{"id":958,"date":"2021-07-25T11:54:12","date_gmt":"2021-07-25T09:54:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/howbowling.com\/?p=958"},"modified":"2023-04-22T22:26:51","modified_gmt":"2023-04-22T20:26:51","slug":"how-to-build-a-bowling-lane","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/howbowling.com\/how-to-build-a-bowling-lane\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Build a Bowling Lane"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For some enthusiasts, bowling is not just a game. It is a passion that drives their careers and their lives. Such bowling lovers do not limit their love to the local bowling alley; they bring it home by installing their very own homemade bowling lanes and making their own home bowling alley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are one of them, you might be wondering, how can I build a bowling lane in my house? Well, that and many other questions are what I am going to address today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, I will talk about the dimensions of a bowling lane, the cost and area requirements for a private bowling alley, and how you can make your own DIY bowling lane. So, make sure you read this article until the end because we will learn how to make a bowling lane ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Dimensions of a Bowling Lane<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before we delve deeper into making a bowling alley at home, we need to understand the dimensions of a bowling alley and what sections need to be placed within it. The overall length of a bowling lane is 60 feet<\/a> in your local bowling alleys and professional venues. The width of the bowling alley is 42 inches, and the thickness is 2 inches mostly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before the foul line where the bowling lane starts from, there is an area of 15 feet. The first 3 feet include two rows of approach dots where you will start your run from. From there, you have a distance of 12 feet to the foul line. This is where you are going to bowl from. You will not move over the foul line<\/a>. Otherwise, your shot will not be considered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the foul line, we have a distance of 12 feet to the aiming arrows. These arrows are meant to help you find the right trajectory in your throw and knock all the pins out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The end of the bowling lane is at the tip of the number 1 bowling pin’s base. This is where the bowling lane ends, and on the sides of the bowling lane are the gutters. This is the complete structural anatomy of a bowling lane that you needed to understand before you thought of getting one at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can you make a Home Bowling Alley?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A lot of bowling enthusiasts have asked me, can you make a bowling alley at home? Well, there is not much you cannot do in this world if you have the will and the way for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Making a whole regulation bowling alley in your home is possible, but it isn’t going to be easy. First, you will need a lot of areas where you can place the bowling alley, then you are going to need a considerable lot of funds as well, and you are also going to need a bunch of time and professionals to work on this project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since this is not a one-person handy DIY job, all these tools and requirements are essential. And skipping out on any of these might result in a lot of money spent and the desired bowling alley experience not being given. So we need to make sure that we avoid that and get the best bowling alley experience right at home without any compromises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cost of Making a Private Bowling Alley<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Getting a bowling alley installed in your home in a specific room or even your basement will not be inexpensive or cheap by any means. This, especially if you are looking for an automated bowling alley experience and not just a DIY bowling lane made of wood plates you got from IKEA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we consider customizing a room into a full-blown bowling alley, you’re looking at the cost of at least $100,000. But if you include excessive customizations, lighting, ambiance, aesthetic designs, and sitting areas, then you are probably going a bit over $150,000, which is quite a lot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, suppose you are persistent about it, and you want to truly elevate your home experience to another level, like a bowling lover. In that case, you are going to spend this much money and get your private bowling alley. It is undoubtedly going to be amazing once it is complete, that is for sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Area Requirement for a Bowling Alley<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now, if you are thinking of getting a proper bowling alley made into your house and are concerned about the area requirements of a bowling alley, you are in the right place. At home, you will suffice with a singular bowling lane in your private alley so let us talk about that. The total length requirement for the system is going to be anywhere from 86-100 feet. This includes all the sections required for an automated, regulation bowling lane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We include the 15-16 feet for the approach; then we have the 60 feet bowling lane itself, then we have the automated service machine space at the back, including the pinsetters, rollers, pit, and the works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also go for an arcade-styled bowling alley installation that will be smaller than usual and more suited for entertainment purposes than practice for professional tournaments and love for the authentic sport itself. However, it comes around at 55-60 feet only, which is quite a bargain, I would say.<\/p>\n\n\n

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How many square feet do you need for a bowling alley?<\/h3>\n
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For a one or a two-lane bowling alley, you need approx 800-1400 square feet. This is based on 80-100 feet long and 10-14 feet wide.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

How to Make a Homemade Bowling Lane<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now, if you are not going to spend thousands of dollars to get a professional bowling alley installed in your home, there is another way around. You can still get the fun of bowling without any of the excessive pizazz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let us look at how you can build a DIY bowling lane and play with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gathering the Tools<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

First and foremost, you are going to need to get all the materials and tools gathered. This will include all the components you need for the job and any excessive decorations that you might want to use. Let us take a look at the things we’re going to need for this DIY project:<\/p>\n\n\n\n