Pool table lights Choosing the pool table light to match your retreat

Pool tables are a very popular addition to game rooms, dens, or family rooms in today’s homes. Just as every car should have a garage, every pool table should have a pool table light. Overhead lights do help to illuminate the room, but the table top or playing area needs a little bit more. When one bends over the table to play, a shadow is cast. Lamps can add more light, but still fall short of removing the shadows on the playing surface. This is where pool table lights of the correct size melt away the shadows.

People like kitchens to be bright. Sunrooms are naturally flooded with outdoor light, but a den or game room has another flavor. Pool tables or billiard rooms calls to the mind’s eye images of pubs, saloons, or night clubs. The dim, smoky atmosphere was a place for people to come after a long day at the factory or farm. A haven of common friends, relaxed atmosphere, and stories, even then loaned a need for a light just for the pool table.

Surprisingly, the very first pool table, known as a billiard table, was owned by… A pub? No. Actually it was royalty. King Louis the XI of France (1461-1483) is credited with owning the first indoor billiard table. Nobles were the next group to catch on. High society ladies were commonly pictured playing the game as well. By 1727 billiards was played by just about every café goer in France.

A cute side note, at that time most of the billiard balls or pool balls were made from wood or clay. But ivory was the material of choice by royalty. Must me nice…

Once a homeowner decides the style of room he or she is trying seeking, attention should be paid to the lighting. Functionally, pool table lighting or, billiard lighting, should be bright enough to light the table evenly. Typically these lights are designed with anywhere from one light to four. It is a wise idea to allow about five inches of light fixture length for every twelve inches of table length. Pool tables generally range between seven and nine feet in length. Purchasing one that is even a little longer just helps the games that will be played.

One main point of the light’s presence is to evenly light the table and also reduce the presence of the shadows that like to linger. The better the light source the less the chance of angle shots and complicated plays to go array. Pool table lights should ideally be suspended with 36 inches of space between the bed of the pool table and the bottom of the light fixture.

Some billard lighting, especially very decorative ones with extra glass and metal work, can be very heavy. Care must be paid that the light is hung from a very solid surface. The weight of each light will be marked in the paperwork. In basements with drop ceilings, some panels might have to be removed so that access can be gained to the studs. Without something solid to hang the light from, it will most likely fall or pull out of the ceiling. When installing on a dry walled ceiling, the studs must be located. In the case of a new home being constructed, plan ahead for the location of the pool table and rough in a special stud for the light to hand from. Even if the first light you have selected is not very heavy, you may choose one much heavier in the future, so make sure the ceiling can support it.

Pool table light styles are endless. Very popular ones include ones with college themes, sports themes, Harley Davidson, Tiffany glass, smoked glass, or western themes. Some companies even offer customized lettering. Pricing ranging from less than a hundred dollars to a thousand leaves you with a wide range of options. Ideas can be gained through visiting both billiard stores, home shows, and even lighting stores. A wider range of options and styles can be found through on line searches. It is amazing what we can have shipped right to our doors today. Even big online companies like Amazon and others carry a wide assortment of these specialty lights. To be sure to get all of the choices try searching ‘billiard lights’ or ‘billiard lighting’ as well as the term pool table light. Some companies call things by different names.

Whatever your choice, be sure that the pool table lights fixtures reflects the overall style of the room. It may very well be the focal point, so make it impressive. Be sure to choose one that is long enough to illuminate the whole table. And above all, choose one that matches your personal tastes.