Do you like shooting pool with your friends? Are you planning to open a bar and would like the best billiard table felt there?
If the answer to the questions above is yes, you will learn how to choose the best billiard table felt. Here is a guide that will teach you everything you need to know about this item, so don’t hesitate to start reading immediately.
Table of Contents
- Chapter 1. What Are The Basic Types Of Billiard Table Felt?
- Chapter 2. Why Should You Choose Wool Felt?
- Chapter 3. Is Worsted Felt a Better Choice Than Wool?
- Chapter 4. How To Choose The Color Of The Billiard Table Felt?
- Chapter 5. How to Choose Durable Billiard Table Felt
- Chapter 6. How to Set up Billiard Table Felt
- Chapter 7. How to Maintain the Billiard Table Felt
- Summary
Chapter 1. What Are The Basic Types Of Billiard Table Felt?
A pool table can be an excellent way to spend fun evenings alone or with friends. If you are a bar owner, you might consider adding some games to your facility, and the pool is right up your alley.
If you want to maximize the longevity of your table, it is crucial to pick the right billiard table felt. Several factors will affect your decision, but everything starts with choosing the right felt type.
These are the two most common choices these days:
• Woolen cloth
• Worsted cloth
These mark the manufacturers’ two processes when making a pool table felt. The playing experience can vary depending on your choice, so let’s get to know both types better.
Chapter 2. Why Should You Choose Wool Felt?
If you are from Europe or the United Kingdom, the chances are you’ve played pool on a woolen cloth surface. Apart from billiards, snooker tables also use this fabric. Even the professionals use it, and you will often see it in snooker and pool tournaments on TV.
The first distinctive thing you will notice about woolen felt is that it has a nap. It is overt and clear, which causes the material to be facing the same direction.
If you have the opportunity, try running your hands through the woolen cloth on a billiard table. The directional organization of the fabric will be obvious.
You will also notice a texture that may remind you of silk. If you play pool often, you may have noticed that you leave impressions of your fingers on the fabric. When that happens, it is because of the nap, and it is a clear indicator you are playing on a wooden surface.
The maintenance process of this felt might be a bit more demanding than worsted cloth. Brushing it regularly to ensure optimal playing conditions and extend its lifespan would be best.
Professionals even use specialized irons to maintain woolen cloth, ensuring that the fibers point in the same direction. Not caring for your feelings regularly means that the table might end up with bumps, which can ruin the experience.
Chapter 3. Is Worsted Felt a Better Choice Than Wool?
First, we also get worsted felt from the wool of a sheep. The only thing different is the manufacturing process. The creators used a special technique, so the cloth didn’t contain naps. Thanks to that, the cloth itself doesn’t have to be organized directionally.
Pool table owners worldwide don’t choose worsted felt as often as woolen fabric. It is interesting because the worsted cloth speeds up the game. This is the fabric to use if you want balls to move faster. And you might be familiar with this fabric, as many tailors use it to make suits.
You need to be careful about the type of worsted cloth you are buying. While there are variations made completely out of wool, some also have a portion of nylon. The more nylon the cloth has, the more the risk of reduced longevity. It is because nylon may cause “burn spots” on the cloth, which can detriment the gaming experience.
If you run your hand along the surface of the worsted cloth, you will notice that it is smooth and strong. Pure woolen felt is incredibly durable and strong, providing unmatchable smoothness. It is that smoothness that makes it possible to speed up the game.
The United States is where you will probably encounter worsted cloth on pool tables. However, other parts of the world have also adopted this feeling lately.
Chapter 4. How To Choose The Color Of The Billiard Table Felt?
For some people, aesthetic value is equally important as functionality. If you are among them, there is no reason why you shouldn’t choose the desired color of your pool table felt.
It is the only area where everything depends on your preference. Yes, the default choice is green, and owners commonly choose that color for pool tables. However, we live in an era where many classic products are getting modern twists.
You may have encountered a billiard table with a red felt surface, and users are eager to pick blue, too. Those who love neutral colors go with grey, but there is no reason why you wouldn’t experiment with khaki, olive, or orange.
The crucial consideration is how the felt fits the room décor. You can consider choosing the same color as your walls or contrasting it with a completely different choice.
Another thing to keep in mind is the color of the table itself. In most cases, the table will be black, which means you can choose a fabric of virtually any color. You want to ensure that the players do not have any problems seeing the balls while playing.
Chapter 5. How to Choose Durable Billiard Table Felt
Purchasing a pool table and the felt to place on top of it is a long-term investment. You need a fabric you purchase now, and you don’t have to change it for at least several months (ideally, years).
That is why you want to go for the most durable fabric. The two main factors that affect the durability are tightness and the weight of the cloth.
5.1. What You Should Know About Fabric Weight
If you check out the description of a pool felt, you will notice the specified weight. The used measurement is ounces per yard, but some manufacturers will only write “ounces.”
The weight of the felt varies from 20 to 30 ounces, and you can directly connect it to durability. A heavy fabric will be more durable and last longer. However, additional weight will slow down the game. You may consider light clothes if you are a fan of fast billiard games. However, remember that you might need to replace them more often than heavy ones.
5.2. What Else Should You Consider When Buying Pool Felt?
The other thing you want to consider is the weave’s tightness. That is difficult to determine because the creators do not publicly display this information. However, you should be safe if you choose a reputable brand or distributor.
Finally, make sure that the size fits the table perfectly. You can purchase a bigger felt than needed because you can cut it yourself before the installation. However, purchasing a smaller piece of fabric than needed will make the felt unusable.
Chapter 6. How to Set up Billiard Table Felt
You might purchase a pool table that comes with the fabric. But even if that is the case, you will need to replace the felt sooner or later.
If you are a DIY enthusiast, you might consider doing it yourself. Many videos explain the process of replacing the billiard table felt. While the process is not that difficult, you must be careful, or you might damage the pool table.
We suggest calling in a professional to be on the safe side. You don’t want anything to go wrong during the installation process, and you want to set everything up properly. An experienced and skilled professional will ensure the installation goes smoothly. It will ensure that everything works smoothly during the game.
Chapter 7. How to Maintain the Billiard Table Felt
As with any other product, the billiard table felt will require maintenance. That way, you can extend its longevity and ensure smooth performance.
It would be best if you didn’t keep your table under direct sunlight as the color may fade. Also, avoid extremely moist surroundings as they can lift the fabric from the surface, which ruins the play.
Pool felt is very durable, but it won’t last forever. The good news is that you can extend its lifespan by applying these tips:
• Use a brush to clean the chalk from the felt after every playing session. Make sure to use a suitable brush for pool table fabric. While wiping, move toward pockets to prevent chalk from building up in the material.
• Keep your balls clean with a microfiber cloth. That will reduce the chalk you need to remove from the felt.
• If you are not playing, use a pool table cover to protect the fabric and table from dust and other damaging compounds.
The average lifespan of pool table felt is anywhere from five to ten years. It will depend on how well you maintain the fabric and how often you play.
Summary
You have two choices for a billiard table felt, and you can’t go wrong either way. If you want to speed up your game, go with worsted cloth, but woolen felt will also serve you well.
It is vital to pick a high-quality fabric that will last for years. If you pick the right type of felt and maintain it properly, you can enjoy playing billiards for about a decade before replacing the cloth.