Covering and brushing your billiards table are essential maintenance duties. However, preservation requires more than just smart cleaning and storage: you need to treat the table properly when you and others play on it. Here are three common mistakes billiards players make that cause unnecessary wear and tear.
Leaning and Sitting
Far table shots sometimes require players to lay onto the table if there isn’t a bridge available. Although fashionable, putting this kind of pressure onto the table can crack the seams between its slates. Likewise, sitting on the rails can cause them to sag, collapse the cushion or pull from the cloth—all of which diminish the accuracy and reflexivity of the rails.
Lifting from the Rails
Moving a pool table requires it to first be dismantled or hoisted onto a trolley for safe rolling. The slate is far too heavy to lift the table from its rails—they will likely break off or loosen.
Resting Food and Drink
Apart from the increased risk of spillage, leaving drinks on the table can stamp rings onto the wood and other irreparable blemishes. Not to mention, roughly putting a mug or glass down can dent the rails. Simply using coasters is better than nothing.
Similarly, food on the table can leave stains and crumbs. It’s best to set up small tables around the room for players to store their food and drinks. As well, designate other areas (preferably outside) for smoking, as ash and smoke can also injury the table’s wood and cloth.
