Yes! A pool table needs to be kept in a climate-controlled area such as a garage, or in your home if it is heated and has AC.
You should never keep your pool table outside, or in a storage unit that lacks effective climate control.
Remember, pool tables offer plenty of fun, especially if you like having friends and family around. But, improper storage can destroy it, real quick.
Generally, a pool table will last longer and perform better in a climate-controlled area. Leaving a pool table exposed to constant fluctuations in temperature and humidity exposes it to damage that will affect play later on.
If you are interested in learning about where to keep your pool table and exactly how much climate control it needs, then you should keep reading.
By the end, you should be able to decide if the spot you’re thinking about is well suited for a pool table.
Why does Pool Tables Need Climate Control?
Pool tables need climate control when storing them because exposing them to different degrees of humidity and temperature will affect your pool table’s integrity. Even in mild climates, slight weather fluctuations can bring about damage to the felt or wood of the table.
Moisture Can Cause Mildew, Warping, and Mold
In my experience, moisture is never your friend when it comes to storing pool tables.
A pool table kept in a space lacking climate control becomes exposed to fluctuations in humidity levels.
The cloth on your pool table is made of wool. So, if moisture gets into the cloth, this can cause it to relax and loosen up.
This will also create a risk for mold and mildew to grow.
Moisture can also cause damage to some wooden parts of the table, too. Wood expands and contracts with the increase and decrease of moisture.
That can further create a warping and twisting effect or make the wood suffer more cracks, in some cases.
This is why maintaining room temperature for the pool table is important! It lets you manage how much moisture your pool table is exposed to, and makes it more comfortable to play on.
Cold Temperatures Can Damage Rubber
When faced with constant cold temperatures, rubber tends to get hard and brittle.
If your pool table is sitting in a non-climate-controlled room, your cushions may harden prematurely, and replacements can be expensive.
ALSO SEE: How to Organize Garage for Pool Table
How to Maintain Your Pool Table When Not in Use
No matter where you choose to store your pool table, either in the basement, garage, or game room, there are some things you can do to create some sense of climate control and help maintain the health of your pool table.
Use A Dehumidifier to Manage Moisture
A humidifier helps to manage moisture if you live in an area prone to humidity issues.
This may help keep your pool table in top shape, letting you to play comfortably for years to come.
Use a Humidifier to Add Moisture
Do you live in an arid environment? Then you risk any leather parts of your pool table drying out and cracking.
So, we recommend adding a humidifier to the room to help solve this.
Wrap It Up
You can feel free to use a pool cover to keep moisture, pests and dusts from settling on your pool table.
Remember to pick one that is thick and fits snugly over the corner.
It is also important to measure your pool table before purchasing a cover so that you know what size you will be getting.
Clean Up Spills Instantly
Moisture needs to be cleaned as soon as it is spotted.
You can use a felt cleaner to handle moisture or spill collection on the top of your pool table so you don’t have issues with mold growing or the cloth weakening.
Heat Up Cold Spaces
Is your game room in a cold area of your home? Try adding a space heater to the space.
This will keep the room at a decent temperature and may also help with humidity.
Bear in mind, if your climate is already dry, you will need a humidifier in this space to keep the air in the room from getting too dry.
How does the Climate Affect the Table?
Bumpers
Climate change takes its toll on pool table materials too.
The bumpers are made from rubber so they can produce enough bounce to the cue ball. That’s why cue ball gets sufficient kinetic energy and runs on the table board.
This bumper is normally created by using vulcanized rubber.
Manufacturers make this by mixing sulfur in so it can be temperature resistant, to a certain degree.
Sometimes, the rubber configuration will be affected by the climate and the hot and sunny weather conditions will cause the expansion of the rubber.
The elements of rubber tend to be widened in a certain place and thus they get sloth.
Because of this, the whole quality of the bumper goes bad. Asides this, in cold temperature, the rubber elements compress in a particular shape. That’s why the quality of the bumper again goes bad.
It is not uncommon to see some manufacturers building bumpers using cheap materials because it is very hard to keep the bumper in perfect condition.
Asides from this, I have witnessed multiple bumpers go hard prematurely because of extreme temperatures. As there are lots of bumpers available, you can replace them if you want to, and they aren’t expensive at all.
Wood
The primary material used in pool table construction is wood, and climate change, no doubt affects wood.
Wood tends to absorb moisture. That causes it to expand in height and width.
If there is much moisture in the atmosphere, then your table wood may begin to actually expand. This is why it goes bad when left unprotected.
High humidity is another factor to consider. It also causes wood to change. As a result, it will affect the wood of the pool table.
So, we should be conscious of the climate change effect on the pool table.
When a manufacturer is preparing a pool table, he should provide scope for expansion to the pool table.
Otherwise, when it begins to suffer expansion, it will face damage.
We also recommend keeping your pool table directly on the concrete floor.
Otherwise, it will absorb all of the moisture and cause damage since the legs, rails, and frame of the pool table are mostly prepared through wood. That means climate has a great effect on the pool table.
Leather
Leather pockets are also prone to attack from the climate.
In arid climates, the leather pockets of a pool table will dry out if you don’t take care.
That is why it is never a good idea to keep it near to the sun.
You will want to maintain the temperature so that your leather pocket remains good.
Table felt
A pool table cloth is also climate controlled. It is a high-quality woven cloth.
It contains high-quality woven cloth and wool content.
High moisture content in the air will cause it to relax and loosen up.
If the weather is damp, the tablecloth will grow mold. That’s why the quality of a tablecloth will change from time to time.
Yes, it will harm a pool table. So, you can say that the tablecloth of a pool table is climate controlled.
So, replace it soon otherwise, the full quality of the pool table will suffer damage.
Slate
The slate is also another part of the pool prone to climate change.
Yes, it is rock but it will absorb cold and moisture too. After which it will transfer the moisture onto the cloth.
Thus, resulting in the cloth getting damaged.
In a word, it can be said that the quality of a pool table fully depends on the climate.
As climate causes various effects on the pool table, we need to rethink where we place the pool tables.
Final Thoughts
A pool table offers loads of fun, but only if it works well and the space is comfortable to be in.
So, keep your pool comfortable and safe while you do the same.
Remember, adding some elements for climate control will help your pool table last longer and make your experience more enjoyable.
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