How Long Does It Take To Refelt A Pool Table! (Time Take To Recover A Pool Table)

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The cloth of the pool table matters a lot because it keeps the beauty of the table. It lights up the whole room. But, what if it becomes dirty and damaged? The beauty of the table will fade and lose its shine, the room will become dull.

So, it is important to change it when it gets old and damaged. If you don’t have enough idea about how to refelt a pool table and what it takes throughout the process, then you can get help through my article and complete the process properly.

How Long Does It Take To Refelt A Pool Table

Long Does It Take To Refelt A Pool Table :-

How long does it take to refelt a pool table?- the answer depends on various factors including the size of the table, damaged things that need to be repaired, and the skills of the person doing it. Usually, the re-felting process of a pool table can take around 3 to 5 hours or more.

Knowing this much is not enough for implementation. There is a lot to know. So let’s dive deep into the detailed guidance to know about it completely!

Some key points to help you throughout the process:-

  • The duration of this process depends on the size of the table and the skill of the person doing it.
  • Following all the steps is necessary to get your desired outcome.
  • You can save money from a DIY project but the result might not be the same.

How Long Does It Take To Refelt A Pool Table?

The answer to how long does it take to recover a pool table is it depends on the pool table and the pool table owner. Refelting is an arduous task. It is extremely challenging in the sense that you need to be exceedingly careful while refelting. A simple mistake can ruin the playability of the pool table. Now, if you are still interested in knowing how much to refelt a pool table, let me share the things I know can help you get your answers.

Refelting A Pool Table By A Professional

It will take significantly less time to have a pool table professional do the task. Refelting is time-consuming because of how delicate the process is. A pool table professional has a ton of experience which makes it easier for him to work on it.

Refelting A Pool Table By Yourself

Refelting a pool table by yourself might save you a lot of money but can also be the reason to cost you money. You must have a concise idea of all the details and some experience to change a pool table cover. Otherwise, there will be a fair amount of risk that your pool table might not turn out to be the same as it was. Can you refelt a mdf pool table by yourself as well? The answer is yes and the process is almost the same.

Knowing The Types Of Pool Table

There are various types of pool table and pool games. For example, billiards tables (how to refelt a billiard table) , snooker tables, pool tables, etc. The structure is almost the same except for a few changes. It might take a little longer or less time depending on the type of the table. The size of the pool tables matters too. Undoubtedly, it will take more time to refelt 9-foot tables compared to a 7 or 8-foot pool table.

Factors That  Influence The Duration Of The Refelting Pool Table

How long does it take to felt a pool table? It depends on the decisions you make. Be careful of the following factors as they might prolong the duration of refelting a pool table.

Professionalism Of The Person Doing The Task

Professionalism and experience are much needed for refelting a pool table. A person who is new to re-felting or doesn’t have that much experience would be significantly slower than a professional with experience.

Not Cleaning The Pool Table Properly

After discarding the old felt, it is necessary to clean the pool table. It helps to keep up and even to increase the playability of the pool table. So, if you don’t clean the table accurately and a problem occurs after you have finished, you might redo the whole process from start to finish.

Wrong Measurements Of The New Felt

Measuring and cutting the new felt is tricky. The tip is to be as precise as possible while measuring the new felt. In the installation part, you start by stapling one side, then secure the opposite side by stretching as much as possible to get a smooth surface. If you measure wrong and cut more, you will have to spend some time stretching the pool table fabric. However, if you cut the felt short, you will have to buy it again and carry on the process.

Any Error In The Installation Process

It is an intricate process. A misstep can disrupt the entire process which will take a significant amount of time.

The answer to how long does it take to refinish a table is dependent on these things.

How To Refelt A Pool Table? Step-By-Step Process

For someone who doesn’t have any idea about refelting, these steps are:

How To Refelt A Pool Table

Gather All The Necessary Tools

Before you start anything, gather all the tools needed and keep it close. Otherwise, you might need to look for the tools while working. It will waste time and affect the workflow.

Disassemble The Pool Table

To refelt a pool table, you may need to move it to another place to comfortably work on it. It is a must to disassemble the pool table before moving because the pool table is heavy and it is designed in a way that makes it hard to move without taking out its parts first. Moreover, it is easier to remove the old felt after getting its rails off of it.

Remove The Old Felt

The complicity starts to kick in with this step. For glued billiard felt, start with pulling out from a corner, and gradually pull the rest of the felt slowly and gently. Do not rush or you might leave residues of the felt that will make the cleaning harder.  If the table has steel legs and has rust you have to remove the rust as well. How to remove rust from steel table legs? You can use household items or rust removers to remove the rust.

The complicity starts to kick in with this step. For glued billiard felt, start with pulling out from a corner, and gradually pull the rest of the felt slowly and gently. Do not rush or you might leave residues of the felt that will make the cleaning harder.  If the table has steel legs and has rust you have to remove the rust as well. How to remove rust from steel table legs? You can use household items or rust removers to remove the rust.

For stapled felt, start from the side and take out the old staples using a flathead screwdriver (and pliers if needed).

For the rails, it is slightly different. One part of the side is stapled as the table but the other part is set with a feather strip. A feather strip is a small, wooden cube, the same length as the rail which is used to stick the felt on the rails. Get a side of the feather to strip out with a flathead screwdriver and carefully pull out the whole stick with the felt. Take time but try not to break the strip as it’s very fragile.

Prepare The Table For The New Felt

  • Inspect the table to look for damages to repair
  • Use a brush and remove all the dust from the table surface.
  • If the tabletop is rough you need to make it smooth. But how do you smooth a rough wood table top? Well,use fine-grit sandpaper or an electric sander and level the pool table for a smooth playing surface.
  • Take a lint-free piece of cloth, damp it, and wipe the table to remove the dust left from the sanding.
  • Let it completely dry before doing anything else.

Take Measurements

Drape the fabric on the table and take measurements. Be precise. Cutting both more or less than the actual measurements will create problems in the installation process.

Set The New Felt

For stapling, start stapling on one side. Then, go to the opposite side and secure it to the table while stretching it as much as possible. The same goes for the other two sides as well. For the pockets, it differs as there are a variety of tables but always start with the middle pockets and then the other ones.

To use glue, divide the table into a few sections. Apply glue to a specific section carefully attach the fabric to the table and scrape it to smoothen the surface. Similarly, complete the other sections as well.

For the rails, first, attach the fabric to the rail with the feather strip. Then, set the other part using staples or glue.

Assemble The Table

After everything is done, move the pool table to the location of your choice and assemble it.

During this process, if you want to move the pool table to replace the flooring you can also do that. But how to move a pool table to replace flooring? You can simply replace the flooring while refelting the table.

Revitalize Your Fischer Pool Table : Expert Restoration Tips Inside!

How Much Does It Cost To Refelt A Pool Table: DIY VS Pro

How much does it cost to refelt a pool table? Well, the cost to refelt a pool table depends on many factors. For example, types of pool table (pool tables, billiard tables, snooker tables, etc), size of the table (7-foot pool, 8-foot pool table, etc), type of cloth (worsted cloth, napped cloth, billiard cloth, etc). The cost can be divided into 2 simple categories. These are- 1. Material (includes all the materials and the fabric) & 2. Labor (includes moving, leveling, installation assembly, and refelting services)

How Much Does It Cost To Refelt A Pool Table
Factor of CostCost of Professional RefeltingCost of DIY Project
Material$150-$300$150-$300
Labor$400-$600Free of Cost
How Much Does It Cost To Refelt A Pool Table

Tips For Refelting A Pool Table Quickly And Efficiently

There are many tips to complete the process of refelting a pool table quickly and efficiently such as:

Move It To A Proper Place

It is better to do this process in a free space like outside of the house so that you can work freely and face no problems while moving.

Choose The Right Material

The pool table cloth you need can depend on many things and it is of a wide range. You can choose the cloth according to your choice no matter if it is a professional pool table or a custom pool table.

Get Professional Consultation

Consulting a professional will help you understand things better. So, even if you are not interested in getting their help, try to consult. It will make things easier for you anyway.

Take Help

Refelting is not something you can do alone. So, get help from your close ones or someone with experience to help you. If not someone professional, at least someone with a little experience who can help you throughout the whole process.

Maintaining The New Pool Table

Maintaining a new pool table is a bit hard because you need to keep cleaning it. Pool table maintenance is important. You can follow a few tips to have a good result.

Maintaining The New Pool Table
  • Clean your hands, before you touch the reflected pool table. The last you would want is to get stains on your new felt.
  • Brush the pool table regularly (a few times a day) to remove dust or any other thing.
  • If you have pets, be careful. You can easily brush pet hairs off the table but if you get paw stains in your newly re-felted fabric, that might be a concern.
  • After the whole process is done, take a few pool balls and a cue stick and run a simulation to know the condition and the playing performance. If any problem occurs, solve it immediately. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Difficult To Refelt A Pool Table?

Yes, it is. The process is simple. With proper steps and some tips, it is easy. However, for a beginner with no knowledge, it is hard.

How Often Should A Pool Table Be Refelted?

It depends on the feLT of the pool table. As long as it’s alright, you are good. However, you can re-felg it between 3-5 years based on the condition of the old felt and playing experience.

Can You Move A Pool Table Without Reflecting It?

You can move it without refelting but you may need to disassemble it before moving it as pool tables are designed not to move in one piece. Otherwise, you will cause damage to the pool table.

What Type Of Felt Should I Use?

It depends on your expectations and budget. Worsted felt is expensive but gives you a professional playing experience. Napped felt is less costly but the playability is mid.

Is It Worth Hiring A Professional For Refelting To Save Time?

Yes. Refelting is an arduous process. It will take a lot of time and hard work to do it on your own. Hiring a professional is definitely worth the money.

Conclusion

There will always be a debate on which one is better, DIY or professional. To know what is best for you, you need to ask how long does it take to refelt a pool table or how much to refelt a pool table installers. Then, find the answers to the question. Ultimately,  you will get an overall idea of the project and be able to find your solution.

To know more about table restoring, stay with Restore Journey.

Richard Journey

Written by

Richard Journey

Meet Richard Journey, the Antique Furniture Maestro. With a Fine Arts degree in Furniture Restoration and Conservation, he’s a guardian of historical craftsmanship. His accolades include the Golden Chisel Award, and he’s your guide to discovering and restoring antique treasures.

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