Cost of Recovering Your Pool Table

Should I Have My Pool Table Cloth Recovered?

Recovering your pool table can transform its looks and enhance its performance. A worn or torn baize often provides an inconsistent ball roll and a slow game. A poor quality cloth will spoil the appearance of a table and make it look tired and dated.

We often get asked how often pool table cloth requires changing. This, of course, depends on how much you play the table. In UK pubs and clubs, pool tables are usually recovered annually. These tables are subject to lots of play and abuse. In the home, if you look after the cloth, we recommend re-clothing every 3-4 years.

So how much will this cost, and how does it work?

This isn't an easy question to answer. It depends on what table you have and also where you are located. The easiest way to get an accurate quote is to take a couple of photos of your table and email us the details. This way, we can identify the model and come back with our best prices.

The table model, age, and size will make a difference in the cost of recovering. For example, UK pool tables will be cheaper to recover than an American table as one has a 1-piece slate and the other 3-pieces of slate.

UK Tables

As a ballpark figure, a UK table bed and cushion recover can cost between £250 and £350. This does include high-quality cloth, which alone costs approx. £100.

If your table is relatively new, we will come along and swap a brand new slate and cushion set for your old ones. Not only does this save lots of time and mess, but it also means you get brand new cushions which will have a superior bounce to your old ones.

If you have an older table, we will have to recover it onsite as the slate and cushion sets we stock wouldn't be compatible.

As well as recovering the table, we would also check the level and ensure you have a perfect roll.

USA Tables

Recovering an American pool table requires much more work. Unlike UK pool tables, American models have sectional slates. This means that all recovery work has to be done onsite and generally takes much longer. Also, these tables are bigger in size and require more cloth.

Depending on table size, make, and style, a ballpark figure for recovering the table could be between £400 and £600. We would also level the table in the price of recovering.

Other Games Tables

Please note it is only slate bed pool tables that we offer a recovering service on. Wood bed pool tables in the main are not designed to be re-clothed. We can quote for full-size snooker table recovering as well, please contact us for detials on this.

How Is a Pool Table Recovered

1. UK-style table with a one-piece slate. 

This is the quickest table to recover, but it can still take a couple of hours to complete. The one-piece slate has the cloth glued to the slate at the edges, so after the old cloth has been removed, the slate has to be cleaned to get rid of all the old chalk deposits and then the slate edges have to have all the old hardened glue removed before applying the fresh glue.

2. Fitting the Bed Cloth

Contact adhesive is applied to the slate and cloth edges. Once the glue is touch dry, the cloth is put to the slate and the contact adhesive on the slate and bed cloth bonds together. The baize is stretched lengthways and sideways to give that very tight finish. The skilful part then begins with the cloth fitting around the pocket openings. Finally, the fabric is brushed and marked for the game with spots or lines depending on your requirements.

3. Recovering the cushions 

Next comes recovering the cushions – the most challenging part. On UK-style tables, the cloth is stapled onto the six cushion rails, so the old staples have to be painstakingly removed so as not to damage the wood rails. Once the old baize is removed, you should check the cushion rubber to ensure it fits its purpose. After this, the cushion cloth can be fitted. This is a skilled job as perfectly placing the cloth to the cushion contours takes years of practice and should only be done by trained fitters. Once fitted, the cushions need to be bolted back onto the top frame, and you are ready to play.

4. Replacement Service

We usually try to replace your slate and cushions directly. We would bring a pre-covered set of slate and cushions and swap for the old ones. This saves disruption and reduces time on site. It also means you get a brand new set of cushions, and we would recycle your old ones. It may seem a simple process once we get to the site, but don't forget we have to carry out all of the above in our workshop in advance, so our costs are the same.

Recovering American Pool Tables

Many people don’t realise these bigger tables are constructed from sectional slates. Of course, this makes sense when you think about the size and weight of a more extensive slate. They would be too heavy to lift and wouldn't fit through standard doors.

American tables have three pieces of slate that are grouted together and smoothed before levelling.

1. Because we cannot cover this table style in advance, all the work must be done on-site.

2. Getting at the slate to remove the felt means the top frame holding the cushions must be dismantled, and there are four rails sections. Once the rails are taken away, the old cloth can be removed. 

3. The grouting between the slates can then be checked before covering with a new cloth. The same method of recovering a UK slate would take place; only you would not use any glue. Each slate has a wooden batten fixed around it to take the staples required to hold the cloth.

4. The old cloth on the cushions is removed by taking away the old staples and then the new cloth fitting.

5. Finally, the four cushion rails are individually re-fitted before the final level.

What type of cloth do I need?

What type of cloth should I have fitted?

There are two types of cloth used on pool tables. In the Uk, most English-style tables are fitted with wool cloths, and most American tables are fitted with worsted cloth (also known as speed cloth). There are numerous colours available in all cloth styles.

If you want to know the difference, we recommend viewing our post on crucial factors when buying a pool table, as it explains in more detail.

We sell all the leading brands of cloth and can offer the best on the market. We would only ever fit tables with cloths that are fit for purpose and provide an exceptional game. Our range includes tournament pool cloth such as the Simonis 861. Please get in touch if you require more details on what clothes are best for you.