Moving to a new house? Those planning on packing up their old pool table may need extra help. In fact, if you’re moving a pool table, you should even consider hiring professionals to do the job. Why? Because moving a pool table is no joke, folks. Not only is a pool table one of the heaviest items a person can own, but it also requires a long and tedious disassembly process when moving.
Pool tables can weigh up to 1,000 pounds. Their bulkiness and weight make them a particularly difficult item to move. For these reasons, it’s especially important to get as much help as you can when moving a pool table. While we strongly recommend hiring professional movers to handle all aspects of the disassembly, moving and reassembly of the pool table, we know that this may not be possible for everyone. If hiring specialty movers (those experienced in moving exceptionally large items) isn’t in your budget or timetable, it is possible to move a pool table with the help of strong friends.
Here’s how to move a pool table without professionals.
Step 1: Find the appropriate moving supplies and materials
First things first: if you plan to move a pool table without professionals, start gathering your supplies now – starting with the toolbox. You’ll need a power drill, screwdriver, socket wrench, and plenty of thick moving blankets for protection. You’ll also need a staple remover to help remove the pool table’s felt. You can find staple removers at office supply stores, such as Office Depot or Staples.
Tip: The last thing you want to do is lose or confuse bits and parts of the pool table along the way, so make sure you label everything. I suggest having plenty of labeled bags or boxes on standby where you can place screws and parts inside.
Step 2: Rent a moving truck
Unfortunately, your minivan and sedan won’t cut it when it comes to moving a pool table. Standard pool table sizes are 7 ft., 8 ft., 8.5 ft. and 9 ft. long, according to Robbies Billiards. Depending on the size of your pool table, you’ll probably need to rent a pickup truck rental or box truck rental from a reliable truck rental center. Fortunately, there are plenty of moving truck rental companies to choose from when moving a pool table. For more information and discounts on various rental truck companies, check out Moving.com’s truck rental center.
Step 3: Enlist as many helpers as possible
After the supplies have been gathered, it’s time to enlist some seriously strong helpers to assist with the move. I recommend recruiting at least four to five friends or family members to help out. Make sure everyone wears appropriate moving day clothing, including a pair of sturdy sneakers. If the move is especially complex, involving narrow doorways or steep stairs, then I recommend hiring a specialty moving company to handle the project.
Step 4: Measure doorways, staircases and hallways
It’s always a good idea to measure any doorways, staircases or hallways that the item needs to pass through beforehand. This way you can assess how easy it will be to maneuver the pool table and its various parts through your home. Also, be sure to open the doors, and properly protect the floors and walls before beginning the moving process. I always recommend covering any sharp edges with baby-proof bumpers or thick towels before moving a large, heavy item through your home.
Step 5: Disassemble the pool table
You’ve gathered your tools and your friends, and you’re finally ready to disassemble the pool table. First, remove the table’s six ball pockets by taking out the staples that keep them in place. If your pool table’s pockets are screwed in place, you’ll need to remove them with a screwdriver instead of a staple remover. Next, tackle the pool table’s side rails using a socket wrench. Once the bolts are unscrewed, gently remove each side rail. Store all bolt and screws separately, and be sure to clearly label each part.
Now, it’s time to remove the felt on the top of the pool table. To successfully remove felt that has been stapled down, use a staple remover and carefully extract each staple. Try your best not to rip or damage the felt in the removable process. Once the felt has been safely removed and packed away, it’s time to conquer your pool table’s slates. Fair warning here: these slates are heavy, to say the least. For reference, a one-piece slate usually weighs around 450 pounds, according to dkbilliards.com. So you will need all the manpower you can get to remove your pool table’s slates without breaking your back. Most likely, the slates will be screwed in, so you should plan on having a power drill nearby to properly remove them. Once the screws are out, carefully remove the slates with the help of friends.
Once the pockets, rails and slates have been removed, you can move on to the main body and legs of the pool table. All you have to do is remove each pool table leg from the main structure. To make this easier, you may need to turn the main body of pool table on its side or upside-down.
Step 6: Protect all parts and load the truck
Be sure to thoroughly wrap each part the of the pool table in moving blankets (and possibly bubble wrap, if needed) before moving the gameroom piece to your new house. When loading the pool table into the truck, it’s especially important that you protect the slates, as these are extremely heavy and delicate. Once the pool table has been loaded into the truck, I recommend driving carefully so as to prevent items from shifting and breaking around while in transport.
Step 7: Reassemble the pool table
Reassembling the pool table at your new home can be tricky but basically, you’ll be putting it back together the opposite way you took it apart. With the help of friends, reattach the legs to the main structure. Once the legs are reattached, add the slate and felt on top. Then attach all rails and pockets. Of course, adding the felt to the pool table and keeping it completely smooth at the same time can be tricky, and is usually best left to professionals.
Prefer to hire professional movers?
If moving your pool table sounds a bit more daunting and overwhelming than you originally thought, it’s probably a good idea to hire professionals for the job. To find a capable moving company near you, check out Moving.com’s extensive network of reputable and reliable movers – all licensed and insured. By choosing a Moving.com mover, you can rest assured that your pool table will be in good hands.
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