# Getting creative with a pool table - opinions?



## nickgoracke

Hi all, I have a ~12' x ~14' room that I'm dying to put a pool table in. Just one problem, every chart I've ever looked at requires at least 15' for the long side. I won't be knocking down any walls, and there's absolutely no other room suitable for a table (already have a cab in the room, looking to add a bar, and every other room in the house has a set function)... so I'm trying to get a little creative here.


My first thought was diagonal placement, but I've been told to drop this idea (from the pool table salesman, no less). Someone convince me that it's really impossible.










My current bright idea is to put one short end of the table flush against the wall. Yes, I lose one side, but this frees me up to get any size table I want and makes for some interesting house rules (and a lot more bank shots). I'm not a hardcore pool player or purist, so this idea doesn't seem that outrageous to me, but I'm curious what others think - would you enjoy playing a table set up like this, or pass if asked to play a game?


Or maybe someone else who's been down this road has an even better idea for me...


----------



## tidalwdave

You and your guests will not enjoy playing a game in that small of a room. I wish I could encourage you, but you are looking at some frustrating billiard games in that small of a room.


Your room is barely wide enough, but you are short at least a foot on both ends on legnth, even working with the minimum required space. I'm sorry, but it's just not enough room to make it any fun.


What about foosball, airhockey, bumper pool, pinball, darts, etc?


Dave


----------



## mbott1701

Yeah, check out a bumper pool table. Those are actually a lot of fun and it would fit fine in that room. Maybe get a classic upright arcade game or 2, also?


----------



## fuzzatch

Here is a fairly extensive room chart with table and cue sizes. It appears that you may just make it with a 7 ft (common bar sized) table and a 42" cue: Minimum 10'9" X 14'.

http://www.4americanrecreation.com/bl_roomsize.htm 


The chart is at the bottom of the page.


I agree with others though, that this may be too small a space to really enjoy playing pool in. A different game may be optimal.


Good luck in your search though.


----------



## tleavit

Whew! When I saw the title of the thread I was thinking it would have some good pictures *wink* *wink*


----------



## solderguy1

I put a 7-footer into a 18x12ft screened-in room, so I can feel your pain. It's a touch cramped with a pinball machine in one corner. We need to tilt our sticks up over it or grab the 48 inch cue.


If you really want to get creative, you could buy a 1 inch thick slab of 4x8 Melamine board, cut it down, and make a custom 6 ft pool table. It's a doable project. I built a full-size bumper pool top that has legs made of drain pipe covers with felt glued on (short, flat, and large surface area). I set it on the pool table and can play both games.


Felt, rubber strips for bumpers, and other supplies are all on ebay.


----------



## nickgoracke

I was hoping someone would comment on what they thought of placing one side against a wall (making this essentially a 3-sided table). I thought it was a cool idea, anyways.










I've certainly considered other games (ping-pong being the number 1 option, but I think that may be way too big also), but I just really don't think I'll get as much value out of them.


----------



## Gerrits

I would not put the table against the wall. You would be better off with a six or seven foot table with shorty cues. It's not ideal, but it's better than nothing. My table is essentially in a 12x15 area. It's open on one side, but there is a treadmill in the way. I have 48" cues and a little guy, 36" for the tight spots. It's better than the quality of pool I played earlier which was none. The one kicker for me was that I already had the 7 foot table. I'm not sure that I would have bought one for my space.


----------



## dukedallas2005

buy a bar table 6ft. and short sticks


----------



## Logic_BomB

3-sided pool would be a fun house rule every now and then but what would your opinion be 20 games in? If it were me the ONLY thing on my mind would be "damn I want to play normally for a change".


I hear you pain - no basements I've seen in houses I'm looking at come CLOSE to the dimentions required for a pool table (what ever happened to normal shaped basements?!?!) but I would much rather go without than have to tilt my sticks or eliminate a side.


I'd recommend another game, a much smaller table (I wouldn't get one but it's better than no room on a full sized) or some other such thing.


----------



## skoobz

yea, most typical surburban style houses do not have a room suitable for a pool table, unless you have a basement that is open.


i have a pool table and the only space that is large enough where i can play pool without worrying about jamming the stick into the walls is on my large deck, so that's where it is, which sux because i can only play it when the weather is nice.


----------



## roar

Put in the group who would rather go without then have to use short cues or be cramped... and I am a big fan of pool... to think you'd consider putting one side against a wall is a pretty good indication to me that you really don't want a pool table










That are is super tight for ping pong, but I've played (And had a good time) in smaller areas.... again, the bigger the better for ping pong too.


I'd go with a nice selection of pinball machines, maybe a hold'em/card table, shuffle board even... that you can pin against one side of your room... basically anything other then a pool table


----------



## Raymond23

Don't do it.


I desparately wanted a pool table and when we build our home, I figured that with 1400 sq ft in the basement-there would be room.


But we have the typical long and narrow rec room.


Pool tables need a HUGE footprint and we would need to sacrifice a lot to get it in.


So, we eventually dropped it. Instead, we got 2 bedrooms (one a home office, the other a home gym), a full bathroom, a huge bar, a fireplace, a poker table, a pinball table, an arcade game, a sectional, a home entetainment system, and built in bookcases.


Glad we went the way we did.


Consider a foosball, airhockey, bubble hockey or other things. All of these need small footprints.


But, wedging in a pool table where it doesn't fit is a bad idea. Putting it up against a wall is an unbelievably bad idea...


----------



## Remax

I just picked up a carrom bubble hockey table from fleabay for $450 used. Its normally a $1200 table. I could not be happier with it.


----------



## James Cantrell

what would be the best materials for me to use to build my own room that is 20' x 20' and to hold my pool table


----------



## AVSSVA

Well if you play like Kramer from Seinfeld it can be done.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw8gGX2I50M


----------



## MediaFan63

I 2nd the bar pool table idea. You'd be surprised how many people own them. Those are also the people that run the table all night at the bar or club.


----------

