What would you do with this basement layout problem? (the dreaded pole)
- Thread starter tonmo
- Start date
Sorry Ben, but Pink Floyd RULES! You're just too young to know that!:grin:
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
railfirst said:
Maybe I am way off but one of your pictures shows the long side of the room. It looks like you can change the location of the table and be fine. Of course this is just from viewing some pictures and I don't know the rest of the measurements in the room.
The way it is now the two walls you have on each side of the pool table look like they get in the way of play esp. when the cueball is close to the rail.
If you don't find another location for the table you will need to demo those walls and open up that space. I would not take down the pole, until you get a lisenced contractor and an engineer to review the job.
The way it is now the two walls you have on each side of the pool table look like they get in the way of play esp. when the cueball is close to the rail.
If you don't find another location for the table you will need to demo those walls and open up that space. I would not take down the pole, until you get a lisenced contractor and an engineer to review the job.
I removed poles in two houses to accomodate a pool table. I used LVL's (laminated veneer lumber). I did go with a contractor both times and don't regret it.
chevybob20 said:
Same here. I hired help and was impressed the things they took in account when figuring the load and span. Thats what sold me on my contractor. We did the LVL's to and my house still stands tall.
SoundWaves said:
Amen to that!
Nostroke said:
Yeah, just looking at those pics and imagining that is making me want to move to a new place.
I'd seriously consider talking to a contractor about getting rid of that pole. Or talk to the wife about putting the living room in the basement and the pool table upstairs.
Looks to me that if you move the table over that 6 inches, or whatever it was, that you'll barely be able to walk between the pole and the table.
MULLY
Just got back from an evening out at a local bar with bar boxes. No obstructions other than the patrons.Rodney said:
Re: the wall near the post -- yes, that is the staircase. However, there is closet space underneath the stairs. I actually never thought of clearing out that side. But if I were to get a professional to deal with the pole issue, and deal with the wall, there may be a solution there. It would be unfortunate because I got a TV mounted there, but I'd rather have unobstructed pool play than anything. Thanks for the suggestion -- I'm going to explore that.
...and I'd rather have a pool table with some obstacles than none at all!
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railfirst said:
says the dude who likes killswitch engage, take everysong killswitch ever makes or has made and it still wouldnt be half of shine on you crazy diamond or when the tigers broke free....ahh back when music meant something and it wasent just yelling over shitty drums.
anyway you should talk to a contractor about those walls and that pole, i couldnt seriously practice like that or play any good match ups.
good luck with your room.
Fair enough. While we play for a few bucks (I host a Pool Night with guys in my neighborhood), I can't say that I intend to do any serious competition in my basement... at all. What I've got is good for fun. We play tournaments, and yeah, you gotta take the layout into account.dabarbr said:
By the way -- to the people who are in a similar situation as I am -- I encourage you to get a table -- definitely. I love it. I play every day. Obstructions and all.
Thanks for the feedback everyone.
What about the wall where the door is? Can you take that out and move the table more?
Might as well move the music off the wall and onto another, you look to have done a 2 am drunk and tired decorating scheme in there I don't think it would matter much where it goes, and you can free up some feet to the right of the table to move it.
Might as well move the music off the wall and onto another, you look to have done a 2 am drunk and tired decorating scheme in there
I don't think it would matter much where it goes, and you can free up some feet to the right of the table to move it.
The salesperson/manager who sold me the table told me the story about another guy he sold a table to. The guy lived in an apartment, but wanted to practice desperately. He had a corner in the kitchen, so he put a 7' table there, flush against both walls in the kitchen. He got a lot of bank practice, and if you think about it, you really only need two sides with unobstructed shooting to get the full experience. Again, failing all else, I think it's better to have *something* to play on.TOTTI said:
I think there may be a way to improve on my situation by working with some elements of the room. If I find a means I'll report back. Thanks again all for the input -
!
Was happy to put my old albums to use. They are organized chronologically, and the bottom row is comprised of bootlegs... They're quite straight, and they were put up sober! As for moving them -- not sure how I'd free up feet... they are just album covers/sleeves... maybe 5-10mm thick?
As mentioned in my original post, there's foundational concrete there. Already looked into demolishing it, but can't do that.hang-the-9 said:
Not drunk and tired, but resourceful, yes.hang-the-9 said:Might as well move the music off the wall and onto another, you look to have done a 2 am drunk and tired decorating scheme in there
Was happy to put my old albums to use. They are organized chronologically, and the bottom row is comprised of bootlegs... They're quite straight, and they were put up sober! As for moving them -- not sure how I'd free up feet... they are just album covers/sleeves... maybe 5-10mm thick?
3andstop said:One of your photos seemed to show another room behind one wall. If these finished walls open to more space rather than a staircase, I'd first off get the sledgehammer, secondly put up the steel to reinforce the joist. Of course consult with a professional before your remove any poles or sledgehammer any walls with electrical outlets in them.
If you don't end up with 15x20 for a 9' table, I'd take nostrokes advice.
In conclusion!
:Correction to something I said earlier. Just had a look, and actually the staircase is not right there behind the pole. There is some space within the wall (on the pole side) that I can't seem to get to, and so I'm not sure what's there. There's a closet in another room behind the left side (which is behind the staircase), and while it goes deep, I don't think it goes all the way to the wall -- if it's just a closet, that'd be great).
Got out the measuring tape this morning:
The length of the room within the nook (from the framed octopus art to the wall "behind me") is about 18 1/2 feet.
Within the nook, the width (between the Pink Floyd wall and the opposite wall) is 12'6".
To get the width to 15 feet, I'd have to knock down the wall up to about where the red light is on the TV in this picture:
That may be an option.
From the TV to the wall behind me, it's only about 12 feet, so the table can't go "long-ways" in the room. To the question someone else raised, the length of the room itself is pretty long, but it's the 12' width that's the problem -- that's why it's in the nook, to get the extra 6" in the width.
If it's possible, I'm liking the idea of reclaiming that space up to the middle of the TV (or even just to the right edge of it), then re-inforcing things so that the pole can be removed. To your point, if I'm going to do all this (and it seems this will be fairly expensive), I might as well go for a 9-ft table. Per the Brunswick website, for a 9-ft table and a 58-inch cue, you need a 14' x 18' room. A 9 foot table with no obstruction would be awesome. And that's really what I should aim for if I'm going to make the investment at all.
In the meantime, I'll deal with this as-is. I think the room plays better than most of you think -- the obstructions (all added up) are probably an issue about 6% of the time -- that's my guess, and that could be high.
Given the expenses for this, it's probably a project for one or two years or so down the road. I think I know what I should aspire to now -- the end result would be worth the wait. Thanks once again for all the input -- very helpful.
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tonmo said:In conclusion!
Correction to something I said earlier. Just had a look, and actually the staircase is not right there behind the pole. There is some space within the wall (on the pole side) that I can't seem to get to, and so I'm not sure what's there. There's a closet in another room behind the left side (which is behind the staircase), and while it goes deep, I don't think it goes all the way to the wall -- if it's just a closet, that'd be great).
Got out the measuring tape this morning:
The length of the room within the nook (from the framed octopus art to the wall "behind me") is about 18 1/2 feet.
Within the nook, the width (between the Pink Floyd wall and the opposite wall) is 12'6".
To get the width to 15 feet, I'd have to knock down the wall up to about where the red light is on the TV in this picture:
That may be an option.
From the TV to the wall behind me, it's only about 12 feet, so the table can't go "long-ways" in the room. To the question someone else raised, the length of the room itself is pretty long, but it's the 12' width that's the problem -- that's why it's in the nook, to get the extra 6" in the width.
If it's possible, I'm liking the idea of reclaiming that space up to the middle of the TV (or even just to the right edge of it), then re-inforcing things so that the pole can be removed. To your point, if I'm going to do all this (and it seems this will be fairly expensive), I might as well go for a 9-ft table. Per the Brunswick website, for a 9-ft table and a 58-inch cue, you need a 14' x 18' room. A 9 foot table with no obstruction would be awesome. And that's really what I should aim for if I'm going to make the investment at all.
In the meantime, I'll deal with this as-is. I think the room plays better than most of you think -- the obstructions (all added up) are probably an issue about 6% of the time -- that's my guess, and that could be high.
Given the expenses for this, it's probably a project for one or two years or so down the road. I think I know what I should aspire to now -- the end result would be worth the wait. Thanks once again for all the input -- very helpful.
One other thing. If you can get a steel H beam down there it would solve your problem. You take the total span in feet. Convert that to inches and then divide by 2 and that will give you the necessary height of the beam.
As another poster said LVL, microlam and paralam are also ways to go. The over all cost of the project should not be that much. Especially if you have a friend that is a contractor.
Also you may not need that post anymore depending on the direction in which the joist run. You have a wall near the pool table that probably was added after the general construction was completed. This wall can be a bearing wall and be safely used to take the weight that the lolly column is supporting.
It would take a contractor 5 minutes to determine this. If the column can be safely removed all you have to do is barrow a house jack. Jack up the beam about a half an inch and remove the lolly column. Virtually no cost to you.
It would take a contractor 5 minutes to determine this. If the column can be safely removed all you have to do is barrow a house jack. Jack up the beam about a half an inch and remove the lolly column. Virtually no cost to you.