How To Refelt A Billiard Table? (Recover A Billiard Table)

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Undoubtedly, a billiard table is expensive, and precious. If you have one, it might be exceptional and loving to you. But what if the billiard cloth looks old and ugly? If you don’t know the solution, you might think about throwing the table away.

But wait a minute and listen to me before you implement it, you can just simply change the cloth of the billiard and refelt it. Yes, you heard it right!

How To Refelt A Billiard Table

Wondering, how to refelt a billiard table? No worries, I have the solution to your problems.

Refelt Billiard Table

In short, if the cloth or felt of the billiard table gets old or dirty, you can change the felt and refelt the table instead of throwing the table away. You need to remove the old cloth, clean the playing surface, stretch, and staple the new cloth to the table then cut out the excess cloth. You can hire professionals as well.

Rushing to perform the process? Don’t! Because these all are a single glimpse of the entire scenario. To learn about the entire process read more and help yourself to complete the process. So, without wasting a moment, let’s dive into it.

Key Takeaways:

  • A billiard table is not a pool table. A billiard table is a 9-foot table covered with cloth and surrounded with rails.
  • While choosing the cloth for billiard, some things need to be considered such as type of cloth, weight, thickness, colour, and budget.
  • Refelting the billiard table process requires gathering the tools and materials, removing old cloth, cleaning the slate surface, etc.

How To Refelt A Billiard Table? The Step-By-Step Guidelines

I know, you might be eagerly waiting to learn about the refelting process of a billiard table. So let’s not waste your time and explore the process with the step-by-step guidelines:

  1. Gather Necessary Tools & Materials
  2. Remove The Old Cloth
  3. Clean The Slate Bed Or Slate Surface
  4. Measure And Cut The New Cloth
  5. Stretch And Staple The New Cloth
  6. Trim Or Cut The Excess Cloth
  7. Smooth And Finish

Gather The Necessary Tools And Materials

It is necessary to gather the essential tools and materials and learn about them that you need to be used during this process. It will help you to complete the process without any kind of interruptions and in the right way. These tools and materials are:

  • Staple remover to remove the old cloth from the flat surface.
  • Screwdriver to remove the screws and rail bolts if there are any to hold the cloth.
  • A razor blade or utility knife to cut the cloth in the proper size and trim the excess cloth from the table.
  • Staple gun to secure the new cloth to the table surface and rails.
  • Rubber mallet to tape the staple in the right place and stretch the cloth properly.
  • Worsted cloth or woolen cloth, or, nylon cloth to replace the old cloth.
  • Measuring tape to measure the dimensions of the table to have the accurate size of the cloth.
  • A soft brush or dry cloth to clean the slate bed or surface of the table to remove the dust, dirt, or debris.
  • Safety gear like masks, gloves, and goggles to avoid any kind of danger.
How To Refelt A Billiard Table

Remove The Old Cloth

Now it is time to start the process. Use the staple remover and screwdriver to detach the staple, screws, or rail bolts from the cloth and remove the old cloth from the table. Patiently remove the old cloth to avoid any mistakes.

Clean The Slate Bed Or Slate Surface

After removing the old cloth it is time to clean the slate bed or surface. Use a soft brush, vacuum cleaner, or dry cloth to get a clean surface. Make sure the surface is smooth to avoid an uneven playing surface.

Measure And Cut The New Cloth

Use a measurement tape to measure the dimensions of the table to get a perfect measurement for the new bed cloth or billiard cloth so that it can fit properly. 

Stretch And Staple The New Cloth

Now it is time to stretch and staple the new cloth. Spread the cloth on the surface, place it in the center, and make sure it is straight. Now start stretching and stapling the cloth with a staple gun from one side of the table. You can follow the old bolt holes to staple it as well. Pull the cloth tightly to avoid any kind of sagging or wrinkles and an uneven playing surface. Staple the cloth perfectly to the table rails.

Trim Or Cut The Excess Cloth

Now, use a utility knife or razor blade. There might be some excess cloth around the table. Cut or trim the excess cloth using any of them.

Smooth And Finish

Now, inspect the table attentively. Try to figure out if there are any wrinkles or sagging available on the playing surface. To avoid an uneven playing surface and smooth out the surface gently pull and adjust the cloth.  And make sure the surface is smooth and even.

To complete the refelting process properly all you need is to follow the guidelines step-by-step properly. Thus it is possible to get a better outcome for your precious billiard table. In the same way, you can refelt an MDF pool table.

Watch The Tutorial

How to Install Pool Table Cloth – Home Billiard

What Is A Billiard Table And Is The Reflecting Process Same As A Pool Table?

People are often confused about a pool table and a billiards table. Even I was one of them. Both are table games but not the same. So, what is exactly a billiard table? Billiard tables are huge or large 9-foot tables that can be used for many cue games like pool, snooker, carom billiards, three-cushion billiards, etc. It is actually covered with cloth and surrounded by rails with pocket liners and corner pockets.

The shape of the table is rectangular and you can strike balls or pool balls with cue sticks to move them all over the table.

What Is A Billiard Table And Is The Refelting Process Same As A Pool Table

The process of reflecting a billiard table and pool table is quite similar. However, the reflecting process of the billiard table has some extra steps because of its size, additional parts, and structure. Read ahead and learn about it in detail.

How To Choose Cloth Or Fabric For Reflecting Billiard Table?

Before you start the process of refelting, let me tell you one thing, it is very important to choose the right cloth for your table like pool table cloth. No matter which table game is this billiard table or pool table, it is necessary to choose the right cloth for the table. Want to pick the right cloth for your billiard table? Here are some tips for you:

Type Of Cloth

Choosing the right piece of cloth is really crucial to make it long-lasting and good gameplay. When choosing cloth slices consider the type of cloth like when you choose types of pool table cloth. There are clothes that are specially made for billiard tables such as woolen cloth and nylon cloth. They are made of worsted cloth wool materials or nylon fabrics. They provide the proper durability and playability and make the game fun.

Weight And Thickness

Try to choose a cloth with less weight and thickness as clothes with more thickness and weight can affect your gameplay and the speed. A lightweight can help you experience faster gameplay and more durability.

Color Options

Well, a good thing about refelting the cloth is, you can choose a colour for your cloth of your preference. You can pick any colour cloth you want.

Budget

If you have a budget issue, it is better to choose clothes that go with your budget and desire as well.

It is better to choose a cloth that is perfect and right for your billiard table. If you pick the wrong clothes, it may ruin your gameplay.

How Much Does It Cost To Refelt A Billiards Table?

Having an idea about the cost of the refelting process is a good thing. It can help you to create the budget for the process and maintain the budget. But the cost could be different for DIY methods and Professional Services. The cost may be almost the same when refelting a pool table. Want to know about them? Here you go:

How Much Does It Cost To Refelt A Billiards Table

For DIY Method

ProductsCost
Billiard table cloth$100-$350
Staple gun$10-$40
Staple remover$10-$20
Screwdriver$5-$20
Utility knife or razor blade$5-$30
Measurement tape$10-$15
Soft brush$10-$20
Safety equipment$5-$20
Total Estimated Cost$200-$500

For Professional Service

WayCost
Billiard Cloth$100-$350
Service charge$300-$800
Total Estimated Cost$1150

Common Mistakes To Avoid When Refelting A Billiard Table

Refelting a billiard table is honestly a time-consuming and hard-working task. And you need to be careful, attentive, and patient throughout the entire process for the best outcome. A silly mistake can ruin your hard work. But there are some common mistakes that people often make that need to be avoided. Such as:

  • Removing the old clothes carelessly. It can damage the table surface.
  • Not cleaning the slate bed or slate surface properly can cause an uneven playing surface.
  • If you don’t stretch the cloth perfectly it can create wrinkles to the surface.
  • Using the wrong type of cloth can cause frequent cloth damage and poor playing conditions.
  • If you don’t secure the cloth properly, it can shift or sag easily.
  • Not taking the proper measurements can bring you an unfit cloth for the table.

It is better to avoid these common mistakes during the entire process to complete the refelting process of the billiard table smoothly and get a better outcome.

How To Maintain The Billiard Table After Refelting?

It is necessary to maintain the billiard table after refelting it to avoid further damage and perform the refelting process frequently as it is quite expensive. Some tips to help you:

How To Maintain The Billiard Table After Refelting
  • Regularly clean the table using a brush or dry cloth and remove dust or debris as they can damage the cloth.
  • Cover the billiard table with a table cover when you are not using it.
  • Immediately clean the spills to avoid getting stains.
  • Don’t place any heavy objects on the table as they can leave scratches or dents.
  • Try to maintain the humidity levels in the table room.
  • Avoid placing the table in direct sunlight as the UV rays can damage the surface.

You can maintain the table following these tips. Maintaining the table is really very important after refelting. It can save you money and time as well.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

How Often Should I Refelt My Billiard Table?

You can refelt the billiard table every three to four years if they aren’t damaged.

Can I Refelt A Billiard Table Myself?

Yes, you can definitely refelt your billiard table by yourself by following the guidelines properly.

What Color Billiard Table Is Best?

People generally use green billiard tables, but you can choose any colour of your choice as well.

How Long Does The Billiard Table Last?

If the table is maintained properly and the table is high-quality it can last long for several decades.

Can I Move A Billiard Table Without Refelting?

You can, but it can damage the table if you move without refelting.

Conclusion

You may get the solution to your problem, ‘How to refelt a billiard table’. You can refelt a billiard table by yourself all alone. But you just need to follow the proper guidelines step-by-step, be patient and pay attention throughout the entire process. But if you are somehow unable to process this procedure, you can hire professionals and get it done by them. Hiring professionals is quite expensive.

Interested to learn more about restoring tables? Stay connected with- Table Restore.

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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