If the entertainment room is already finished and decorated, then the only thing left to do is looking for stuff and things that will bring entertainment to the room. If a guy lives in his own house, having his own pool table will definitely complete the package. A pool table is also a good source of team entertainment and a good way of socializing with others during gatherings and meet-ups.
Picking and buying a pool table, however, is not easy. Choosing the one that looks nice in the room is important. However, buying a pool table is more than that because it involves several things to take into consideration.
For first timers, one way of doing things correctly is to consult or read a pool table buying guide. To help you in your search, here is a pool table buying guide that talks about the basic factors that pertain to buying a pool table.
Pool Table Size
Any pool table buying guide would say that the first thing to determine while buying a pool table is the right size. Here, the size of the room where the pool table will be placed plays a major role. There are four common pool table sizes that are being used nowadays and these are 7-foot table, 8-foot table, the oversized 7-foot table and 9-foot table.
The 7-foot pool table is 3.5 ft. x 7 ft. with playing area of 38 in x 76 in. The second type is the 8-foot pool table that has 4 ft. x 8 ft. dimensions and a playing area of 44 in x 88 in. The third one is a rarely used size with 4 ft. x 8 ft. dimensions and 46 in x 92 in of playing field.
Finally, the 9-foot table has 4.5 ft. x 9 ft. dimensions and a playing area of 50 in x 100 in. While picking the pool table size, measure the room where the pool table is to be placed first to make sure that the choice size fits the room area and still leaves space wide enough for people to move around the pool table without having any difficulty or bumping into each other.
Pool Table Features
With the pool table size out of the way, the next thing to decide on are the table features of a pool table. Most pool table buying guides would say that there are particular table features that make big difference and purchasers commonly make mistakes about them. So, here are the table features that need to be given special attention:
Playing surface
The choice is between slate and non-slate. Real pool tables have slated surfaces while those that cut down on the price are non-slated. The slate has several ranges of thickness but a 1-inch thick slate is recommended. As for the pieces of slate, the 3-piece slate is the preferred one because of its easy installation and maintenance.
Cushions
They have an active role in a pool table’s performance. If it is possible, choose cushions that are made of AAA Malaysian gum rubber because of its superior quality. As for the profile of cushions, a K66 profile is recommended because it is the BCA regulation profile.
Rails
They are the part of the pool table where the cushions are glued. One thing to know about rails is that a solid wood rail can sustain decades of stapling and re-stapling dozens of stables when installing the felt over the pool table’s cushions.
Cabinet
This refers to the main body of the pool table and is responsible for the quality and stability of a certain pool table. It bears the weight of the pool table as well as the people who lean on it while playing so it is important that the cabinet is extremely durable, well-constructed and pleasing to the eyes.
A cabinet could be made of either laminate, synthetic, veneer or solid hardwood material. For durability, solid hardwood is the best but it is also the most expensive. A laminate material is the least recommended material because it is essentially a fake veneer that does not look nice on the pool table.
