“MDF or Slate? Which is best?”
It’s important to understand the differences when making your choice.
Pretty well every pool table you find inside a pub will have a slate playing bed and as such comes at some expense.
An MDF table is generally based on a lower price point than slate. Whilst MDF is used in an effort to reproduce the play you get on slate, it is used primarily as it is light-weight and therefore easier to mover the outdoor pool table around when required.
“How Do I Care For My Outdoor Pool Table?”
A daily brush and vacuum will reduce wear, chalk dust is sharp and cuts the cloth. Because the speed cloths, generally fitted to outdoor pool tables, there is no nap and it will not shed fibres like a traditional wool cloth. Although any stains will not reduce with brushing the cloth will not wear out as quickly and will not cut and nick.
Within a short time, a new pool table cloth may show white spots, these are quite normal and come from normal play, the cloth is not worn out and over time these marks will become less evident.
Regular use of a cloth cleaner will help with beer stains etc. Mist on the spray and wipe with a clean cloth, sponging with water will generally only dilute and spread a stain.
Periodic cleaning and polishing the balls is advisable for both visual and practical pool playing reasons.
“Can My Pool Table Really Stay Outdoors All Year Round?”
Yes, if properly covered, the main concern is not to get the cloth wet, although they are weather resistant or moisture resistant they will be susceptible to our damp climate.
If you can arrange a canopy for the pool table to played under then all the better and if you have the room you should consider storing it indoors over the worst of the autumn and winter.
Top Tip – make sure your insurance covers your outdoor pool table – if it doesn’t then consult your insurance broker or your insurance company directly. You will have to make sure that balls, cues and the triangle are stored indoors when not in use and I would suggest a decent deposit when your customers want to play your pool table outdoors. See separate article on Pub Insurance.
Continue reading … page 1