Hang a Dartboard

Darts are a fun hobby and popular sport all over the world. Bring the beloved pub pastime to any location with a few simple things to keep in mind. While there are a variety of types of dartboards, enjoy a standard dartboard by ensuring that you have enough space, the walls and floors are protected, and that your dartboard is securely in place having measured both the board and throw line several times.

Steps

Planning the Location

  1. Evaluate the space you plan to play in to make sure it’s open. Find an open space that you will not be inhibited by furniture or other obstacles. The space needs to be about 5 feet wide and 11 feet long. Don’t get distracted by furniture or obstacles along the throwing path. Try to keep the area clear so you can easily retrieve the darts after each throw.[1]
    • Keep in mind that you will also need space for spectators and players. Make space right beside the board for a scoreboard so that it is easily in sight for everyone enjoying the game.[1]
  2. Prepare your flooring. Depending on your budget, you may not have the opportunity to create custom floors for your darts. Keep in mind that different materials can easily damage your darts or generally fade from general play. Ideally, use a dart mat, which is a roll out rubber mat specifically designed to protect your floors, protect your darts from dulling, and mark the proper distance from the throw line.[1]
    • Dart points can easily break or dull on concrete, stone, or tile floors.
    • Wood floors will easily be punctured especially the area closest to the board.
    • Linoleum and vinyl flooring are also prone to get a lot of holes.
    • Carpet may easily fade and show the wear of foot traffic between the dart board and the throwing line.
  3. Ensure that the floor is level. You may not have checked since you first moved into your home so be sure that your floor is level. Some houses may slope over time or flooring may warp. If you are using a dart mat, you may be able to compensate for any irregularity by placing cardboard or carpet to even out the throwing area.[2]
  4. Strategize where to place the dart board to ensure both players and spectators are safe. Place the dart board in a safe and isolated location. Keep the dart board away from doorways or high traffic areas with breakable objects. You don’t want to injure anyone walking through the path of the dart, nor do you want to have to keep pausing the game as people cannot help but go through your area. If there are any fragile or valuable objects that can possibly be damaged, rethink where you should set up your game.[2]
    • Darts can be unpredictable and ricochet at any direction so don’t place your dartboard near windows or any area that can surprise unsuspecting passersby.[3]
  5. Protect your wall with a protective board. Depending on how experienced the players are, darts may not always hit the board. Use a protective board to save the wall and surrounding area. Depending on your time and budget, you may also house your board by buying or creating a protective layer or cabinet.
    • Beginners usually miss below the dart board so creating a cabinet or protective layer that measures 3′ wide x 4′ high backboard as you mount the dartboard in the upper center.[4]
    • If you do not have the time or money to get a cabinet, you can also use a large piece of foam, plywood, or cork behind the dartboard.
    • Complete cabinets and protective materials can often be bought at your local sports or hobby stores.

Hanging and Marking

  1. Measure the bullseye and mark the wall. Official rules states that the center of the bullseye needs to be exactly 5 feet 8 inches high from the floor. Quality boards are hung from the center while others may be hung from the top. If you have a board that is hung from the top, measure the distance from the hanger to the center of the bullseye and add that to 5 feet 8 inches in order to get the correct height at which you should hang your dartboard.[1]
    • If your dart board is already encased in a protective cabinet or mount, measure from the center of the bullseye to your highest mounting point and add to 5 feet 8 inches. Center your board within the cabinet or mount.[1]
  2. Mount the backing board disc. Face the counter sink towards you and place the backing board disc at the back center of the board. Screw the center hole in place followed by any other guide holes. Most dart boards will have 3 other holes to securely fasten the board into place.
  3. Mount the wall bracket. Remember to place the wall bracket so that that the center of the bullseye will be at 5 feet 8 inches from the ground. The wall bracket should have the opening to the top of the U shaped recess facing you. Screw once the center mark lines up with the center hole of the wall bracket. This will be removed later as it will only be used to ensure that the other brackets are level.
    • Use a level for the bracket and 4 C screws then remove the centre screw once all brackets are level.
  4. Stabilize the board by placing the screw slightly higher than the bracket. Line up your dart board by keeping the 20 scoring area vertical as you place the dartboard into the wall bracket. Make sure the disc is attached.
    • Once the brackets are mounted, align the board and drop it into the wall brackets.
    • Mount the board flush to the wall not slanted like a picture.[3]
  5. Create the throwline. Make the throw line (also called the oche, toe-line, or hockey) 3 feet wide and 7 feet 9.25 inches from the face of a standard steel tipped set up or 8 feet from a soft tipped board. You may use tape, a piece of wood or metal, or even a store bought throw-line sticker.[1]
    • Ensure the throwline is centered and perpendicular to the face of the board. Measure from each corner of the line to the bullseye to ensure the throwline is perpendicular and correct distance.[1]



Tips

  • The line, or oche, should be 7ft 9.25in (2.37 meters) from the face of the board measured horizontally (if you want to measure it from the bull's-eye down to the floor, it is 9ft 7 3/8in).
  • If you're starting out, buy some different darts (different weights) and figure out which you are most comfortable with.
  • Hang the board so the the center of the bullseye is 5ft 8in (173 cm) high.
  • However, if you are using soft tip darts the throw line or oche should be 8' from the face of the board (horizontally) or 9' 9" diagonal from the center of the bulls-eye

Warnings

  • Do not place dartboard on doors because it may not only become a distraction but may also cause serious injuries for unsuspecting passersby.

Things You'll Need

  • Dart board
  • Darts
  • Cork board
  • Tack, nail, or peg

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 http://www.a1darts.com/dart_rules/hang_a_board.html
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.hintsandthings.com/games/dartboard.htm
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://www.darting.com/Darts-Rules/General/#sthash.UaRtYDqW.dpuf
  4. ↑ http://toolmonger.com/2006/09/05/how-to-build-a-dart-board-surround-to-save-your-wall/

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