Home pool room
Planning a table at home: space, floor, light, and getting the table into the room.
Space
Room = playing surface + one cue length on every side. For a 9 ft table with standard cues that’s 5.48 × 4.21 m; for a 7 ft table about 4.9 × 3.9 m. Keep seating, shelves and the cue rack outside the area where cues swing.
Open the room calculator →Floor
A slate table is heavy: roughly 320 kg (7 ft), 450 kg (8 ft) and 590 kg (9 ft), most of it in the slate. Ground floors and basements are usually fine. On an upper floor, ask a structural engineer first.
Light
The whole table should be evenly lit, with no shadows in the corners and no glare in your eyes. Use a long table light or three lamps along the length. Tournament rules ask for at least 520 lux, with the light at least 1 m above the cloth.
Getting it in
Slate tables come apart: the slate is usually three pieces, each very heavy. Measure doors, stairs and corners before you buy. Most people have the table delivered and set up by an installer, who also levels it and puts on the cloth.
Level and climate
A table must be level in both directions, checked with a precise level on the cloth. Keep it out of direct sunlight, which fades the cloth, and away from damp and heaters: wood and cloth move with humidity.
New or used
A used slate table can be great value. Check the slate (one solid bed or three pieces, at least 2.5 cm thick), the cushions (balls should bounce lively and evenly), and add the cost of moving and re-cloth to the price.
Weights are typical figures for slate tables (homebilliards.ca); lighting values from the WPA Equipment Specifications. Room sizes use the home 8 ft (224 × 112 cm) and a 7 ft of 198 × 99 cm.