Should You Put a Rug Under a Pool Table?

Getting a game room, rec room, or man cave together is fun, but it does take a little planning. And the pool table is likely the biggest item you’ll have to put in the room. Since pool tables are large, heavy, along with hard to move, it pays to plan ahead. Making sure your floor is prepared for a table will keep you from having to move the table. And when planning for a pool table, one question comes up often: Should you put a rug under a pool table?

Protects the Floor

Read on to discover all about putting a rug under a pool table. I’ll go over the benefits and drawbacks of placing a rug under a pool table. I’ll also give you some tips, size options, and pile recommendations.

Dampens Sound

Since pool tables are so heavy, they have the potential to damage hardwood floors. For this reason alone many people put rugs under their pool tables. Even a thin rug will keep the floor from getting scratched up.

A big enough rug will also help protect the floor from an errant ball. Billiard balls are heavy and tough; they’ve been known to crack a tile floor or dent a wood one.

Rugs also help to dampen sound. While pool isn’t inherently a loud sport, the crashing of the balls can reverberate. Adding a rug can help absorb some of that sound so your roommates or family members don’t go crazy when you play pool for hours at a time!

Easy on the Feet

A large rug around your pool table provides some padding for your feet. If you’re on your feet all day at work, or simply don’t like standing on hard floors for hours at a time, a rug under the table is the way to go. And it doesn’t have to be a particularly thick rug. Even a little bit of padding helps.

Provides Warmth and Aesthetic Appeal

Maybe the other benefits are enough, even if you don’t necessarily want the rug there. Still, with all the rug designs and options available, you’ll probably be able to find one that works for you.

Protects Dropped Balls and Cues

The last on our list of benefits concerns dropped balls and cues. Not only can a rug protect the floor from this, but it also can protect the balls and cues themselves. Preventing a ball from chipping or a cue from cracking is a great reason to put a rug under a pool table.

Also, believe it or not, pool tables on hard floors have a tendency to move a little bit over time. A table won’t run away on you, but it will skew slightly and you’ll have to fix it eventually. People lean on the table to make shots or bump the table while walking by, causing it to move. Placing the table on a rug will prevent this from happening.

Now that we know the pros, let’s take a look at the cons of a rug under a pool table.

Takes Time to Settle

Any time you put a pool table on a rug or carpeting, it’s going to take a little time to settle. This means you’ll have to re-level once you’ve given the table time to settle. If you do place your table on a rug, level it, wait 2 or 3 weeks, and check to see if the table is still level. If it’s not, you’ll need to adjust it again.

May Present a Tripping Hazard

If you get a rug that’s too thick, you can create a tripping hazard. This is why low or medium-pile rugs are preferable for use under pool tables. Most people won’t trip over a thin rug. Thick, fluffy rugs are a different story.

Worth checking out: If you need to replace your felt, take a look at the Championship Saturn II Billiard Felt on Amazon.

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