Caring for your Pool Table

Congratulations on your new pool table!

Your table is a big investment for your home and family fun for years to come.

Here are some helpful tips for how to best care for your Pool Table & the cloth 

Your pool table’s cloth is such a huge part of your playing experience and making sure it performs at its peak will extend the life of the table and enhance your enjoyment for years to come. To clean this, its best to use a table brush. A brush serves as the easiest way to clear debris and chalk marks away from your table, but if not used properly, it can severely damage your playing experience. First, make sure that your brush is made with fibers that will not ruin your cloth and that you brush your cloth in one direction from head to foot.

The head of your table is the side of the cloth that you break on. Brushing in a back-and-forth motion or using rougher brushes will ultimately damage your cloth and hurt your play experience.

What happens if I spill on the cloth?

A spill on your table’s cloth isn’t easily cleaned, but it’s not impossible.
Start with a damp cloth and blot (don’t rub) the stain. It’s a slow process, but it usually works. If you’re cleaning up a fresh spill, get a dry cloth or paper towel to soak up the spill, then move to the steps for removing a stain.
The easiest guard against spills is making sure drinks and other items are away from the table. This is where pub tables and cue rack shelves are extremely useful, as they give a designated space for the things that can so easily harm your table.

If a stain is too stubborn, or is too distracting visually, it is best to reach out to us at Hallmark Billiards to see about recovering your table with a new cloth.

What are these white marks, cue marks, and divots on my cloth?

Don’t worry, this is natural, and it is called Fibrillation. It doesn’t even harm your play experience!

Fibrillation is a part of the common wear and tear of your table’s cloth and can happen all over your play surface, but is most likely under your cushions and around your pockets, especially in areas of high use. It can be increased by high-force shots, dropping, or jumping the ball.
Divots and cue marks on the cloth can be made in the same way, as the force can literally shave off the nap surface of your cloth. This type of damage is especially likely when the ball is struck from below mid center, often to get back spin or jump the ball.

If your cloth has become too damaged for your liking, you can reach out to your closest Hallmark Billiards showroom  to book an appointment for cloth replacement. 

How do I clean the wood portion of my table?

Just a clean, damp cloth will do the trick! It is all you need to remove smudges and fingerprints off your rail surface.
We do not recommend Pledge or any other cleaning product on the surface of your table or rails, as they could affect your table finish and cloth over time.

Should people be sitting on the edges of my table?

No. The rail cushions cannot hold the weight. Each cushion is held on with glue and weight on top of the rail puts pressure on the glue joint that could compromise that bond.
If your cushions become detached or damaged, it is best to reach out to us at Hallmark Billiards to set up a service call with one of our skilled Technicians. 

How do I know if I need new cushions?

Bounce a ball between the cushions on the short side of the table. If the ball bounces 4-5 times, then you are good. If the cushion feels like a rock or is not rebounding well, it is probably time to replace them.
Contact us at Hallmark Billiards to set up a service appointment for this. 

What is the best way to care for my Cues?

The absolute best way to store your cue is in a case, wall/floor cue rack. This ensures that the cue is not dropped or left at an angle.

A severe drop of your cue can break the tip, rendering the cue unusable until it is fixed. Additionally, resting your cue at an angle, either on the wall or the table, will slowly warp your cue over time.

How do I know if I need to replace my cue tip?

If the tip of your cue is less than the thickness of a dime, it is time to replace it. We sell repair kits which make replacing your cue tip quick and easy. 

I need to move my table, should I do it on my own?

We do not recommend this at all! A pool table has a lot of important parts and improper treatment of those parts can ruin your table and your slate. To safely move, or fully deconstruct your table, we encourage you to contact us at Hallmark Billiards and have one of our highly skilled Technicians come out to help you instead.