Best carpet for basement pool room?

[Top Spin]

I would appreciate recommendations for what type of carpet to install in a basement where a pool table is going to go. The main purpose is to give it a warmer feel and to give the pool balls a softer place to land.

It's not bare walls, but it is not "finished" by any means. There's a space under the stairs and the water heater and furnace are pretty much in the open. (Not in a separate room or even a closet.)

Here's my thinking. Any comments?

Some kind of indoor/outdoor carpet. Not too think.

Probably not wall to wall. Maybe buy a large piece and then cut it to fit.

Do I need a pad? I want to keep it as waterproof as possible.

What do I do about the edges? Tape? Glue? Nothing? It will have a pool table sitting in the middle of it so it's not going to move around, but I don't want edges that can be tripped over.

Any recommendations as far as material or brand?

Any other caveats?

Thanks

-- Email: Usenet-20031220 at spamex.com (11/09/04)

[Kyle Boatright]

First question: Do you have any moisture problems? If so, conventional carpet will be a problem, even moreso if you put a 500 lb pool table on top of it and can't get it out when it mildews.

Beyond that consideration, I'd choose a low pile loop carpet. Something like you'd see in a business or in the concourse of an airport. Your local carpet dealer can probably point you towards an appropriate product, and will be able to get the edges bound for you, which will give you a great big throw rug.

[effi]

cork?

[3rd eye]

Along this line, carpet squares would be my choice. Easy to lay, easy to replace & durable too.

Your local

[Top Spin]

Are you talking about the individual squares (about 2'x2' or so) that are glued in place?

Are these better than a large piece?

Are the seams secure?

-- Email: Usenet-20031220 at spamex.com (11/09/04)

[Kyle Boatright]

Carpet tile is another decent choice. It is much more moisture resistant, can either be glued down or held in place by a grid of double sided carpet tape (go this route - you'll never get all of the glue off of your floor). The downside is that you can't get it bound, and will never have a nice clean (i.e. attractive) edge unless you run it all the way to the walls. Another downside is that your styling choices are much more limited.

By the way, I work in (and did a major portion of the design work on) the world's largest carpet tile manufacturing facility.

[3rd eye]

Let me be clear. I am no carpet expert. Though I have laid these. What I used was 18" square & peel & stick. They had a rubber backing. I like them simply because if they get worn or dirty you can simply replace as needed.

Donno.

After repeated vacuuming I've had no problems. I've seen these used in hospitals & airports. High traffic areas to be sure.