle of TV volume over cooking noises and other family activities in the kitchen area was a problem.  After talking it over and reviewing alternatives the dining room was converted to a home office, the living room converted to a state of the art media room, the family and eating area reconfigured into the game room including an 8′ pool table, flip top poker table, which serves double duty as an extra dining table and a large pub table with 4 chairs which is used for casual meals.  The basement is now used for table tennis, a WII and playstation.  Each area is being used far more than with the old layout.  The only real expense was the media room but what a great investment for family fun.  Think about your home layout and what is really important to your family before committing to a plan.

Just because a table is 30 or more years old it is not necessarily catagorized as an antique.  In 1947 Brunswick developed a new construction method called the floating nut plate system.  Prior to ‘47 rails were attached to the table with a screw through the side of the rail into the slate.  The result of the new system is that the rail can be pulled down onto the slate in a much tighter fashion which leads to livelier more consistent bounces.  I won’t get into angles of deflection now but save it to say that a pre-’47 table could not qualify for BCA standards today.  Most old tables, before 1947, are old pool hall tables consisting of wood laminate or veneer.  The “antiques” are the solid exotic hardwoods that craftmen like John Brunswick custom built for specific customers.  Some go for over $100,000.  So, buyer beware, don’t pay antique prices for old tables.

It will take many posts to cover every question we are asked about cue sticks.  Just like golf, technology has changed and complicated sticks.  The good news is that technology has enhanced the characteristics of cues making them play more consistently and stay straighter longer.  Suffice it to say that most social or casual players will enjoy any smooth straight well tipped cue.  Wood is still the most popular material for the shaft, medium leather tips are standard for most medium priced sticks, and nylon or linen wraps most popular for the grip.  Designs, points, and artwork is important to attracting shoppers but price and feel are the most important characteristics.  Most manufacturers and Retailers are offering some kind of extended Warranties on the Pool Cues they sell, so make sure you ask about what is covered (warping, joint failure, wrap repair, ec.).  Shop where you can stroke the stick on a table and see how it feels when you hit the cue ball. Much more later.

One of the most popular additions to a game room or family room is a bar.  Like most other wood furniture there are different levels of quality.  They all look good from across the room but belly up to the bar and the true quality of the finish and woodwork is obvious.  For occasional use the softer woods are fine but the more use the bar gets the harder the wood and finish need to be. These days bars come in all sizes, shapes, configurations, and finishes.  Brunswick even has a waterproof veneer over hardwood that solves the problem of spillage.  Give a lot of thought to the purpose of the bar before investing.

There are many reasons people need to move a pool table.  Doing it right will save lots of backache and possibly heart break.  Any good home model table, except coin-ops, are 3 piece slate.  The slate should be removed from the baseframe before the table is transported.  The slate weighs 300 to 600 lbs in total so to try to carry the baseframe and the slate in one piece is awkward and could seriously damage the slate, baseframe on someone’s back.  It is simple and easy to remove the slate and transport each piece.  Baseframes, whether unibody or knock down are then easier to manuever thru doorways and out of the location. Most manufacturers, in their warranties state that the table be moved only by certified manufacturer approved technicians.  This negates the table lifetime warranty.  Getting the table back together leveled and flattened is another matter all together.  I’ll cover this later.

Cloth can last anywhere from 3 months under heavy use, to 20+ years if used sparingly.  Under average recreational use (3 to 5 hours per week) standard non-worsted billiard cloth needs to be replaced every 5 to 10 years.  The best grade (23 oz. per square yard, worsted wool) billiard cloth from companies like Championship, Simonis, Forestman, ec. should last 10 years or more under these conditions.  Players who strike the ball very hard on most shots, practice heavy english, do jump/masse’ shots, or play longer hours will not get this type of cloth longevity. 

If the cloth develops tears, holes, divits, or any serious marks that effect the roll of the billiard balls, it probably needs to be replaced.  Like many things, personal preference is all that really matters.  Serious players replace cloth once per year just to keep that “fresh” bite and roll on the ball.  Cloth comes in many grades from poor to tournament grade worsted wool.  I’ll discuss grades and characteristics in a later post.  A recover from a good, insured, professional installation technician should cost between $250 and $600 depending on the table style, cloth used, and part of the country you are in.

“I have a pool table and no one uses it.” We hear that comment regularly.  What people need to think about is the real purpose for the game room.  Parents envision kids playing competitive, challenging, and social games other than mind-numbing video games.  Empty nesters want adult entertainment for their friends in a room stocked with classic games like billiards, darts, shuffelboard, and more.  Many men want to capture the feeling they had in their youth shooting pool at the bar or club, so they create a “man-cave” for themselves. 

If you keep the end goal of the “Game Room” in mind, focusing on your vision of how the room will be used, you will make better decisions when you buy things like a pool table, television/home theater system, or home bar setup.  If you focus too early on price and “getting a deal” you are likely to end up getting a deal on the wrong stuff for you and your family.  For instance, many people blow the entire budget on a “built in bar” with all of the bells and whistles.  Without the quality game tables and entertainment activities to go with it, the bar does not get used nearly as much.  The more “toys” in the room the more it will be used.  Your best bet is to make notes when you are in a freinds fun game room, Surf the Internet, or visit a specialty retailer for ideas.

Too many people put in a pool table without proper lighting.  Over-All brightness is not as important as eliminating shadows on the balls and having consistent light over the entire play surface.  It is difficult and risky to hang a pool table light after the table is in place.  The light fixture needs hi-wattage bulbs to be effective (at least 75 watt) and proper height over the table is essential.  Ideal height is 64-70 inches from the floor to the bottom of the light shade.  High wattage bulbs in the 100 to 150 watt range require a porcelain socket.  Tin, or other cheap metals will overheat with high wattage.  Of course these are just guidelines, all that really matters is how happy you are with “seeing” the balls on the table.  If you find yourself missing long cut shots, especially on the 8 Ball, look at your lighting situation and consider investing in a good fixture from a company like Toltec, Landmark, or Ram Lighting.

Every day we deal with people confused about gameroom items. From pool tables to theatre seats, to card tables.  Anything to do with your gameroom at home.  So I will attempt each day to comment on a question or concern of the day.  Or anything that strikes my fancy.  I also invite you to join in as long as your comments are honest, in good taste and pertain to the topic.

Welcome to my blog.  Please stay tuned, as I will begin adding content soon.