Trying to play pool on a pool table that isn’t level sucks! What sucks almost as bad is trying to level it.
Most all of us have dealt with it at some point. You go to take a shot and random balls start rolling across the table. Or you get your rack nice and tight only to have it loosen up causing an awful break. We’ve all been there.
Fortunately, leveling a pool table doesn’t have to be hard or time consuming. And there are multiple ways of getting the job done. Most of the time a pool table can be leveled with a pack of playing cards, and of course, a level. Alternate methods include using shims, or installing/adjusting pool table leg levelers. While these methods may not be ideal, they do work, kind of.
Instead of showing you how to level your pool table using makeshift methods, we’re going to show you how to level your pool table the fast and easy way, with a product designed specifically for this purpose. With this method you’ll be able to get your table level in a matter of minutes and won’t have to worry about adjusting it any more. Lets get into it!
What Causes a Pool Table to Be Unlevel?
There are a few main causes for an unlevel pool table. The most common one being the surface that its sitting on. In most cases, the floor the pool table is sitting on is unlevel itself. Not in a way that would cause us to be off balance when walking on it, but enough to make a round pool ball start rolling on its own.
One way to check this is simply to put a level on it and see. Alternatively, you could download a level app on your smartphone and use that instead. Chances are your floor is going to be pretty level, but its probably off just enough to be an issue. It really doesn’t take much.
One other issue could be the table itself. If the table has been handled roughly, or used as a couch, there very well could be some structural issues to deal with. Pool tables are not designed to hold a humans body weight. The slate itself, in most cases, can support it but the structure that holds the slate in place, can’t. See our article Is It Ok To Stand On A Pool Table? for more details.
For this reason its a good idea to give your table a once over and check for any loose screws, bolts or other hardware. Also check to make sure that all the bracing and framing of the table are in good shape as well. Sometimes just tightening everything up can help a bit.
The last typical cause for your table being unlevel are the leg levelers themselves. Often times pool tables come with built in leg levelers. Check these out to make sure they’re all in good working condition. Sometimes, again, if the pool table has been used improperly, these can become damaged, causing your pool table to be unlevel.
The Fast & Easy Way to Level Your Pool Table
If you’ve ever tried to level a pool table before using traditional means, you know that it just doesn’t last. Cardboard, playing cards, wooden shims, and anything else we’ve stuffed under our pool table legs in an attempt to have a decent game, just aren’t up to par.
Most of the time these options do work, but only temporarily. Its too easy to bump your pool table off a few playing cards, and cardboard will compress over time, forcing you to add more to it.
If you’ve tried any of these methods and are looking for a more permanent solution, one that doesn’t require any more thought after being installed, then you should definitely consider the FlatJax Pool Table Levelers. They are by far the best solution for leveling a pool table quickly, and easily. Lets take a look at what makes them so great!
FlatJax Pool Table Levelers
- Level Pool Table in Minutes
- Easy to Use
- Works With All Pool Tables
- Supports up to 1200 Pounds
- CNC Machined From Aircraft Quality Billet Aluminum
- Made In USA
- 10 Year Warranty
FlatJax levelers offer a simple solution to a problem that has plagued pool table owners since the dawn of time: an unlevel pool table.
This innovative product makes it easy to level your pool table in a matter of minutes. The great thing is that once they’re in place and your table is leveled, you dont have to worry about adjusting them again, or having them slide out like playing cards or shims. The only exception to this would be if your pool table is sitting on carpet since the weight of the table could result in some settling after the levelers have been installed.
They’re super simple to use and can be installed in a matter of minutes. Once installed, leveling your pool table is a breeze and can be done in no time.
FlatJax levelers work with pool tables of all shapes and sizes and can support up to 1200 pounds of weight!
They are made in the USA and are CNC machined out of aircraft quality billet aluminum for maximum strength and durability. Each FlatJax leveler is 1/2″ thick and when fully extended reaches a height of 7/8 “.
How They Work
FlatJax pool table leg levelers work by allowing you to make incremental adjustments to the height of your pool table.
Once the levelers are put in place, you can make adjustments to them individually through the use of an included ball driver. Each full turn of the adjustment screw raises the leg leveler by .004″. This measurement is so small that you may not see the table rise at all when making adjustments. This is done so that you have maximum control over the levelness of your table.
Each leveler is constructed with 6 ball bearings that allow you to raise the table with virtually no friction. And with some pool tables weighing well over 1000 pounds, no friction is a good thing.
How to Level Your Pool Table Using FlatJax Levelers
FlatJax Levelers are super easy to use and shouldn’t take much longer than 30 minutes to fully install. Lets go step by step through how to level your pool table using FlatJax Levelers.
Step 1: Finding The High Spot
The first thing your going to want to do is find the highest corner of your pool table. You can do this by using a carpenters level or a smartphone level app. If you’ve had the table for a while, you probably already know which corner this is, or at least have a pretty good idea. Once you’ve located the highest corner of your table, its time to move on to step 2.
Step 2: Installing FlatJax Pool Table Leg Levelers
The next thing you’re going to do is make sure that the FlatJax levelers are fully retracted. When fully retracted, they should measure in at 1/2″.
Once verified, place a single leveler under the leg of the highest corner of your pool table. This leveler will not be adjusted and will serve as the base point from which the other levelers will be adjusted.
Go ahead and place the rest of the levelers underneath the remaining legs.
For this step, you may need a second set of hands to help you lift the table in order to get the levelers in place. Alternatively, you could use a table lift instead. Just make sure the table is lifted as evenly as possible. The last thing you want to do is damage your table while trying to get it level.
Step 3: Making Adjustments
Once all of your levelers are in place, its time to start making adjustments. As mentioned, the highest corner of the table will not be adjusted at all. All the other legs will need to be raised to the same height of the highest corner.
Start by raising one corner at a time. Using the included ball driver, turn the adjustment screw clockwise to the desired height. You’re probably going to have to raise each corner, then come back and make some more adjustments until you get it just right. This isn’t an exact process, so it will take a bit of time to get it perfect.
You’re going to want to keep your level handy, as this is how you’ll know when its just right. Check the level often through the process to make sure you haven’t lifted one corner too high.
Step 4: Checking for Level
Once all of your initial adjustments have been made, its time to check for level. This is where you can fine tune each leg to get your pool table perfectly level, something you just cant do with playing cards or shims.
Using your level, or level app, check all 4 sides of the table to ensure that they’re level. If not, make adjustments as necessary.
If you’re not concerned with it being absolutely perfect, you could check for level by placing a pool ball at random spots on the table to see if it moves. This isn’t a very precise method, but if you’re not after precision then it works just fine.
FlatJax: The Good & The Bad
While there are lots of different ways to level a pool table, none are as easy, simple, and reliable as the FlatJax leveling system. Its unique design and adjustment system make it super easy to level your pool table with absolute precision.
It works well with pool tables of all shapes and sizes and can be used on all floor types including wood, tile, and even carpet. The top and bottom of each leveler is equipped with grip pads to help keep your table in place while also protecting your floors.
The 1/2″ low profile design of the FlatJax levelers make them easy to slide in place and the aircraft quality billet aluminum construction means they will last as long as your pool table does, if not longer.
There have been some questioning about whether FlatJax levelers would make the pool table too high. According to the Billiard Congress of America, pool table beds should fall between 29 1/4″ to 31″. A pool table with FlatJax levelers installed typically falls perfectly within this range. However, if your pool table already sits at 31″, or close to it, without anything under the legs, you can expect your table to be above the recommended height range.
Other concerns have been raised about not seeing any change in the height of the table when making adjustments. This is because FlatJax levelers are geared extremely low in order to give you maximum control and the ability to raise your table with as little effort as possible. Each turn of the ball driver raises the leveler by .004″. This is equivalent to a sheet of paper!
So, no, you probably wont be able to notice it raising but thats completely ok. While this does make the adjustment process a bit tedious, you’ll only have to do it once. If you’d like to speed the process up a bit, you could always purchase a ball driver of the same size and put it in your drill. Just be careful not to max out the leveler at full speed. This could result in damaging the leveler.
Overall, the FlatJax leveling system is a great buy that helps immediately solve a problem that all pool table owners have been faced with. Definitely check it out if you’re in need of a quick, easy, and reliable way of leveling your pool table for good!
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Allows for Precise Leveling
- Anti-Slip Design
- Wont Damage Floors
- 1200 Pound Weight Limit
- Made in USA
- 10 Year Warranty
Cons
- Slow Adjustment Process
- Price
- May Need Readjusting if Used on Carpet Due to Settling
In Conclusion
As you can see, the FlatJax leveling system is by far the easiest and most reliable way to level a pool table. Not only does it work with all styles of pool tables and support up to 1200 pounds, its simple design allows for ease of use and precision leveling.
I hope this article has been helpful and that you now know how to level your pool table the fast and easy way. Feel free to check out the rest of the site for more helpful articles just like this one. Thanks for reading!
