Flooring Options for Home Pool Room

TSW

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'm trying to choose the flooring for my soon-to-be home pool room and I'm deciding between regular carpet and carpet tile. I've read a number of old threads on the topic where carpet tile is recommended because it is easier to change the carpet right around the table.

In a home room, do you really see enough wear around the table to warrant using carpet tile instead of regular carpet?

All thoughts and suggestions welcome.
 

banditgrrr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'm trying to choose the flooring for my soon-to-be home pool room and I'm deciding between regular carpet and carpet tile. I've read a number of old threads on the topic where carpet tile is recommended because it is easier to change the carpet right around the table.

In a home room, do you really see enough wear around the table to warrant using carpet tile instead of regular carpet?

All thoughts and suggestions welcome.


I would say use ceramic tile. It's a hard surface so you're table will not "settle" after you level it and it's the most durable surface against beverage spills.
 

zpele

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Depends on how much you will be playing on it. I find that any hard surface is hard on my feet if I am playing for extended periods of time (4+ hours) so you may want to look into getting some kind of carpet for the long run.

Also I don't know if you have the option but having a clay surface underneath whatever you decide is much better than cement on your joints.
 

ND Fan

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Great question... considering the same options although I am on a concrete floor in the basement. I think even the best carpet will be a nightmare after several years of constant walking around it. I anticipate a ring of dirt circling the table. I am considering concrete stain and clear epoxy coat. Just not crazy about how I'll feel when that first ball falls off the table. carpet tile is something I hadn't considered but has some serious benefits although that's assuming the same color and or style will be available for years to come when it needs to be replaced. Scratchin my head a bit... I was also considering the wood plank style tile, but pretty sure a ball dropped on that could easily crack it. Wood sounds good but then I have to consider the potential moisture in the floor. WTF Dirt floors sound better than all my well thought out options.
 

TSW

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thanks for the responses, everyone. I have decided against any kind of hard surface. That will be too uncomfortable for long sessions. So I'm down to (1) regular wall-to-wall carpet or (2) carpet tile.

If I go with carpet tile I'm going to buy a bunch of extra tiles now so that I don't have to worry about the style going out of stock. My non-pool-playing friends (and non-pool-playing wife) are skeptical about the need for carpet tile but I can't shake the idea that it will be a benefit in the long run.
 

Hits 'em Hard

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'm trying to choose the flooring for my soon-to-be home pool room and I'm deciding between regular carpet and carpet tile. I've read a number of old threads on the topic where carpet tile is recommended because it is easier to change the carpet right around the table.

In a home room, do you really see enough wear around the table to warrant using carpet tile instead of regular carpet?

All thoughts and suggestions welcome.

Too many options to list and recommend. Whats the sub-flooring? Concrete or OSB? Or over something else?
 

ideologist

I don't never exaggerate
Silver Member
Why not do a hard surface with tiles around the table. Leave the table on a 12x8 rectangle of concrete or hardwood or whatever. Tiles around the playing surface. Ample room for chairs or stools
 

woody_968

BRING BACK 14.1
Silver Member
I would not use ceramic, or any other hard surface. There is not a lot of cushion to commercial carpet, but you would notice a big difference after a few hours of playing on a hard surface instead of a carpeted area.

Carpet tiles are an excellent choice. It is what I have in my room. But I have them because I got a smoking deal (I used to manage a flooring store and we bought factory over runs) and I was able to install them myself. The theory behind carpet tile is you can move them around as they wear and distribute that wear more evenly. That being said, few people actually rotate them. Other than that the only real advantage is carpet tile is almost always high end product. Meaning they use the best nylons, and the backing is made in such a way that it is much harder to get a snag and a run in the carpet. The other thing I really like about using carpet tile is I cut out holes where my table legs are. This way the table is setting directly on the concrete and will not settle into the carpet and need to be re-leveled after the settling occurs. If I would decide to sell the table I have extra tiles I could just replace the cut tiles with and not have holes in the middle of the room.

I would suggest any good quality commercial carpet. One of the main things to ask about is the backing. A normal action back carpet has a tuft bind strength of about 6 to 8 lbs. The tuft bind strength is what determines how hard it is to snag the carpet. A unitary backed carpet has a tuft bind strength in the 16 to 20 lbs range. Unitary back and other similar types of carpet can not be installed over padding, and are recommended to be glued down. Although I have seen many applications where they were just loose lay the product so that if you want to change it later it is easy to remove. In fact my carpet tile is not glued at all.

Kraus carpet brand has a product called zipper lock. With their product even if you do snag the carpet is is sewn in a way that will prevent it from unraveling very far. Very nice product with some great looks at very reasonable prices compared to other carpets in the same quality range.

I could write a book about the subject so I will stop here. If you have any other questions for me just ask, Id be happy to help.

Woody
 

stevel

Lomax Custom Cues
Silver Member
Carpet tiles are the way to go. If one gets damaged or stained,you just take it up and replace it. Most of the good carpet tiles are installed on a pressure sensitive adhesive. You can take them up and replace them very easy. Your room won't be as noisey either. You can cut the carpettile around the feet on the legs as well for a solid foundation to set the table on. This is just my opinion on the subject,but it is the best way with best results.

Best Wishes,
 
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ceebee

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
IMO... I would not use any ceramic tile. When the ball jumps the table & it will jump the table, you may end up with a broken tile or a damaged ball... just a warning.

I went with 2 x 2 carpet squares (good quality) & with padding. There is no carpet squares under the table, that portion is a section of hardwood flooring.

Good Luck
 

Joules

Registered
I'm going to be on concrete in my basement when my table is installed.

I was planning on putting down anti-fatigue mats around the pool table for comfort. (Actually 1/2 in horse trailer mats).

It won't be pretty but should help the knees and feet and give a wide enough landing area for errant break/jump shots.

How important are looks?? Can you decide after you get the table setup?

Joules
 

woody_968

BRING BACK 14.1
Silver Member
If you live in an area that has a Big Bobs Flooring Outlet you might want to check them out. They often buy factory over runs of carpet tile and you would be surprised what you can get them for.
 

macguy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'm trying to choose the flooring for my soon-to-be home pool room and I'm deciding between regular carpet and carpet tile. I've read a number of old threads on the topic where carpet tile is recommended because it is easier to change the carpet right around the table.

In a home room, do you really see enough wear around the table to warrant using carpet tile instead of regular carpet?

All thoughts and suggestions welcome.
Cork is the best by far. Easy on the feet, balls will not get damaged should they leave the table. It is extremely quieting and more durable then you would think. I used to play in a pool room that installed it and you could tell the difference the first day it was down. After years of use it still looked good.The room went from sounding like a train station to very quiet. The music even sounded better without all the echoing. You can get it in a variety of colors to match what ever the room is. It would be my first choice for a home room.
 

xianmacx

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have had a table on normal carpet for around 8 years. It shows no wear at all. If you plan on playing in shoes, it might wear a little more.
 

Tony_in_MD

You want some of this?
Silver Member
My table is in a basement with a concrete sub floor. I decided to put a laminated wood floor under the table and carpet around to save my legs. If I have to replace the carpet I won't have to fuss with the table. Balls have fallen on the wood floor with no damage to the balls or floor. The carpet is a closed loop Berber.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.
 
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bdorman

Dead money
Silver Member
If you are installing the carpet or carpet tile in a basement I highly recommend installing a Dri-Core subfloor. I did it in our lower level and it is fantastic: no musty smell that you get from carpet on concrete, you can install almost anything on top of it, warmer in the winter, and so on.

Plus, you can level it as you install in case your basement floor isn't 100% level.

Dri-Core website
 

cre8tuv

Registered
I like what this person has done. I imagine it would be easy to replace the carpeting if it was damaged without disturbing the table, and you wouldn't have to worry about settling.
 

Dopc

www.PoolActionTV.com
Silver Member
I faced the flooring issue just a few months ago. My table is in my basement over concrete. Ceramic tile was my first thought, but imagining a ball popping off a table and cracking a tile and the grief of replacing that tile, I forgot that idea right away. Being a basement, I was concerned with using real wood, or laminate flooring in a basement atmosphere due to possible future moisture issues. Carpet would be impossible to keep clean. Then there is the issue of traffic patterns around the table with carpet, plus drink and food spills would be a pain to clean.

Then I found the Vinyl Plank material (see picture below), it fit every requirement I had. Wouldn't damage a ball falling on it, wouldn't get damaged by a ball falling on it, easy as pie to install (really stupid easy and fast), even easier to clean, and keep clean. Wouldn't swell or De-laminate should moisture ever become an issue. There is not as much if any concern with settling over time, causing a table to need re-leveling as well.

Over all, I couldn't be more pleased with the product, in fact I'm about to install the same product in a bathroom and tub area replacing the current carpet. I also plan to install it in the kitchen, there is laminate flooring in it now. The fridge had a small leak (condensation tray cracked), the water made the laminate swell in the seams and it is ruined. Had the vinyl plank been there no such damage would have occurred.

I used Allure brand vinyl plank purchased at Home Depot. It was roughly $2 a square foot. If I'm not mistaken it is 5mm thick. I found cheaper 2-3mm plank, but I feared any floor imperfections would project through the thinner/less expensive material.

Good luck, and feel free to PM me asking any questions you may have. Picture of flooring below. This is the Allure in Cherry finish.

Dopc.

O9GHt5B.jpg
 

joelpope

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Thanks for the responses, everyone. I have decided against any kind of hard surface. That will be too uncomfortable for long sessions. So I'm down to (1) regular wall-to-wall carpet or (2) carpet tile.

If I go with carpet tile I'm going to buy a bunch of extra tiles now so that I don't have to worry about the style going out of stock. My non-pool-playing friends (and non-pool-playing wife) are skeptical about the need for carpet tile but I can't shake the idea that it will be a benefit in the long run.
I put cork flooring in my exercise room... Awesome stuff!

Looks great, waterproof, super easy on the feet and knees

I will do it in my next home pool room without a doubt.
 
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