How to Refelt a Pool Table

A pool table’s performance greatly relies on its felt and balance, thus, refelting a pool table every 3-7 years depending on its condition is necessary in order to have a better and fairer game of pool. If you are looking for a step-by-step guide on how to refelt a pool table, this article is what you are looking for!

How to Refelt a Pool Table

Refelting a pool table is not the easiest thing, but it can be easier by having all the necessary and proper things you need for the procedure. Here are the things you need for refelting a pool table:

• New felt or pool tablecloth for pool felt replacement
• Staple gun and staple remover
• Glue or specialized spray adhesive
• Flat blade
• Level
• Dry cloth
• A pair of scissors
• Newspaper and masking tape

After gathering all the necessary items and tools, now is the time to refelt a pool table. In addition to that, being knowledgeable about assembling and disassembling a pool table before you get to replace its old felt is also needed.

After disassembling the pool table and safely removing the racks, follow this step-by-step guide to ensure that you are doing the proper method to get the result you are looking for.

Remove the Felt From the Pool Table

The first step is to remove the old felt from the pool table. If the old felt is attached using staples, gently remove it using a staple remover. On the other hand, if the old felt is attached using glue, you can gently rip it off and remove the excess pieces of glue and felt from the table using a flat blade.

2. Clean the Pool Table

The surface of the pool table can be covered in dust accumulated over the years. After removing the old felt, clean the pool table using a dry cloth. Also, make sure to remove any bumps from the glue and use a level to make sure that the pool table is leveled and balanced for better gameplay.

Measure the Pool Table and Cut the New Felt

You can now proceed with measuring the pool table using a measuring tape. Make sure to add a few inches for allowance for the felt’s measurement. After getting the appropriate measurement of the pool table, take the new felt.

Carefully cut it according to the pool table’s size using a pair of scissors.

Attach the New Felt to the Pool Table

There are different methods of attaching a new felt to the pool table. This procedure can be done in two ways which are the following:

• Stapling: You can attach the new felt using the stapling method that uses a stapler. However, this method is more difficult and timely compared to gluing.
• Gluing: You can attach the new felt using glue or a specialized adhesive spray.

Stapling the New Felt

You need to have an assistant that will help you stretch the new felt in this process. You can start stapling the new felt to the pool table on its head side. Make your assistant pull the felt during the whole process to make sure that there are no wrinkles on the pool table.

Staple the new felt 3 inches along the stretched line and make sure that the stretch is coming from the vertical edge of the pool table’s head. Always start from the head going to the middle left and right portion of the table and make sure that you give at least 3 inches of space to the edge of the felt.

Repeat this process until you cover the whole pool table. As for the pockets, cut the excess felt covering the pockets into three slits. Moreover, place those slits inside before stapling them into place.

Gluing the New Felt

The first process in the gluing method is making sure that the surface of the pool table is clean, smooth, and level. After that, you can now apply the glue to the surface of the pool table. The most crucial step in gluing method is to ensure that there are no unevenness and bumps along the surface.

After applying the glue or adhesive spray, carefully place the felt onto the surface and make sure that it is placed smoothly. See to it that there are no bumps on the surface as it will hinder good play and the pool table will end up unusable in the long run which can be a waste of materials.

After carefully settling the new felt to the glued surface, you can now proceed with stretching the felt to the edges and the pockets of the pool table. Do the same process of gluing and make sure that there are no bumps to the surfaces. Additionally, put the new felt all over the surface of the pool table.

Replace Old Felt From the Rails

The last part of refilling a pool table is to replace the old felt from the rails. First, remove the old felt from the rails using tools like a screwdriver. Second, look for a thin wooden strip resting between the rails when the old felt was removed and gently detach it from the rails.

Third, put a down-sided felt over the rail. Make sure that the felt has a 4-inch allowance on each side and a half-inch allowance over the space in the feather strip. Fourth, put the back of the feather strip into its space and hammer it down using a hammer and a tapping block until it is 2 inches from the end.

Do this method for all the rails and feather strips. After attaching the rails back into their position on the pool table, proceed with inserting the pocket liners. You can now play with your newly re-felt pool table!

Conclusion

Refelting a pool table is easy when you have the right equipment and materials. First, remove the old felt, second, clean the pool’s surface. After that, you can proceed with measuring and cutting the new felt from the measurements of the pool table.

Finally, putting the new felt in place and enjoy your newly refelt pool table. You can now enjoy playing on your pool table even by yourself!