Maybe you picked up a slate table from a neighbor. Maybe it came with the house, or it’s been sitting in the basement since the kids moved out. Either way, the cloth is faded, pilled, or torn, and you’re wondering whether new felt will bring it back.
Sometimes it will, beautifully. New cloth can make a solid table look and play like the day it was installed. But felt only covers what’s underneath. So before you can answer “Is it worth re-felting a used pool table?”, you need to know what that cloth is sitting on. Here’s how to decide, based on 40+ years of recovering, servicing, and setting up tables across the Delaware Valley.
Is It Worth Re-Felting a Used Pool Table? Start With What’s Under the Cloth
New felt is a refresh, not a repair. It can’t fix a cracked slate, a wobbly frame, or rails that have lost their bounce. So the answer to whether a used table is worth re-felting depends on four things.
The Slate
The slate is the heart of the table. Run your hand slowly across the cloth and feel for ridges, dips, or a sharp edge. Look closely at the seams between slate pieces, where problems tend to show first. Roll a few balls slowly across the table in different directions and watch for any drift.
A cracked or badly chipped slate is the biggest red flag. Sometimes damage only shows once the old cloth comes off, which is one reason a professional inspection is worth it before you commit.
The Frame and Legs
Push gently on each corner of the table. It shouldn’t rock, creak, or shift. Check the legs and the underside of the frame for cracks, loose joints, or signs of water damage, especially if the table has lived in a damp basement or garage.
A frame that’s solid is what holds the slate level. If the frame is failing, new cloth won’t stay flat for long.
The Cushions
Roll a ball firmly into each rail. It should come off lively and consistently on all six. If the ball thuds and dies, the cushion rubber has hardened.
This matters because new felt is stretched over the existing cushions. Fresh cloth on dead cushions will look great and still play poorly, so it’s worth dealing with cushions at the same time.
Slate vs. MDF
If the table isn’t slate, the math changes. MDF and particleboard tables can sag or swell over time, and new cloth on a warped surface still plays warped. In most cases, re-felting an MDF table isn’t worth the cost of the job. A solid slate table almost always is.
When Re-Felting Makes Sense
If the table passes the checks above, new cloth is usually one of the best-value things you can do for it. Here are the situations where it clearly pays off.
A Quality Slate Table With Worn Cloth
This is the most common case. The slate is sound, the frame is solid, and the only real problem is cloth that’s faded, pilled, thin, or marked with burns or tears. Re-felting fixes exactly that, and the table plays smooth and consistent again.
A Table You Bought or Inherited That’s Solid Underneath
Many great tables change hands with tired cloth. A well-built slate table from a quality maker can last for decades, and a new playing surface lets you enjoy that build quality without buying a whole new table.
After a Move
When a slate table is moved, the cloth has to come off the slate. Older cloth often tears or stretches in the process, and even cloth in decent shape can be hard to reinstall cleanly. If you’re moving a used table into your home, it’s often the natural time to put new felt on.
When You Want a New Color
Sometimes the table plays fine, but the color doesn’t fit the room anymore. A faded green that matched a 1990s basement might look out of place next to a new paint color or furniture. New cloth in a color you choose can make a used table feel like it was picked for your space.
When It’s Time to Think About Replacing Instead
Re-felting isn’t always the right call. In some cases, the money is better spent on a different table.
Cracked Slate or a Damaged Frame
A cracked slate or a frame with structural damage turns a simple cloth job into a much bigger repair. Depending on the damage, fixing it may cost more than the table is worth. Have a technician look before you decide, but be prepared for the answer to be “replace.”
MDF Tables That Have Started to Sag
Once an MDF playing surface has warped or swelled, there’s no real way to bring it back to flat. New cloth will look nice for a while, but the ball will still roll off-line.
When the Repairs Stack Up
One repair is maintenance. Several at once is a different decision. If the table needs new cloth, new cushions, new pockets, hardware, and leveling all together, it’s worth comparing that combined work against the option of a table that’s already been reconditioned.
When the Table Doesn’t Fit Your Room or How You Play
Sometimes the table is fine, but it’s the wrong table. It might be too big for the room, leaving no space for a full cue stroke, or a style you never really liked. Putting new felt on a table that doesn’t suit you just extends a compromise.
Should I Refelt My Pool Table? Questions to Ask Yourself
If you’re still on the fence, run through these five questions. The more you answer “yes,” the stronger the case for new cloth.
- Is it slate? Slate tables are almost always worth re-felting. MDF tables rarely are.
- Is the frame solid? No rocking, cracks, or water damage.
- Do the cushions still bounce? Or are you ready to deal with them at the same time?
- Do you like the table? The style, the wood, the way it looks in your space.
- Does it fit your room? With enough space around it for a full cue stroke on every side.
Five yeses means you’re likely looking at a table that’s worth keeping. If you answered no to the first two, it’s usually time to look at your other options. In other words, the answer to “Is it worth re-felting a used pool table?” almost always comes down to the slate and the frame.
Refelting vs Replacing a Pool Table: Side by Side
When you weigh refelting vs. replacing a pool table, it helps to see the two options next to each other.
| Refelting your table | Replacing it with a reconditioned used table | |
| Best when | The slate and frame are solid | The slate or frame is damaged, or the table doesn’t suit you |
| What changes | The cloth on the bed and rails | The whole table |
| What stays the same | The table, its size, and its style | Nothing, so you can choose a new size or style |
| Where the work happens | In your home, with no need to move the table | The new table is delivered and installed in your home |
| What it can’t fix | Cracked slate, a weak frame, dead cushions on their own | Nothing about the old table matters anymore |
Neither option is automatically better. A great table with tired cloth deserves new felt. A table with real structural problems usually deserves to be retired.
What to Expect When You Re-Felt a Used Table
If you decide your table is worth keeping, here’s what the process looks like.
Choosing the Cloth
Cloth comes in different grades and colors, and the right choice depends on how often you play and how fast you want the table to play. Woolen blends are durable and forgiving for home use, while worsted cloth plays faster and is popular with more serious players. Comparing the best pool table cloth materials side by side makes the choice easier, and seeing colors in person under good lighting helps too.
Checking Cushions and Pockets While the Rails Are Off
Re-felting means the rails come apart and the cloth on them is replaced too. That makes it the ideal time to look at the cushions and pockets. If the cushions are hard or the pockets are torn, ask about handling them in the same visit rather than opening the table up twice.
Making Sure the Table Plays Level
New cloth on an unlevel table still plays unlevel. If balls have been drifting, or the table was recently moved, ask your technician to check the level as part of the visit, or schedule leveling alongside the refelting.
How Royal Billiard Helps Either Way
Whichever way your decision goes, our team can help with the next step.
If your table is worth keeping, our pool table refelting service is done right where your table sits, so there’s no need to move it. We remove the old cloth, prepare the slate and rails, install and stretch new felt over the playing surface and cushions, and haul away the old material. Most appointments take about 1.5 to 2 hours, depending on the table’s size and condition. You’re also welcome to visit our showroom to see cloth colors in person before you choose.
If it’s time for a different table, our used inventory is a good place to look. Every used table we sell is one we already own and keep in our warehouse, and each one is professionally reconditioned before it’s sold. We inspect the slate, replace the felt if needed, and make sure the table plays true. Then our in-house crew delivers and installs it anywhere in the Delaware Valley. See what’s available now in our used pool tables section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you re-felt a non-slate pool table?
Yes, but it’s rarely worth it. MDF and particleboard tables don’t hold up as well over time, and if the surface has started to sag or swell, new cloth won’t make it play flat. If the table is still in good shape and you enjoy it, re-felting can work, but most people get more value from moving up to a slate table.
Do you have to re-felt a pool table after moving it?
Not always. Because the cloth has to come off the slate for a move, it sometimes gets torn or stretched in the process, especially older cloth. If the cloth comes off in good shape, it may be reinstalled. If it doesn’t, the move is a natural time to put new felt on.
Can I change the felt color on a used table?
Yes. Re-felting is one of the easiest ways to make a used table feel like your own. Cloth comes in a wide range of colors, from classic greens and blues to grays, reds, and darker tones that suit modern game rooms.
Is it worth re-felting an older or antique table?
Often, yes. Many older tables were built with heavy slate and solid hardwood, and they can play beautifully with fresh cloth. When people ask us, “Is it worth re-felting a used pool table that’s decades old?”, the answer usually depends on the same things as any other table: the slate, the frame, and the cushions. Older tables may just need a little more care during the job.
How can I tell if the slate is damaged under the felt?
Feel for ridges, bumps, or dips across the playing surface, especially along the seams. Roll balls slowly in several directions and watch for drift. Some damage only shows once the old cloth is removed, so it’s worth having a technician take a look before you commit to a bigger investment.
Re-Felt It or Replace It, Start in Colmar
For more than 40 years, our family-owned team has been recovering, servicing, and setting up pool tables across the Delaware Valley, with our own in-house crew doing the work. The quickest way to answer “Is it worth re-felting a used pool table?” for your specific table is to have an experienced technician take a look.
Stop by our showroom at 515 Bethlehem Pike in Colmar, PA, to see cloth colors and our reconditioned used tables in person, or contact our team to schedule service. You can also browse and buy through our online store anytime.
