Setting Up An Electronic Dartboard

An electronic dart board makes a great addition to a games room or home bar.  With all the different darts games you can play, having your own dart board means hours of fun for all the family.  Here are some guidelines on how to set up an electronic dart board.

Space
Deciding on the best place to mount your dart board can be quite tricky.  It needs to be on a wall not near any doors or windows, so as to avoid the risk of people accidentally walking into the line of fire.  You also need to have enough distance to throw the darts.  A space approximately 11ft x 5ft is ideal.

Obstacles
Make sure you remove any obstacles or breakable things from the area you've chosen, just in case the odd dart goes off course.  For instance, it's sensible to take any paintings off the wall and ornaments off shelves.

Wall
Make sure the wall where you want your dart board to go is flat.  Then either fit a back board over the surrounding wall or mount a specially constructed dart board cabinet.  The advantage of cabinets is they offer convenient storage for your darts and accessories, so everything you need is always in the same place and easily accessible when you fancy a game.  You can also shut the doors when you're not playing.

When you hang your board, measure carefully as the height is critical.  It should be 5ft 8'' from the floor to the center of the bullseye.

Floor
Whatever type of flooring you have, it's a good idea to use a dart mat to show where the throw line is.  A mat will protect wooden flooring and carpet from damage from dart tips, and provide a padded surface over stone or concrete to stop damage to dart shafts.  If you don't have a mat, you'll need to make your own throw line on the floor, exactly 7ft 9.25'' from the board.  Use tape, chalk, wood or metal.

Finishing Touches
Once you've hung your dart board and marked out the throw line you can think about those extra details to make your games area complete.  For example, it's nice to have some seating nearby.

This article has been contributed by Simon Phillips of DartBoards180.com, where you can find discounts on all kinds of dart supplies, including soft tip darts.  You'll also find a whole host of darts related trivia.