Adding a Dartboard to Your Game Room

Adding a dartboard to your game room creates more than just a friendly pub like atmosphere.  A dartboard brings out the competitive spirit of even the closest friends.  There’s just something exciting about standing with a beverage in one hand and a sharp object in the other locked in a friendly competition.  It’s a spark of energy to get the party started.

Are Dartboards Safe?

If you are designing a game room for use by your entire family you may be concerned about safety and hesitant about adding a dartboard.  This is an understandable concern for families.   Dartboards are not designed with children in mind.  With simple precautions, however, a dartboard is appropriate for any game room.

A dartboard can be safely encased in a cabinet.  This cabinet hides the dartboard when not in use and also provides protection to the wall behind the board itself.  Even without a cabinet, mounting a dartboard on a wall protector is a good idea to protect the surrounding wall space from misthrows.  The darts themselves should always be stored in a safe place away from children when not in use.

What Are the Space Requirements for a Dartboard?

Compared to other game room activities, a game of darts requires a small amount of space.  The board itself is mounted on the wall and players throw darts from behind the toe line.  The toe line can be a simple flat mark on the floor but is usually a 1 ½” raised bar approximately two feet long.

The toe bar must be 7’ 9 ½” from the dartboard itself.  It is incorrect to measure from the wall.  The board hangs on the wall and therefore juts out a bit from it.  If your dartboard is mounted inside a cabinet the difference in distance can be significant.

What is the Best Way to Hang a Dartboard?

Dartboards are mounted at a height of 5’ 8” from the ground.  This distance is measured from the center of the board itself to the ground.  Most high quality boards have a ring at the center back of the board to make calculating the distance relatively simple.  Just measure the height and mark the wall.  You are now ready to mount the board.

Most dartboards are mounted using a mounting bracket.  The bracket mounts to the wall at the position of your mark.  The board is then screwed to the bracket.  If your board uses a top wire hanger instead of a mounting bracket, measure the distance from the center of the board to the wire and then add that distance to the required 5’ 8” for proper mounting. 

Dartboard Options

A traditional dartboard is designed for use with steel tipped or sharp darts.  These boards are made with fibers to guide the darts to the board and hold them tight.  These fibers prevent ricocheting darts.  Most boards found in bars and pubs are this type of fiber board.

Some dartboards are electronic and self-scoring.  With an electronic dartboard the score is updated after each shot, increasing the competitive atmosphere.  This increased competition requires an increased investment as electronic dartboards are typical more expensive than traditional fiber boards.

If you are concerned about safety or want your dartboard to be appropriate for even the smaller children in your home, you might want to select a magnetic or soft tip dartboard.  Magnetic boards use magnets in both the darts and the board itself.  The blunt tipped darts cling to the board without risk of damage to walls or individuals.  Soft tipped darts use fibers similar to Velcro and attach softly to the board itself.

Adding a dartboard to your game room is a relatively low cost way to increase the enjoyment of the entire group.  Select the size, style and design that are most appealing to you.  You’ll be pleased with the results.

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