Home table and hardwood floors?

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Ill Gotten Gain

Deceased
Question for people with tables at home, I am planning to get a diamond 8 foot table for my home. i have hardwood floors. any suggestions n how to protect the hardwood where the table legs would sit and the walking area around the table?
 
Ill Gotten Gain said:
Question for people with tables at home, I am planning to get a diamond 8 foot table for my home. i have hardwood floors. any suggestions n how to protect the hardwood where the table legs would sit and the walking area around the table?
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Hi, I have very nice hw floors and a GC6. Not sure what options come with Diamond tables, but the GC comes with optional cork “coaster” type things that sit under the the metal feet, explicitly for this purpose. You can get similar things for a few $ off amazon or any hardware/gardening type places, I think they are meant for plant pots.

They do add approx 1/4 to 1-2” inch to the table height, and I ended up taking mine out and having table re-leveled about 6 mo post install. Which leads to what may be a few tips that I learned the hard way.

I think any/all hw floors are notorious for having some high/low spots. I think (but am not 100% sure) that its standard practice for table techs to set one foot with its adjuster screwed all the way in (ie lowest setting) as the anchor foot and adjust the other 3 feet up as necessary. In my case, they happened to set my table’s anchor foot at what is apparently a high spot in the floor. Table came out perfectly level but with the slate bed at about 32.5”, which is well above BCA/WPA max height spec of 31”. Of course I was eager to play it and at first I thought no big deal and even thought it was a good thing, since supposedly higher tables are easier on the back longterm.

But over time I found it annoying and discovered that I much prefer when table is lower, just feels better and more shots are reachable for me with std playing cue. The guys came back to lower & re-adjust and now I’m in spec but just a hair under 31”. Ideally I wanted it in the 29.5-30” zone but It turned out that due to the anchor foot being set all the way in on a high spot, they didn’t have much to room to adjust down without a major re-work, so I just decided to yank the coasters to buy an extra 1/2” or so. The take away being, it is probably a good idea at install to be aware of how level your floor is and pay attention to any hi/low spots when setting the anchor foot. I’ll probably have 4 discolored spots when I eventually sell/move, but the room doesn’t get much sun and hopefully no worse than what any rug or piece of furniture would create long term. Table performance trumps any floor considerations for me, but don’t discuss this topic with my wife 😂

Also, on HW floors the table can settle a bit after initial install and its not uncommon to have to re-level once after a few months. I think any decent tech will do this for free, my local BW dealer offered this as part of the package. Except for the minor drama above, its actually stayed perfectly level the entire 2 years I’ve had it.

I’m just a dumb pool player, maybe the table techs have some wiser tips.

Hope it helps, enjoy the new home table!
 
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Sorry, in my diatribe above - I actually forgot the most important parts of the answer!

At first I also assumed it would be a good idea to protect the floor under the feet. But actually the metal feet castings on the GC are wide and very nicely shaped and I don’t see any need for anything under them. The feet on the Diamond Pro look similar - not sure about the ProAm. Any heavy commercial grade table isn’t moving even when bumped etc - so I didn’t feel anything extra was necessary at all to protect against scratches etc.

We like the look of the floors and ease of cleaning the wood (light sweep vs vacuuming) so don’t have any rug/carpet anywhere in the room. We’re also a 1/2 Chinese home with no shoes indoors. And cats & dog… Of course thats all subjective preference.

Best
 
I had a 9' Diamond installed on hardwood a while back and I asked the installers about any recommended floor protection under the table legs. They scoffed, saying it wasn't necessary. As for around the table, that's all personal preference. I just play on the hardwood wearing Crocs, as they are comfortable, easy to slip on and off, and won't scuff the floor. The rare occasion a ball has flown off the table hasn't made much of a difference, although if you squint and catch the light right you can perhaps convince yourself there's a small impact spot.
 
Here is what worked for me. I recently replaced my carpet with hardwood flooring. I was worried about the weight of my Diamond Pro large so I found sheets of felt pads, just like the adhesive material that you can purchase for chair or table legs. I was able to find this material in widths up to ten inches.

I cut circles that closely matched my table feet and placed them under the feet. The table sits up another 3/16 inch which is nice since I am a big tall manly man.

Because these slider pads are there I could even move the beast of a table a few inches if I ever had to, if I were feeling manly.

I also play in Crocs to protect the area around the table. Even though that footwear is uglier than a bottle of warts they work well and have no effect on the flooring's finish.
 

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Ill Gotten Gain said:
Question for people with tables at home, I am planning to get a diamond 8 foot table for my home. i have hardwood floors. any suggestions n how to protect the hardwood where the table legs would sit and the walking area around the table?
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If you jump the ball of the table, it will destroy your hardwood floor.
 
Wolven said:
If you jump the ball of the table, it will destroy your hardwood floor.
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That hasn’t been my experience, with caveats;

1) Brazilian cherry is supposedly very hard
2) Our floor was 6-7 yrs old when we bought the house and already had some “character”
3) Spoiled big dogs w/big paws & claws doesn’t help
4) very seldom send balls flying on home table, and in general. Even with teen kids

So maybe I don’t notice. The rare occasion I do pop one off, the wood floor is indeed loud and scuffs the balls a bit, but nothing major.
 
Update, I just remastered my room and it’s 2” short in width for an 8 foot table. 7 footer plenty of room.

My question is this. I play mostly on 9 footers. Is it even worth it to have a 7 foot table at home? I wanted something so that I can practice at home whenever I can’t get to the poolroom.
 
I had cabinet liners, cut to size, placed under my Diamond 9 ft feet. I know this protected my floor. This was an original Diamond. The feet on the newer diamonds may be ok but this is a nobrainer for any heavy table, imo
 
Ill Gotten Gain said:
Update, I just remastered my room and it’s 2” short in width for an 8 foot table. 7 footer plenty of room.

My question is this. I play mostly on 9 footers. Is it even worth it to have a 7 foot table at home? I wanted something so that I can practice at home whenever I can’t get to the poolroom.
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I wouldn’t hesitate. In fact I’d prefer a 7’ over an 8’. Many of us love & prefer 9’ tables but 7’ barboxes are great fun, especially if its a sporty Diamond with tight pockets. Cheers
 
Rocket354 said:
The rare occasion a ball has flown off the table hasn't made much of a difference, although if you squint and catch the light right you can perhaps convince yourself there's a small impact spot.
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There's a reason it's called hardwood and they've made floors out of it for centuries. It's very durable.
 
Ill Gotten Gain said:
Update, I just remastered my room and it’s 2” short in width for an 8 foot table. 7 footer plenty of room.

My question is this. I play mostly on 9 footers. Is it even worth it to have a 7 foot table at home? I wanted something so that I can practice at home whenever I can’t get to the poolroom.
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How wide is it? My room is just under 14' and I can play for hours without touching the wall. This is with a standard cue and 44" x 88" standard 8' table. If a ball is on the rail and you are shooting perpendicular you won't get much of a backswing but you probably don't need it there. If my room was a couple of inches small it would come into play.

You can still work on ball movement and clean stroking on a 7 footer, it may encourage you to refine your short game. I suppose you might have a hiccup transitioning to the 9 footer if you don't play on one for a while, your shots will be shorter, but the improvement in skill from more table time should easily overcome the the extra 2 feet. If you'd like having a pool table then you will like having any good quality pool table.
phreaticus said:
I wouldn’t hesitate. In fact I’d prefer a 7’ over an 8’. Many of us love & prefer 9’ tables but 7’ barboxes are great fun, especially if its a sporty Diamond with tight pockets. Cheers
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There are a few people who prefer 7s to 8s. Is it because 8s are only in houses but a 7 is a size you see in the wild, or is it something else? I feel like the 8 makes the transition to a 7 easy and a 9 is a smaller stretch from an 8 than a 7.
 
phreaticus said:
That hasn’t been my experience, with caveats;

1) Brazilian cherry is supposedly very hard
2) Our floor was 6-7 yrs old when we bought the house and already had some “character”
3) Spoiled big dogs w/big paws & claws doesn’t help
4) very seldom send balls flying on home table, and in general. Even with teen kids

So maybe I don’t notice. The rare occasion I do pop one off, the wood floor is indeed loud and scuffs the balls a bit, but nothing major.
Click to expand...
I have Brazilian Tiger wood which is also one of the hardest woods.
It is not the wood that gets damaged but the finish.

Laminate flooring actually is more resistant to damage, which is kind of weird.
 
tomatoshooter said:
I installed some and I don't know what the finish was but it was insanely durable. I could barely scratch it with a scribe.
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That’s stuff is bullet proof. We put some cheap stuff down $2/sf in a card club I was a partner in. 2 years later it looked brand new-even when the wheel would pop off a chair (which was often-old chairs) it never dinged up the flooring. Impossible.

The problem with hard floors imo around a pool table is the echo, that’s why I use the cheapest indoor/outdoor carpet and change it every couple years. Can just put a track of it around the box not under it. Passed carpet is bad after playing for a couple hours my legs aren’t very happy. So thin cheap indoor outdoor carpet. Or a huge Persian rug that’s not thick works but that can cost more than the box does. I’ve done both.
 
tomatoshooter said:
There are a few people who prefer 7s to 8s. Is it because 8s are only in houses but a 7 is a size you see in the wild, or is it something else? I feel like the 8 makes the transition to a 7 easy and a 9 is a smaller stretch from an 8 than a 7.
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I can see how an 8’ gets you a bit of both worlds. To me, it’s primarily what you mentioned, 8’ are mostly found as home furniture tables; 9 & 7 are whats in 99% places, so I prefer them from a competitive/practice perspective.

8’ always seemed to be an oddball “tweener” to me, but honestly I’ve never spent a lot of time on one. I’m sure I’d love a nice GC or Diamond 8’ if I ever got on one. One observation I made after playing on some 8’ tables at a friends poolhall is that specifically the game of 8b seems much easier on an 8’ - balls are easier to pot like barboxes, but also not much congestion to deal with, sorta best of both worlds from big & small. 8’ with bucket pockets is the only time I’ve run a 4-pack of 8b, so you’d think I’d love them…

But actually the main reason is that it seems most folks end up with 8’s because thry can’t quite squeeze a 9’ into their space. 5’ space from all edges really is required to be truly comfy for a serious player and if it came down to risking some hot spots with an 8’ or a more comfortable scenario with a 7’ - I’d go with the 7’ all day long.

No right answer, everyone has different scenarios & prefs. Good luck to the OP, whatever size he gets will be great fun!

Cheers ✌️
 
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tomatoshooter said:
There's a reason it's called hardwood and they've made floors out of it for centuries. It's very durable.
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Yeah if your are talking old school unfinished pine like with the old pool halls and saloons of the early years, but who wants ball dings on their nice hardwood floors at home?
 
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tomatoshooter said:
How wide is it? My room is just under 14' and I can play for hours without touching the wall. This is with a standard cue and 44" x 88" standard 8' table. If a ball is on the rail and you are shooting perpendicular you won't get much of a backswing but you probably don't need it there. If my room was a couple of inches small it would come into play.
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diamond recommends 13’6” minimum for their 8 foot table. My room measures 13’4”. Length wise I’m more than good
 
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