Essential things to Consider Before you Buy that Billiard Table - Must Know Facts for the Pool Table Shopper

There are few things cooler than having your very own billiard table right in your home.  It gives you a place for you and your friends to hang while at the same time serving as an elegant looking and function piece furniture.  But there are  a few things that you will have to think about before you make that dive into becoming a real pool table owner.

Budget

Firstly and most importantly, you have to know how much you are able to spend on your pool table.  At rock bottom minimum you should expect to spend about $700.  If you are hoping to get something a little bit higher quality, like something with a better design, an 8 foot structure, or  a slated playing surface, you should look to spend about $1300 or more.

Size

Standard pool tables are offered today in four different sizes: 7, 8, 8.5, and 9 feet.  There are two things to consider in deciding which size you really want.  The first is the size of your playing room.  Your room has to accommodate not just the table, but also the length of the pool sticks in order to make shots comfortably around the table.  You should also consider which level of play you really want.  If you want a simple small table to shoot around on, a seven foot billiard table should be sufficient.  If you want something that is more like you play on in your local pool hall or bar, then a 8 foot model is the way to go.  If you want to play what the pros play on, choose a nine foot model.

Slate

Do you want to get a slated table or a non slated pool table?  A slate is just a slab of polished rock that lies right under the billiard cloth.  This is designed to help ensure a very smooth roll and even playing surface.   Slated tables, however, are a bit pricier than non slated tables, so if you are working with a smaller budget, then a table with a slate replacement material, like MDF or a hard plastic, might be the best for you.

Accessories

A pool table without stuff the play with it is pretty boring.  That's why it's a smart move to get the things you need to play properly at the same time that you get the table. At bare minimum, you need to get a couple cue sticks, cue chalk, a good set of billiard balls, and a triangle to rack them.  If you want to play nine ball then you also going to need a diamond.  Fortunately, there are a lot of companies that sell accessory kits that have all these things included.

Installation

Almost every medium and high quality billiard tables need to be assembled.  That means that the legs have to be attached to the frame, the slate has to be laid down in the table, and the billiard cloth has to be attached to the slate.  While some particularly handy pool table owner take it upon themselves to accomplish these tasks, it's a much smarter move to simply hire a local billiard table installer to take care of it for you.