As pool tables make the perfect companion to any game room, you might want to replicate that atmosphere into your new home. But moving a pool table is not exactly an easy job. Whether you pick professional help or your friends are there for you to assist you during the moving process, make sure you prepare accordingly for this task. To make it easier on you during moving day, we’ve prepared a list of steps of how to move this special furniture item:
1. Get the moving supplies beforehand
Whether you choose to do it yourself or you hire professional help, you might want to start by gathering supplies. You’d be surprised to see how many individual pieces and screws that put together a pool table. To that end, make sure you make a list of tools you are going to need for this project. Here are some of the essentials you will need:
- Screwdriver
- Socket wrench
- Power drill
- Staple remover (for the felt covering)
- Shrink-wrap
- Blankets for protection
2. Ask for help
As pool tables tend to be heavy and bulky, you shouldn’t try moving one all by yourself. Make sure you have at least four of five friends or family members to help out. It’s important that everyone who’s coming to help is equipped with appropriate clothing and a pair of comfortable sneakers.
If your home has narrow doorways or deep stairs, a specialty moving company is better equipped to handle this project.
3. Prepare the move by measuring doorways, staircases and hallways
In preparation of the big day, you can measure doorways, staircases and hallways that the table needs to pass through. This will help you gauge whether it will be easy or not to fit it through your home before the pool table gets to the transportation truck. It would be a good idea to protect floors and walls prior to the moving process. Additionally, covering any sharp edges with baby-proof bumpers or a thick towel will ensure that your home and your furniture will not be damaged in the process.
4. Label small parts
If you label everything that you remove during the disassembly process, putting the pool table together again will be so much easier. There is nothing worse than moving a table across town, then realizing that you need to search for missing screws in all the moving boxes. Or worse, you might need to go to the hardware store to get the small component that’s needed to put your pool table back together. Avoid all mishaps by carefully labeling and bagging the smaller parts.
5. Carefully disassemble the table
Moving a pool table is not exactly the easiest of tasks, and it’s best to leave it to the professionals. This service will cost around $450, but at least you’ll avoid the hassle of taking it apart, transporting it and putting it back together.
Regardless of how you choose to address the task, you can easily disassemble the pool table part by part:
- The pockets
First, unscrew the pockets from underneath the table. Once the pockets are off, you can easily reach the screws in order to remove the bumpers and the corners. - The felt
Next, you take off the felt. This operation can go two ways: If the felt is stapled down, you can pull out the staples, but if it’s glued down you will need to use a putty knife in order to remove it. This is a tricky part that requires extra care to avoid any tears. In case the felt gets damaged, be prepared to buy a new one. - The side rails
Once the felt is removed, tackle the pool table’s side rails with a socket wrench. Unscrew each bolt and then gently remove each rail. Remember to store all screws and bolts separately and to label them appropriately. - The slates
Now, you can move on to the slates. There are usually two or three of them and they’re heavy. Remove the screws from the spate using a power drill, then take the slate off. Be careful when you handle the slate, as moving and tipping it around might chip it or crack it. If that happens, you will need a new slate. This is the heaviest part of the table, weighing up to 800 lbs. Even if it comes apart, make sure you have a few helpers at hand as it will be difficult to transport it to the truck otherwise. - The legs
After this step is accomplished, you can unscrew the legs from the table.
Before loading all the parts into the moving truck, make sure to wrap them in moving blankets and bubble wrap. The slates need extra protection, so be careful when loading them. Drive carefully and slower as to prevent items from shifting and getting damaged on the way to your new home.
6. Pick the right room for the pool table in your new home
As you can imagine, you will need a spacious room to fit your pool table. Your best bet is a one with no carpet. It’s more challenging to level the table if the floor has a covering and you might run the risk of one leg sinking further than the other. A basement floor-tiled game room would be the ideal new setting for your pool table. However, if your new home doesn’t have one, you can choose one of the larger rooms to place it in.
7. Put the table back together
Unless you’ve taken serious notes on how the pool table came apart, it’s easier to have specialists do this task. The process of assembly follows the same steps as when taking the table apart, except in the opposite order. First, you need to reattach the frame, unless it came pre-built and it wasn’t disassembled for the move. Then, put the legs back on the base of the frame. Make sure that they slide into the corners and are secured with nuts using the socket wrench. Next, before you attach the center slate and the other two, locate the center of the table by using a measure. Reattach the felt over the holes for the bolts. Finally, before you can start showing off your pool skills, all you need to do is align the rails with the felt and the pockets.
8. Keep the pool table in storage
If you’ve gone through life changes like having a baby, you might find it easier to put your pool table in storage in order to gain more space in your home. You will be able to fit your pool table into a 5×10 self storage unit. Make sure that you choose a climate-controlled unit in order to protect the table from heat and humidity-related damage. Remember to disassemble it first for easier transportation.
Did we help you move your pool table? Let us know in the comments section below.
