If you’ve ever had the misfortune of hauling heavy furniture and equipment between houses you’ll know that bulky, heavy items are no joke. They can fall, throw out a poor helper’s back, break, and become irreparably damaged during your moving attempts. Moving a pool table is no different–unfortunately, it’s actually worse. How to move a pool table, then?
Your best bet is with a trained crew of professionals, people who know how to get these massive toys locked and loaded without damaging the expensive tables or themselves. These are the steps to take when moving your pool table–some of them can be done before the movers arrive, lowering costs and speeding up the process.
Enlist A Few Friends
Even if you don’t plan on moving any of the heavy pieces of your pool table (specifically, the slate) you’ll still benefit from a few extra pairs of hands. Dissembling a pool table is a tedious process, requiring as much caution and skill as it does patience. Splitting the duties will help the process along, and offer some additional emotional support. Ensure that everyone is primed and ready to go with proper footwear and the basic skills required to dissect your pool table.
Remove Ball Pockets And Side Rails
The first parts to go are the ball sockets and the side rails. These pockets can be removed with a screwdriver while a socket wrench is used for bolt removal in the side rails. At this point in the process, you don’t need to be excessively careful–but the time will come. Make sure to label every piece, especially the various screws and bolts, and store them in labelled baggies or containers. Wrapping each removed item as you go along will help keep things tidy and ready for loading.
Carefully Remove Felt And Slate
This is the trickiest, most technical, and potentially the most dangerous part of disassembly. The felt adorning pool tables is often stapled down, but it can also be glued in place. In that case, you’ll need to slowly scrape with a putty knife rather than pulling out staples. Either way, the process must be done slowly and carefully, as a rip or tear in the felt will make it unusable. If you want to save the stress, consider ripping it off and plan on replacing it at its new location.
Removing the pieces of slate below the felt can invite danger. Typically, three pieces of slate connect in each pool table, weighing around 150lbs each. One-piece tables weigh upwards of 450lbs. The slate rock is surprisingly brittle and easy to damage. Once damaged, the slate pieces will no longer fit together, which is why proper lifting and maneuvering are so important.
Pop Off The Legs
You may need to tip the table over to complete this step, but once it’s down, you’ll just need a drill to remove the legs. You’ll be left with the frame, which can be wrapped up and moved with the legs. Be gentle here, as any damage could leave you with a pool table that no longer fits together.
Wrap And Protect
Use something plush, like a blanket, to wrap each part of your pool table. This will save you from transit damage and ensure that your hard work doesn’t go to waste. Once you reach your new home, reassemble with the same care.
Why You Should Ultimately Turn To The Professionals
Safety is the primary reason for seeking out a pool table moving company. As mentioned, pool tables are obscenely heavy, topping off at 800-1,000 pounds. The slate makes up much of that weight, which is why moving even the individual pieces can be such a dangerous expedition.
One wrong move could crush feet or strain backs, damaging the slate and requiring a complete replacement. Shouldering this process on your own is stressful and time-consuming, something you likely won’t want in the middle of a move.
Professionals will know how to disassemble and move your pool table safely and without damage. They will also have the required experience to level your slate and the table itself, which few DIYers are capable of doing on their own. Additionally, many of these companies will include new felt in their pricing to make disassembly even easier.
For any questions on how to move a pool table from your home or if you need a pool table moved, call us anytime. We’re more than happy to give you tips, advice or send a team over to help you complete the move so you and your pool table stay intact!
