A factor that a lot of people forget when it comes to planning for a new pool table is temperature, in particular the average temperature of the room they plan to put the pool table into. It might at this point even feel like we're urging consideration of what seems like a complete non-issue, but don't click away just yet.
A pool table can be adversely affected by the temperature in a few ways that you will notice if they crop up, mainly when the room gets too hot.
How Does Temperature Affect A Pool Table?
Any pool table existing in a typical ambient indoor temperature shouldn't run into any issues, however be aware that you may see some problems if the space your pool table is in reaches higher temperatures, typically of over 25 degrees celsius (77F). Certain rooms can be very susceptible to this. In particular, inside a conservatory (where temperatures can reach well over 40 degrees celsius (104F) on hot summer days). You should also be wary of rooms that receive a lot of direct sunlight, especially upstairs, where heat will often rise to.
In these settings at these higher temperatures, seeing adverse effects becomes a real possibility.
What happens to a pool table in a hot room?
It doesn't take a prolonged heatwave for you to notice what the heat can do to a pool table.
You may not notice the effects immediately, but continued exposure to higher temperatures can have a detrimental effect on certain parts of a pool table's construction. The most prevalent problem areas are parts held together with adhesives. Mainly:
- Cloths (most common)
- Laminate finishes (less common)
- Cracks in solid wood (rarely)
The most common problem we see by far as a result of continued exposure to heat is cloths becoming unstuck.This is usually visible in the form of a bulge or a ripple in the cloth near the cushions. It'll be this area where the glue holding the cloth to the slate has gotten too hot and the bond has failed. You may also notice it on the baulk line which can all of a sudden appear to not be straight, or even at the pockets where you notice a strand of cloth hanging down.
Laminate finishes are also bonded to the main body of the table with an adhesive. Whilst not as common, it too can fail with repeated, prolonged heat, visible if you see the laminate lift from the edges, or even in the centre, leaving what looks like a bubble under the surface.
How Can I Prevent This Kind of Damage?
The answer, thankfully is a straightforward one - Choose a suitable room, then keep it cool. You don't have to be playing in a refrigerated room, but keeping the temperature in check will go a long way in keeping your table's parts healthy. If your table is meant to be going into a room known for getting hot, possibly reconsider your intended location, otherwise take what measures you can. Get a good airflow, put up blinds to limit the direct sunlight and heat or even air condition the space if that's an option.
Let's take a moment to address some questions regarding cloths.
Why Aren't Strong Glues Used On Pool Table Cloths?
One possible answer you may think of is to simply use a stronger glue (like super glue) in order to mitigate the effects of heat, but this isn't done for a number of key reasons - Primarily cloth maintenance and replacement.
Pool table cloth is classed as a consumable product, much like a car tyre or a pair of shoes in that it will eventually wear and tear with use and eventually will need to be replaced once it's worn out (or you simply decide it's time for a different colour). For that reason, the adhesive keeping the cloth in place is relatively quick and easy to remove when the time comes for a replacement. It's for this reason that stronger adhesives shouldn't be used. Applying such a substance makes the cloth much, much more difficult (as well as time consuming) to remove, as it will typically end up leaving portions of the cloth behind when ripped away, which will then need to be scraped clean in in order for the replacement cloth to be fitted.
It bears repeating. Do not use super glue or strong adhesives to fix a cloth to a pool table slate. Not only could it lead to a difficult replacement later down the line, but the chemical makeup of the adhesive could end up staining or even irreparably damaging the cloth.
What Kind of Glue Can Re-Stick a Pool Table Cloth?
If you do need to repair an unstuck cloth, you can do so with a special spray adhesive specifically designed for use on pool tables. These can be picked up cheaply from various online stores. The brand we'd most strongly reccommend is an adhesive called Ambersil.
Be sure to follow the appropriate directions when undergoing any kind of pool table repair, and be sure to contact us if you have any questions.
Conclusion
Room temperature is something so easily overlooked when planning for your pool table, and the effects can catch you by surprise if you've not put the considerations in place. Prevention is definitely better than cure in this instance, so do give the eventual location of your pool table some thought to prevent the temperature going too high, whether that's with blinds, ventilation or any other means.
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