All You Need to Know About the Precision SL8 Playing Surface

Without doubt, the most important part of any pool table is the actual playing surface. You can have the finest design of pool table there is with wonderfully crafted legs and railings, but with a poor surface, your playing experience will fall far short of expectations.

Slate is by far the best option, but comes at a price, literally. And aside from that, is extremely heavy requiring significant assistance for installation. With this being the case, pool tables with wooden surfaces are extremely popular for those on a more limited budget and are easier to install and move. However, usually consisting of some sort of manufactured wood, the drawbacks include lack of moisture resistance, the tendency to warp and a general lack of “performance”.

There is, however, another option: Precision SL8.

Precision SL8 is a hybrid pool table surface combing the benefits of slate with those of a wood surface, giving you a playing surface that offers the best of both worlds. It has a high-density composition, giving it the feel and performance closer to that of slate and is both warp and water-resistant. At the same time, it’s lighter in weight than traditional slate making it easier to install and move and doesn’t come with such a hefty price tag. It really is the perfect solution for budget pool tables.

Watch this brief video for a closer look at this new surface and see below for a closer look at the many advantages of Precision SL8:




The Many Benefits of Precision SL8 Pool Tables

High Density Composition: Density greatly affects the sound and playability of a pool table surface. If you were to tap both slate and a manufactured wood such as MDF, you’d notice a significant difference in sound and hardness. Precision SL8 has a composition closer to that of slate, allowing it to offer a similar sound and quality of play.

Warp Resistance: The main downside to wooden surfaced pool tables is that they can be notorious for flexing and warping beyond repair, especially if they’re situated somewhere where they could get slightly damp. Precision SL8 on the other hand, possesses a quality much more like slate in that it’s significantly more stable.

Impervious to Moisture: Following on from the above point, whereas a wood such as MDF will sustain significant damage from moisture in the form of warping and general degrading, Precision SL8 is barely affected at all. An accidental spill of a drink could permanently ruin a wood bed table whereas your Precision SL8 table would simply need a wipe down.

Replaceable Cloth: If the felt of your pool table was to sustain any damage, be it from spilling something on it or general wear and tear, or indeed if you generally just wanted a new color or design, unlike a wood bed pool table, it can be replaced. This does require the help of a professional.

Seamless Play Surface: Due to regular slate being so heavy, a slate table is constructed from three separate slabs to make up the entire surface. Precision SL8, however, can be constructed from fewer pieces and with some models of table, consists of just one solid 8ft panel.

No Need for Professional Installation: Because the Precision SL8 surface is lighter than regular slate, it can be installed by yourself with the help of a friend or two. Not only is this more convenient and quicker, but avoids the expense of a professional installation service too!

Overall, as you can see, Precision SL8 really is the best of both worlds. And while a traditional slate pool table will always be the best option for those who can afford them, the introduction of SL8 means a much higher quality of play can also be experienced by those on a more limited budget. Check out our entire range of Precision SL8 pool tables.