Replacing worn, chalk-stained, or pilled cloth is the single most effective way to restore true ball roll, crisp rebound angles, and tournament speed to a slate pool table. However, ordering replacement billiard cloth can be surprisingly confusing. Buying fabric by the linear yard off a standard textile bolt often leaves you short on rail strips or stuck with expensive excess scrap.
Because commercial billiard cloth comes in specialized 66-inch widths, the required yardage must account for the primary slate bed plus six individual cushion rails with sufficient margin for mechanical stretching and underside staple anchoring. Our 2026 Pool Table Felt Yardage & Re-Covering Cost Calculator eliminates the guesswork, providing exact pre-cut bolt yardage, rail dimensions, material budgets, and certified professional technician installation estimates.
Pool Table Felt Yardage & Re-Covering Cost Calculator
Select your table size and preferred cloth grade to calculate exact pre-cut bolt yardage, rail dimensions, material costs, and professional installation estimates.
Official 90% wool / 10% nylon worsted blend. Includes pre-cut slate bed cloth and 6 matching rail strips.
The industry-standard aerosol contact adhesive for securing slate drop pockets, cloth return tracks, and featherstrips.
All-steel drive mechanism delivering flush staple penetration into wooden slate backer boards and rail liners.
Essential for melting into 3-piece slate seams and screw holes to create a seamless, glass-flat surface before laying felt.
Don't Want to Stretch Felt Yourself?
Improper stretching causes cloth sagging and rail bunching. Enter your 5-digit ZIP code to connect with certified local pool table technicians for professional re-covering quotes.
Pool Table Cloth Yardage & Dimension Reference Matrix
If you are purchasing bulk fabric by the linear yard from a 66-inch wide textile roll, reference the official cutting specifications below to ensure your bolt yields both the slate bed and all six cushion rails:
| Table Size | Playing Surface | Total Bolt Yardage | Bed Cloth Cut | 6 Cushion Rail Cuts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7-Foot Bar Box | 39″ × 78″ | 2.50 Yards (7.5 ft) | 48″ × 88″ | 6 Strips: 6″ × 44″ each |
| 8-Foot Standard Home | 44″ × 88″ | 2.83 Yards (8.5 ft) | 54″ × 98″ | 6 Strips: 6″ × 49″ each |
| 8.5-Foot Pro 8 | 46″ × 92″ | 3.00 Yards (9.0 ft) | 56″ × 102″ | 6 Strips: 6″ × 51″ each |
| 9-Foot Tournament | 50″ × 100″ | 3.33 Yards (10.0 ft) | 60″ × 110″ | 6 Strips: 6″ × 55″ each |
| 10-Foot Carom / Oversized | 56″ × 112″ | 3.67 Yards (11.0 ft) | 66″ × 122″ | 6 Strips: 7″ × 62″ each |
| 12-Foot Snooker | 70″ × 140″ | 4.50 Yards (13.5 ft) | 80″ × 150″ | 6 Strips: 8″ × 76″ each |
Worsted Cloth vs. Woolen Felt: Which Grade Should You Install?
The term “pool table felt” is technically a misnomer. Modern quality billiard cloth is woven fabric, and the weave architecture dictates how balls roll and how often you will need to replace it:
1. Worsted Tournament Cloth (Simonis 860 & Championship Tour Edition)
Worsted cloth is combed before spinning so that all wool fibers lie parallel, creating a flat, tightly spun yarn. It has no directional nap or fuzz. When you roll a cue ball on Simonis 860, it rolls faster, tracks laser-straight, and will not deflect due to nap resistance. Worsted cloth also resists ball burn marks caused by instantaneous 4,000°F friction during cue ball acceleration. While more expensive ( to + for a pre-cut set), worsted cloth typically lasts 3 to 5 times longer than woolen felt.
2. Standard Woolen Blend Felt (20oz to 21oz)
Woolen felt is made by carding fibers in random directions, resulting in a slightly thicker, softer, and fuzzy surface texture. Because it has a distinct “nap” (grain), balls roll slightly slower and can deflect if rolling against the nap. Woolen cloth is economical ( to per set) and popular in family basements and casual game rooms where maximum speed and English responsiveness are secondary to initial affordability.
4 Essential Steps for a Professional-Grade DIY Felt Installation
If you choose to tackle the re-felting project yourself, avoid the most common amateur mistakes by following this technician sequence:
- Strip Clean & Fill Slate Seams with Beeswax: Remove all old staples or adhesive residue from the slate perimeter and wooden backing liner. Light a propane torch or soldering iron to melt pure billiard beeswax into the slate joints and countersunk screw holes. Once cooled, use a clean razor scraper held flat at a 30-degree angle to shave the wax completely flush with the stone.
- Tack the Head String First: Lay the bed cloth centered over the table. Staple the cloth along the head rail, starting at the center and working outwards towards the corners at 2-inch intervals, keeping the weave straight.
- Execute the “Two-Way Stretch”: Move to the opposite foot rail. Pull the cloth firmly down the length of the table with two hands until taut (approx. 1 to 1.5 inches of mechanical stretch for worsted cloth). Staple the foot rail from the center outward. Then stretch and staple both long side rails using the same center-to-corner tension sequence.
- Pocket Relief Cuts & Featherstripping: Carefully make three radial relief slits inside each pocket opening, wrap the excess cloth down into the pocket cavity, and secure underneath the slate with 3M Super 77 contact adhesive or staples. Wrap each rail cushion smoothly without pulling sideways, securing the featherstrip tightly into the rail groove.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pool Table Re-Felting
How much does it cost to have a professional re-felt a pool table?
Professional billiard technician labor typically ranges from to for standard 7-foot and 8-foot home tables, excluding the cost of the cloth. If you supply your own cloth (e.g. purchasing Simonis 860 on Amazon), total combined project cost is typically to . Technicians also calibrate rail cushions, inspect pocket irons, and beeswax re-level the slate seams as part of their service.
Can you reuse existing pool table cloth after moving?
In most cases, no. When cloth is properly installed, it is stretched to maximum tension and stapled or glued around the perimeter. Removing old staples tears the edges, and attempting to re-stretch previously cut pocket relief notches will almost always result in visible fraying, puckering, or loose pockets. Installing fresh pre-cut cloth during a move is standard industry practice.
What width bolt is standard for pool tables?
Standard tournament billiard cloth bolts (including Simonis and Championship) are manufactured in 66-inch widths. This width accommodates the slate bed width plus side rail margins for tables up to 9 feet regulation.