Construction Examples

Example photos of unique details.

Take a look at some of the different ways builders and interior designers do things around their bowling alleys.

Curtain walls

The curtain wall is built across the bowling lanes, right in front of the pinsetter machines. Some builders suspend it from above, while others create a header that spans the entire width.

At first, the opening is high enough to allow the pinsetter machines to roll down the lanes on a pallet jack. Once the pinsetter machines are in place, the builder extends the curtain wall downward to its final height 22 inches off the bowling lane. If the opening is too high, you'll see more of the pinsetter machine. If it's too low, a tall person's line of sight to the bowling pins could be partially obstructed.

Some of the bowling electronics will be mounted to the rear face of the curtain wall. This is the location where a quad receptacle is needed, as well as a hard-wired internet ethernet jack.

It's important to finish as much of the curtain wall as possible before the bowling alley equipment is installed to minimize dust and the risk of damage to the bowling equipment.

Depending on how far away the curtain wall is from the pinsetter, you may end up with gaps allowing sight into the mechanical room. This is much less noticeable from where the bowlers stand (60 feet away), but it's exacerbated when the mechanical room stays brightly lit. Nevertheless, the builder can improve this by attaching sheets of plywood painted black.
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Depending on how far away the curtain wall is from the pinsetter, you may end up with gaps allowing sight into the mechanical room. This is much less noticeable from where the bowlers stand (60 feet away), but it's exacerbated when the mechanical room stays brightly lit. Nevertheless, the builder can improve this by attaching sheets of plywood painted black.

Electrical

A licensed electrician must connect power to all of the bowling equipment. Fusion Bowling provides some items, such as the 3-phase converter, fuseable safety disconnect switch, surge suppressor, and the bowling equipment of course. But the electrician mounts and connects those items. The electrician also provides junction boxes, drop cords, conduits, wiring, etc.

A typical configuration. Fusion Bowling provides some of these components; however, the electrician mounts and connects it all.
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A typical configuration. Fusion Bowling provides some of these components; however, the electrician mounts and connects it all.
The automatic bumper rail controller and its power receptacle (installed by electrician) as seen from above with the return capping temporarily removed.
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The automatic bumper rail controller and its power receptacle (installed by electrician) as seen from above with the return capping temporarily removed.
The automatic bumper rail controller and its power receptacle (installed by electrician) as seen from below with the return capping temporarily removed.
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The automatic bumper rail controller and its power receptacle (installed by electrician) as seen from below with the return capping temporarily removed.

Flooring Transitions

Flooring must be installed AFTER the bowling alley. Doing so allows the flooring subcontractor to cover over the small gap along the perimeter of the slab depression, as well as to "float up" any low spots in the slab.

When Fusion Bowling's crew arrives to install the bowling alley, they will confirm the thickness of the flooring with the general contractor, and then set the bowling lane elevation accordingly to allow a flush flooring transition. Sometimes, however, the homeowner changes their mind and selects a different flooring with a different thickness. In those situations, a reducer trim will likely need to be installed by the flooring subcontractor.

The edge of the bowling lane material must be protected somehow. It's possible to not use a transition strip, as long as the adjacent flooring is "hard" (for example: tile, vinyl, or wood), and set 1/16th inch higher than the bowling lane elevation. However, some type of transition strip protection should always be installed when the adjacent flooring is carpet.

Pinsetter machines

Pinsetter machines are the #1 consideration when buying your home bowling alley. Brunswick manufactures two styles of pinsetter machine, both of which are sanctioned by the USBC and meant for the abuse of commercial environments. The Brunswick Boost™ machine has corded pins. The Brunswick GS-NXT™ uses free-fall pins.

Fusion Bowling recommends Brunswick Boost™ for homeowners because its simple mechanical design has very few moving parts (compared to any machine that resets free-fall pins). This means there are not many parts that can work themselves out of adjustment over time, which translates to a very high-degree of reliability. This is important for homeowners who, unlike public bowling centers, don't have a mechanic standing by 24/7.

Another important difference is the quiet operation of the Brunswick Boost™ pinsetter. It makes little to no noise, except, of course, when the ball hits the pins. This is in stark contrast to machines that use free-fall pins, which have 22+ pins that are constantly making noise as they cycle through the machine.

Other advantages of the Brunswick Boost™ pinsetter machines include cost (tens of thousands of dollars less expensive per pair), and greater flexibility during installation.

Brunswick GS-NXT™ pinsetter machine (front close-up) depicting safety beam shining across in front of the pins.
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Brunswick GS-NXT™ pinsetter machine (front close-up) depicting safety beam shining across in front of the pins.
The Brunswick StringPin™ pinsetter machine (replaced by the Boost™ in 2023). Notice the service aisle behind the machines are part of the slab depression, and must remain clear.
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The Brunswick StringPin™ pinsetter machine (replaced by the Boost™ in 2023). Notice the service aisle behind the machines are part of the slab depression, and must remain clear.
What's the process? What are the steps involved in buying a bowling alley?

The answer to this question gets its own cute little flow chart on its own web page. See our Process page.

What's the lead time?

It can take 4 months or more to get the equipment ordered, prepped, and ready to ship.

How long does it take to install a bowling alley?

A pair of lanes take about one week to install. Single lanes take about six days, and 4-lane projects take about  11 days.

When do you install the equipment?

The window of opportunity is after HVAC is up and running but before flooring is installed.

Frequently asked questions

We’ve got answers.

Browse some answers to our most common questions, or you can drop us a line to ask something else.

Are you ready?

Start your custom bowling alley project.

Be sure to check out our pricing page for details, and reach out to our team with any questions or concerns about starting a project.

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