Does cold temps hurt a Pool Table

PoolFan101

PoolFan101

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hello ,

My Son has not gotten to finish his Building yet but plans to before Winter sets in . So far like today the temp was in 40's and maybe low 30's thru the night. It is supposed to get up to the 50's in a day or so. He keeps the table covered with one of the thin pool table covers. My question is will the lower temps have any ill effect on the table , like damage it or hurt the rails. He plans on insulating it pretty soon as he gets the electric wired in . Thanks
 
PoolFan101 said:
Hello ,

My Son has not gotten to finish his Building yet but plans to before Winter sets in . So far like today the temp was in 40's and maybe low 30's thru the night. It is supposed to get up to the 50's in a day or so. He keeps the table covered with one of the thin pool table covers. My question is will the lower temps have any ill effect on the table , like damage it or hurt the rails. He plans on insulating it pretty soon as he gets the electric wired in . Thanks
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Probably not the best for the cushion rubbers over the long term, but likely not a big deal if he plans to get it insulated and climate controlled fairly soon. Cold temps aren’t nearly as harmful to cushion rubbers as extremely hot temps.
 
We have a 20 amp drop cord ran down to it from our outside outlet and he has light and he bought a Radiator style electric heater to use when he is playing but I do not believe the heater is getting enough Electric as it is not producing very much heat. I cannot stand Kerosene and the smell it produces and he does not want his table to smell like Kerosene either. It may be a month or 2 before he can at least get it insulated. I just wish I could figure out a better way to get some heat in it to play . That Electric Radiator heater is not cutting it . I cannot handle the cold anymore. Once it get's insulated and Electric ran in it I believe that he may go Propane. But right now trying to figure a way to get some heat so we can at least platy without freezing .
 
The first few years I had my Valley, it'd occasionally dip to -30 or colder in my uninsulated garage. I'm thinking if that didn't hurt it, nothing will.
 
Slate, wood and rubber all expand and contract with temperature swings. Each one has a different rate of expansion, so over time it will do some damage, most likely your seams in the slate will fail first but the time it takes will depend on how well your table was put together.

Go for the Kerosene and make sure it’s working properly and it shouldn’t smell. I think with kerosene you should always keep a window cracked too.

Sent from my iPhone using AzBilliards Forums
 
From my own experience with tables and temperatures - prolonged table exposure below 60 degrees will harden up the rubber to the point where rebounds will slow significantly. Seventy to eighty degrees seems to be the ideal temps for rubber rebound speed. Slates are heated on some 3 cushion tables for uniform good speeds as well. Cold temps = slower tables, I think if you start going below 50 the wood will start to get affected as well.
 
Mick said:
The first few years I had my Valley, it'd occasionally dip to -30 or colder in my uninsulated garage. I'm thinking if that didn't hurt it, nothing will.
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Ditto on that. My Valley sat in a garage for years before I bought it. Gets down to zero and below around here in the winter. The cushions seem fine.
 
My pal is a table mechanic, pool collector,etc.

He borrowed my"skill" saw and brought me a 1/2 a truck full of firewood.
He cut up 2 1880's era Brunswick tables that were junk.

For fun, I tested a joint,140 year old horsehide glue, and old growth "something".

The old glue held, the wood failed.
 
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