For many, a house isn’t a home without their beloved pool table. Offering countless hours of fun, pool tables are the centerpiece of many a recreation room, including that perfect spot in your new place. The idea of moving a pool table, however, may sour any excitement into anxiety.
Pool tables are an infamous moving challenge: from start to finish, the process is complicated and costly. You will want a game plan in place before the move, so let’s go through ways to make moving your pool table as simple as possible.
Pros and Cons of Moving a Pool Table Yourself
It isn’t impossible to move a pool table without the help of professionals. Doing it yourself is appealing for many due to saving on the expense of pool table movers. Before you roll up your sleeves and take a screwdriver to your pool table, please consider why you would want to hire a team in the first place.
Pool tables, on average, weigh around 700 pounds. Some tip the scales at over 1000 pounds. Moreover, a pool table’s pieces are long, with some measuring at 9 feet. Moving a pool table yourself means contending with many humongous, heavy pieces.
Consider the labor involved in actually taking it apart as well. Because of their bulkiness, pool tables cannot be moved in one piece. Moving one requires breaking it down into more manageable sections. Pool tables are complicated structures, built from many delicate parts. Without the precise knowledge involved in disassembling it, you run the risk of not only breaking your back, but also the table.
Professional Pool Table Movers
Dedicated pool table movers streamline the process. From beginning to end, they have a strong working knowledge of the intricacies involved in the move. Hiring professional pool table movers will be well worth the cost, saving you both the physical and emotional burden.
Get the Correct Tools and Crew
Looking up “pool table movers near me” on your favorite search engine should land you with a team of professionals in your city to assist in transporting your pool table to your new home. While it’s highly recommended you hire a team of specialists for this project, there’s also the possibility that this may not be feasible, whether due to your budget, moving timeline, or another variable.
If so, you will want to prepare properly. Begin by gathering the tools needed for disassembly, including a drill, screwdriver set, socket wrench, staple remover, and lots of bubble wrap and moving blankets.
Individual pool table parts can weigh over a hundred pounds, so enlist multiple people handling each piece. Ideally, the friends and family members helping you should be strong, capable, and in shape enough to carry the parts. On moving day, comfortable clothes and slip-resistant shoes are a must.
Disassembling the Pool Table Completely
Professionals and amateurs alike follow similar steps when moving a pool table. Unscrew the table’s ball pockets first, then remove the side rails, corners, and bumpers. After that comes extracting the felt cover from the table, a fragile process ending in tears within the fabric. Be prepared for the possibility of replacing the felt after the move.
With the cover off, the next part is unscrewing the slates. While designed to slot into the table, these pieces are fragile when removed. Cracks are common. If a slate breaks, it will need replacing.
Finally, take apart the pool table’s legs from its main body. With the deconstruction finished, it’s time to pack it into the moving truck. Wrap each piece of the pool table in generous amounts of bubble wrap, along with moving blankets. Handle the slates with care in particular due to their heavy weight and risk of breakages.
Reassembling the Pool Table
Taking apart and moving a pool table is a painstaking process, and reassembling it is the same. Once again, professionals can assist you with each step, especially with the challenge involved in keeping the tabletop felt smooth.
If you’re putting the table back yourself, the steps to reassemble it are done in the opposite order of the original deconstruction. Like a puzzle, each piece will slot into where they are supposed to fit. Because of the pool table’s weight, you will need a team of friends or family to help you.
Consult the owner’s manual of your pool table; it will offer specific instructions on how to disassemble and reassemble it.
Reviewing these considerations ahead of time can really inform your DIY-or-not decision. Moving a pool table is no small feat and there’s no shame in admitting that there’s too many details to manage or that it may not be safe for you to attempt it. In either case, hiring experienced moving professionals, such as Astoria Queens Movers, can help you relocate your pool table in one easy step on your part (making the call!). We handle all sorts of big and small moves that require special attention and equipment, including moving a pool table. Work with us and you’ll feel secure in knowing that leaving this big (and heavy) job of moving your pool table will be done safely and with much less stress.