Moving a Pool Table – Everything You Need to Know

Get All the Supplies You’ll Need

You will want to go into this process completely prepared. That is why the first step should be buying all the necessary supplies. Aside from the usual packing materials such as bubble wrap and duct tape, , it would be also good to use the following supplies:

• moving blankets for extra protection for the slate, legs, and other parts
• a wrench
• a screwdriver and/or a staple remover, depending on the type of equipment you have
• possibly even some lifting straps

You may even want to ask specifically for the equipment for transporting billiards tables and taking them apart.

Measure Your Halls and Doorways

Since you managed to get billiards equipment into your home, we’re fairly certain you’ll manage to get it out as well. But just in case, don’t forget to measure the dimensions of your doors hallways to be certain that the pool table can fit through. It wouldn’t hurt to measure the room where it will go, too. Keep in mind that you won’t be removing the equipment in one piece, but disassembled, which should make the process easier. Still, it’s best that you ensure that the slate and other pieces can fit through all the passageways in your home on the way to the chosen room.

Disassemble the Pool Table Like a Professional: A Step-by-Step Guide

Now that you have all the tools you need, it’s time to get down to work. Keep in mind that disassembling a pool table is not an easy task at all, so be ready to put in a lot of effort into each step, especially when the time comes to remove the slate. Another thing we should note is that different models of tables are made in different ways, which means that the disassembling process will vary as well. So, be careful when learning how to disassemble a pool table. The instructions below are general guidelines that should work for most tables.

The First Step Is to Clean the Pool Table Before Moving It out of Your House

Before you start unscrewing things with your tools, make sure the equipment is clean. Once it gets to your new home, you’ll be tired from the move and the last thing you’ll want to do is clean it. Use mild chemicals for wooden or metal surfaces. Light vacuuming should be enough for the top.

Disassemble a Pool Table to Be Able to Take It out of the Room

Taking care of your pool table is not like moving a heavy desk. If you want to start disassembling a pool table, you need to get the right equipment. A standard home pool table is made of a heavy slate bed, wood frame, and leather drop pockets, making it pretty straightforward to disassemble. However, tables with mechanisms for ball return, coin-operated and those with a fiberboard surface will be harder to take apart.

The first thing you need to do is detach the pockets, by taking care of pocket liners and its screws and staples. You can do this with a simple screwdriver. Just make sure you have goggles to protect your eyes from falling staples.

Then you need to remove the rail bolts from each rail. There are usually three or four bolts underneath the rails, which you can take care of with a socket wrench. After you’re done with the rails, you can detach the felt and the legs.

Remove the Pockets

The first things you should remove are the pockets. Depending on whether they are stapled or screwed in place, get your tools out and use either a screwdriver or a staple remover to do this. Be careful not to damage the pocket or the surrounding material along the way. If there are any other add-ons, such as cue stick holders, remove those as well.

Side Rails Need to be Taken Off Carefully

Once the pockets are off, you should get rid of the side rails. Do this by carefully unscrewing each bolt until the side rail comes loose. Be careful not to pull the rails too hard or you may damage them or tear the surrounding felt.

Removing the Felt Can Be Tricky

Probably the trickiest part of this whole process, although not as physically demanding, is removing the felt top. Most pool equipment has a stapled felt, which means you will need a staple remover for this. Feel free to take your time removing each staple. Rushing through it may result in a lot of damage to the felt, which pretty much renders the whole equipment useless.

Lift the Slate

Lifting the slate (that is, the top of the table) can be quite a challenge – this part weighs quite a bit with most tables. In fact, you probably shouldn’t even attempt to do this on your own. If the slate gets damaged or broken, replacing it can cost quite a lot. So, do what’s in your power to handle everything adequately, or simply call a few friends over to help you out, or hire professional movers.

Remove the Legs

The slate is gone, and the only thing left to remove from the frame now are the legs. Simply unscrew the bolts and screws holding them together and remove them. By now you should practically be a professional at this. If you still don’t feel that way, you should feel free to turn to some friends for help.

You Need to Carefully Protect Each Piece

Rather than listing this as the next step, we’d like to suggest that you do the wrapping and protection of each piece along the way. As soon as you remove a part of the equipment, wrap it up in some plastic wrap, bubble wrap, and finally a moving blanket. This is especially important if you have wooden equipment, as wood chips easily and the damage is quite visible. As far as the felt goes, the best option would be to roll it up, wrap it in a few sheets of plastic wrap and bag it.

More Useful Tips – Bag and Label All Screws

You are finally moving into your new home, your boxes are here, and now it is time to reassemble your pool equipment. You carefully unwrap each piece and find yourself in front of a pile of unsorted stuff. Avoid the stress of figuring out what goes where by simply organizing, bagging, and labeling all your tiny pieces. We suggest using zip lock bags for this.

Avoid These Mistakes at All Cost When Moving a Pool Table

Now that you know how to prepare and move your billiards equipment, let us take a look at some of the things you shouldn’t do:

• Move the equipment in one piece. Trying to move or pack the whole thing without disassembling it will probably be impossible due to the size of the average pool table. In addition to this, these things are very heavy and you could end up injuring yourself. So, even though it might seem too tricky at first, disassembling will save you from a lot of trouble in the long run.
  
• Leave it for the last moment. This is a process that takes a lot of energy and time. Feel free to take at least several days to properly disassemble the equipment without rushing.
• Count on movers to do it for you. Most companies move billiards equipment only if it has already been disassembled. That is, they belong to a list of special objects that some companies don’t move at all. Make sure you ask your chosen movers whether their moving services include packing these complex objects for transport and loading them onto the truck.
• Do it on your own. We’ve said it once, we’ll say it again. This is a very complicated task. Don’t attempt to do it on your own. One of the best tips is that you call some of your good friends for help – it won’t cost a thing.

Moving with a pool table can be difficult. With so many parts that are difficult to detach and screws that can be easily lost, it can be time-consuming and nerve-racking to do this by yourself. Even though it may seem expensive, it would be good to let professionals handle your relocation. After all, the cost to move a pool table with reliable moving services will surely be smaller than doing it badly. You can do everything in your power to take care of it properly and still make some huge mistakes due to a lack of experience. So, feel free to turn to those who have been trained to handle such tasks.