Can I put a pool table in a Texas garage??

ForbidInjustice

ForbidInjustice

gammel søulk
Hello everyone, new to the forum!

I live in Central Texas, where the weather is full of mood swings and the temperature can hit 110°F outside in the summer, very humid... and 30°F in the winter. I have received mixed advice and opinions regarding putting a slate pool table in the garage, so I wanted to get another set of opinions to see if we can come up with a consensus. Yay or nae?

The garage itself is not insulated. There is no central air and no air conditioning unit. Aluminum door, standard drywall, sheetrock on the ceiling. Someone told me that it's the humidity, not necessarily the heat, that will warp the wood on the table. If this is the case, can't I just buy a good dehumidifier to regulate the humidity? I want to protect my $800-1500 investment (on a good used/like-new table) but I want to be practical also. I don't want to insulate the entire thing, convert the garage, leave ten fans on 24/7, or anything drastic like that.

I have no other place to put a table in my house, and cannot afford $4000 for an outdoor aluminum table that is impervious to the elements. Please advise; what are my options to keep the cost reasonable and still protect my table? Thanks in advance for the help!
 
Deosnt sound good to me. It woudl be like playing in thick mud if it was really humid outside.
 
I used to have my old sport king in the garage back in the day.....had it there one or two hot summers.....no issues, the wood did NOT warp....granted, had to play late at night and get the fans going in the summer :D

Winter wasn't near as bad, just used a space heater.....a few people moving around and it stayed warm enough....

Then again, all tables are not created alike.....if it's a solid, sturdy old school table, I'm guessing it will be fine, but not sure of the newer tables....you might look to at least get a better, insulated door and maybe look into insulating the garage (cheaply) just enough to help out.....seems keeping a humidifier running could be a beating, but what do I know...
 
I think a dehumidifier would be a necessity.....if the walls are just sheetrock...... taking down panels and installing some roll insullation should not be too time consuming or terribly expensive....and would eventually pay for itself......a small window unit A/C can be had at home depot for less than $100. It will condition and dehumidify. Most Units are easily installed .....even if a window has not been framed in.....by a competent handyman......Be sure to talk with someone regarding the total square footage of your area......and purchase an A/C unit just slightly larger than recommended because of the extreme temps encountered in your area. During the winter and non playing hours.....a small dehumidifier should keep all in order. If you know the type table you will be buying....I'm sure one of the many mechanics on here can tell you the proper conditions to meet for best service and most consistent play.......Dan
 
My Sportsman is in my garage in Iowa and I haven't had any issues yet. I was sure it would go to pot on me in the winter, but I didn't have any issues yet. I know this isn't the greatest method, but you gotta do what you gotta do sometimes.
 
Thanks for the replies so far. I'm only renting this house, so I didn't want to make any huge or permanent modifications, perhaps some insulation on the garage door or something, but would that help keep it cool in summer just as much as it would help keep it warm in winter?

The garage has no windows (few garages around here do), so a window unit isn't a viable solution without a converted garage. I couldn't think of a better way to cool the garage except opening up the door and starting some fans.

Humidity is definitely a problem at times, so I don't mind buying a dehumidifier and paying a few extra bucks in electricity a month to keep it running and protect my table. I plan to spend about $800 on a good used slate table.. the salesperson I talked to earlier just scared the crap out of me and gave me every caveat she could, saying that the wood would be warped within a year of owning it.
 
I have mine in the garage in Dallas. I did insulate the walls and put an insulated door on and my table is holding up well. I would get real worried if the sun hits the garage door directly for an extended period, that would get hot.
 
The house and garage face the north, so that's a definite plus! All the positive responses sound like I should give it a go, run a dehumidifier, and look to insulate it as well as possible. Dallas is where I plan to drive to pick up a table if I can get a good deal, so hopefully I'll pick up some more advice and tips along the way.

The store down the street will professionally set up the table for me for $150. Is that pretty good? I'm going to have to research how to disassemble and move it, so hopefully that won't be too big of an issue.
 
I still think an A/C unit would be another worthwhile investment. You mentioned that it was a rental property so permenant modifications to the structure are impossible for installation. An alternate solution is to purchase an inexpensive door to mount the window unit in. Then the original door can be reinstalled upon your departure.....Dan
 
If I could get an A/C unit in the garage, it would be awesome for the summer, but I just don't see anywhere at all to put it. The door to the inside of the house and the garage door are the only openings.. there's really nowhere to mount it. It is my father's house, so I have some leeway; if it was an inexpensive permanent mod, I could probably get the go-ahead to do it. However, I won't want to drop a lot of money on a modification that I won't take with me when I leave.

One benefit is that my father is in town from Iraq right now, and is a master at this stuff, so I'll ask him tonight about ideas he might have for getting an A/C unit or two in there any possible way.

I don't understand what you meant by an inexpensive door. What kind of door? Please clarify...
 
Well the lack of a seperate outside door is certainly a drawback. About the only othe option is to ask "Dad" if he would like a new window...LOL
 
A simple hollow core interior door is available at Home Depot or Lowes hardware store. It would require the addition of a couple pieces of plywood reinforcing panels for the A/C frame mounting hardware.....but these doors can be had for less than 50 bucks.....the addition of a couple of coats of spar varnish or marine varnish.....would make the door reasonably suitable as an exterior door as well.......Dan
 
But where in the world would I put a door? The garage door that's in place right now is the 2-car aluminum door that spans about 18 feet across.
 
Well....like i said....you're down to a couple of options, a new exterior door....pre-hung and framed......aprox $150-300 and 6-8 hours of relaxed labor....ie...a beer or two. Or....a new window.....pre-framed and hung....maybe a little less expensive and time consuming than the door.

If you have no experience in this sort of work.....get a knowledgable friend to assist.......Dan
 
Thanks, Dan. 6-8 hours of relaxed labour is more like.. a case of beer or two. :wink:

To put a door in the garage leading to outside... would require a garage conversion, or knocking out a door-sized hole in the wall. There is no standard doorway that leads to outside... only the huge aluminum sliding door. The standard doorway in the garage only leads to the inside of the house.

So basically, as far as I gather, a ceiling fan (and floor fans when I'm in there) and dehumidifier are the only practical options to keep it not-so-blistering-hot during the summer, and not as detrimentally humid. If that will prevent the wood from warping, cracking, and splitting, then I should proceed... otherwise, I might as well not waste my money on a table.
 
Well....it would require a hole be cut into an existing wall yes....the size of the hole would be determined by the size of the A/C unit. But this would be just a hole in the wall if or when you decided to remove the unit. By installing a small window you add dual functionallity.....not a bad sales point if you have to sell the idea to Dad. If you elect to play in a tin/shingle roofed uninsulated shed without A/C... in 110 degree heat outside......raising the inside temps well into the unbearable range.....I think it would be a mistake......fans will simply make it seem as if a hairdryer is blowing on ya....This is just my opinion and should be taken as such......Dan
 
Excellent analogy, and good point. If there were siding on the other side of the garage wall (instead of brick), it wouldn't be as big of a deal. I brought up the idea tonight but didn't go into depth. I'll basically ask him an open-ended question and see if there is "any way" to get an air-conditioning unit installed in there. I figure it's probably what I have to do.

He did 30 years in the Army; he has ways of making things happen!
 
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