Pool Table Felt Care

Your pool table is an investment.

The table felt will last longer and play better with proper felt maintenance.

Cover your table

The best thing you can do to maintain the appearance of your felt is to cover it when not in use. This will protect it from accidental damage, fading and family pets.

All fabrics will fade in sunlight, so a good, heavy-gauge fitted vinyl cover is recommended. They come in several colors and sell for about $55.00 - $85.00. (Thin lighter-weight covers can be purchased for less than $20.00) Leather and logo covers can cost up to a few hundred dollars. It's not recommended to skimp on buying a pool table cover, as covering your table may save you hundreds of dollars in the long run.

It is only natural to show off your pool table to guests, and its appearance is always more striking when the felt is visible. But, cover your table whenever it is unused.

When using your table, avoid setting beverages on the rails. If a spill does occur, blot it immediately, never rub it in. Solvent-type cleaners can usually be used and should be tested in an inconspicuous area first to test for colorfastness.

Brush your table

After use and before covering your table, you should brush the pool table top lightly with a pool table brush. (Smaller pool table brushes are available for the recessed areas under the cushions) If you have standard felt, always brush the entire table in one direction only. (Remember it has a nap and you want that nap going in only one direction for more accurate play) With a worsted wool felt, the same care can apply but is not necessary. You can use a vacuum attachment to lightly to pick up chalk residue or hand powder (if used). Avoid scraping or dragging any vacuum attachment across the felt, as it should pick up most anything from a 1/2" away.

Pool Table Felt Durability

Some pool table felts come with a Teflon coating and can give additional protection.

Felt is durable but not indestructible. For example, some players will attempt "jumping" a pool table ball by hitting the cue ball low and "lifting" the cue ball over the ball they are "jumping". That is not a Billiard Congress of America sanctioned shot and leads to tears or abrasions in the felt. Don’t do it! Go online to see how to "jump a pool table ball" correctly. Special cues called jump cues are available if you need one.

A Bit About "Burn Marks"

No, we're not talking about burn marks from cigars, cigarettes, or anything else you may be smoking for medicinal purposes! Burn marks are small, round, white or light-colored spots that seem to "magically" appear on your pool table.

They're first seen in the area you break from, and then from the area where you rack. These spots on your pool table felt are created from heat and friction occurring on the felt as the ball is hit at high speed, or in high impact shots, such as breaking. They are largely unavoidable. They are more noticeable on darker felt colors, but will appear on all colors. Some say they are more noticeable on worsted wool, while others say they are more noticeable on standard felt. We have not seen a difference in marks seen depending on the type of felt on your table. We have found using good phenolic resin balls minimizes this condition. Less expensive poly balls or old, dirty pool table balls seem to create more marks.

Is your pool table felt looking "worn out"?

If it is, it's probably time for your table to be refelted. See our Pool Table Refelting page for everything you need to know about having new felt installed on your table.