How to Recloth a Pool Table

A pool table, also referred to as a snooker and a billiard table although there are slight differences, is a bounded table covered with cloth, used to play cue sports. Pool tables have elements such as an edge cushion, corner and side holes and pockets and a surface covered with a special type of cloth. While the color of a pool cloth differs, ranging from blue to red, the original and most common color of green is supposed to symbolize the lawn games from which cue games originate from. The fabric of a pool cloth is either woven wool or a contemporary nylon and wool blend called baize.

Instructions

1

Measure your pool table so you know what amount of cloth to buy. The usual billiard or pool tables are 7, 8 or 9 feet long, with a rectangular shape of a 2:1 ratio. For example, a 9-foot-long table would have a dimension of 100 by 50 inches. Make sure to have a piece of fabric that is at least 12 inches longer on each side.

2

Remove the cushion around the edges of the pool table by removing the bolts that hold it in its place. Use a Philips head screwdriver and a socket to remove the bolts and then take off the cushion and the rails all around the pool table. The bolts are positioned at the bottom side of the table and covered with cloth, so you will need some time to locate them.

3

Remove the old cloth from the pool table by removing the staples with a staple remover or a flathead screwdriver.

4

Place the new cloth on the table and start stapling it to the wooden surface at its edges. The staples will ultimately be covered with the rails and the cushion. Use a staple gun and pull the cloth tightly so there are no wrinkles on the fabric. Move around the table while pulling and stapling the fabric until you finish re-clothing the whole pool table.

5

Cut three slits at each of the four corners with a utility knife so you can remove the excess cloth and fold it under the table surface. This way, the cloth around and near the edges will also be smooth and flat as the rest of the pool table surface.

6

Reinstall the cushion and the rails by attaching them with their bolts.