Baizewick guide
Loft and upstairs games rooms: what to check first
Check two things first: whether the floor is strong enough, and whether the table can get up there. Upstairs rooms can make good games rooms, but those two decide what is possible.
Floor strength comes first
Upstairs floors are usually suspended timber floors on joists. Heavy tables put a lot of weight through a few legs, especially slate pool and snooker tables. Slate tables typically weigh 300–700 kg before anyone stands around them.
Before you buy a heavy table for an upstairs room, ask a structural engineer to assess the floor. Baizewick does not give structural advice.
Unconverted lofts are not floors
The joists in an unconverted loft are often only designed to carry the ceiling below. They are not meant for people and furniture.
Turning a loft into a usable room is a loft conversion. That normally needs Building Regulations approval and may need planning permission. Only put a games table in a properly converted loft.
Getting the table upstairs
- Measure the stairs: width, headroom and any turns or landings.
- Check the doorways, and the space to manoeuvre at the top of the stairs.
- Ask whether the table arrives in sections, and how big the largest piece is.
- Use the retailer’s delivery and installation team for slate tables.
Headroom and sloping ceilings
Sloping ceilings cut the usable space. You raise the cue behind the cue ball, players stand upright to play, and table tennis needs headroom for high balls.
Measure clearance at playing height, not at floor level. Treat low slopes as obstructions.
Lighter options for upstairs rooms
- An MDF pool table rather than slate
- A dartboard, which needs wall space more than floor space
- A folding table tennis table
- Air hockey or table football, which are much lighter than slate tables
Noise, heat and comfort
The noise of rolling balls, dropped darts and blowers carries through floors. A rug or floor finish and an acoustic panel or two help.
Lofts can be hot in summer and cold in winter. Good insulation and ventilation make the room usable all year.