Choosing the Cloth

• While the cloth used on pool tables is sometimes called felt, it is actually made of wool or baize, a type of wool/nylon blend. There are two different ways this cloth is woven, and you can choose either one. Woolens use a thick weave that makes the cloth more durable, and it is usually cheaper. These are the biggest reasons why this weave is more widely used, especially for tables in bars and pool halls. If you want a cloth that will speed up the balls during games, however, look for worsted billiard cloth. To cover one table, you'll need between 21 and 24 oz. of the cloth. You also need to choose its color. Most cloths are colored green because the original billiards games were played outside on grass. However, you do have other choices, like red, blue and purple.
  
  

Attaching the Cloth

• To prepare the table for covering, take the side rails off. They should be bolted on with the bolts accessible from underneath the table. If there is old cloth on the table, peel all of it off. Your method of attaching the cloth depends on what the playing surface is made of. If it is slate, the most common type, glue it in place. Apply an aerosol glue to the table's surface and the underside of the cloth, then stretch the cloth across the table one corner at a time. You need to staple it in place if the surface is wood, but you can also use staples to secure it better with slate. Apply the staples to the tabletop where the rails will go. In each quarter of the table, place one staple near the center pocket. Add staples 2 inches apart until you reach the midway point between the center and corner pocket. Trim the fabric with a razor blade where it overlaps the pockets, fold it down and staple it to the inside of the pocket. WIth the cloth secure and tight on the table's surface, reattach the rails to the table.