Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
libuyer

Carpet around/under pool table?

libuyer
16 years ago

We built our home last year and have been using the unfinished basement regularly for working out, playing pool, and doing crafts. We have now decided to finish the basement and can move everything...except the pool table. Our contractor says he can wrap it real tight so it doesn't get dusty and easily work around it, but I wanted to know if there's any way the carpet installers can lay carpet without moving the pool table. Or can we just get 10 guys to lift it up???

Comments (10)

  • sierraeast
    16 years ago

    They aren't going to be able to stretch the carpet during install if they just lift it, roll out the carpet, then sit the pool table down. If you can get it on rollers, the carpet might be able to be stretched in at an area where the table can be lifted and placed while they stretch the rest, but this depends on your layout and direction of the carpet. It would mean moving that table around a bit. Not an easy chore if it is a regulation pool table!

  • meldy_nva
    16 years ago

    The odds are that pool table is going to be around a lot longer than the carpet. Many years ago, I was faced with the same problem and opted for good tile on the floor, with carpet overlaid on the tile, and fitted around the legs.

  • davidandkasie
    16 years ago

    don't forget to relevel the table when done, and then again a few weeks later. the padding under the tabel WILL compress drastically and the table will be all out of level. it takes a few week for this to settle down, the thicker the carpet/padding, the longer it takes to fully settle.

    also, you will never get the carpet to stand back up correctly if you remove the table later. you will forever have indentions where the legs were.

  • montalvo
    16 years ago

    When we discovered defects in our Karastan carpet and realized it had to be replaced, I assumed that they'd have to disassemble the pool table first. Not so! They were able to lift the table and somehow get the carpet under it. And they were able to stretch the carpet sufficiently that now, eight months later, you'd never know that the carpet wasn't laid before installation of the table.

    My suggestion: ask a number of carpet installers until you find one who's done what ours did. Then get the name(s) of their client(s) to determine if they're as satisfied as we are.

    Bob

  • montalvo
    16 years ago

    P.S. I should have mentioned that our pool table is a regulation (9') inch-thick slate table. They had several guys lift one end, roll the carpet under, then set that end down on the carpet, lifted the other end and rolled the carpet under that end.

  • oruboris
    16 years ago

    Try tracking down a dolly for the table.

    One of my local taverns used to have to move one of their tables on poker nights. They had a dolly that rolled under the legs [where the large leveling feet were-- commercial tables usually have these, many home tables don't], lifts the table up with some sort of jack mechanism, and allowed it to be rolled out of the way.

    I personally don't believe something as heavy as a slate bed table will take weeks to compress the carpet and pad, but I could be wrong. I'm planning to hire a pool table co. to move mine to the new house, install and level it. If it plays out of level after a few weeks, I'll call them back, but I hope I don't have to pay for another 80+ mile service call...

    At any rate, there is such a thing as a pool table dolly, and it seems to me that a flooring company worth it's salt would either own one, or know where they can be had. If the flooring companies fail, try calling pool table and tavern supply houses.

  • sierraeast
    16 years ago

    I find it hard to believe carpet can be stretched w/ a weighty pool table on it. I worked a short stint for a floor covering contractor friend but never ran across this and dont know if he ever did in his career, but im not seeing a decent stretch job w/ a regulation table sitting on the carpet. Might be possible w/ berber.

  • montalvo
    16 years ago

    Well, sierraeast, I don't know what to tell you. My carpet is 1/2" cut-pile plush carpet, there's no sign of bulges or ripples and the table is spot-on level. I wasn't here when they laid the carpet but clearly they didn't move the table out of the room, nor did they disassemble it . And I'm thinking it's pretty likely that they didn't suspend it from the ceiling joists. Wait! Maybe they used levitation!

    As I say, given the alternatives, I'd shop long and hard for someone who claims that they can (and have) done this. It was successful in my case.

    Bob

  • oruboris
    16 years ago

    I've been visualizing this a lot since first reading it yesterday, and my current thought is that so long as there are no/few ripples under the table itself, what ends up happening is that the carpet is essentially stretched away from the table. The table should be a pretty effective anchor.

    If the installers stretch in all 4 directions [and that's the right way, isn't it?] seems like it should work fine...

  • sierraeast
    16 years ago

    As long as it turned out satisfactory, that's all that matters. Just because i find it hard to believe doesn't mean it didn't work. It worked for you, awesome!

    You dont always stretch in all 4's but your theory sounds on, oruboris. It would have been interesting to see how they did it!

    Carpet baggers only use levitation out here in california, you know, the land of the fruits & nuts!