How to move a pool table

Written by professional pool table installers for the consumer

See the article titled "How To Move A Pool Tablebelow

Are you buying a pool table or need one moved but don't know how to move a pool table? You are not alone, thousands of people come here every day to find out how to move a pool table, trying to save a little money. Check out our article titled "How To Move A Pool Table" below, it may help you.

How to move a pool table ∼
It is important to follow the correct instructions and more importantly to know how to move a pool table before doing it!
Only from used-pooltable.com 2000-2009
How To Move A Pool Table The Right Way
Only from used-pooltable.com 2000-2009

How To Move A Pool Table

If you have made it to this page you probably are thinking about buying a pool table or have already and now you need to know how to move the pool table right?

First it is never recommended by a company to move a pool table yourself, we do not recommend it either, you should always pay someone who is insured and has experience who already knows how to move a pool table. We know what you are thinking, these companies just tell us not to do it so they can make all of the MONEY! Not really, they actually don't like to clean up the mess you will undoubtedly make if you don't know how to move the pool table to begin with. That being said, we cannot be liable for describing the information on this website about how to move a pool table.

If you would like to find a qualified pool table company to move a pool table you can find one here used-pooltable.com

This description will tell you how a qualified installer will move a 3 pc. slate pool table from one house to the other. Other styles of pool tables such as 1 pc. slate pool tables and coin operated pool tables will not be discussed as they present even more challenging circumstances and many companies don't take the time to learn how to move these types of pool tables but companies who have been around a while know how.

This article covering how to move a pool table will cover the following that an installer may perform while moving your pool table:

Tear down - dismantle

Upon arriving the installer or mechanic will probably check the slate to make sure it isn't broken, they normally don't want to get involved with moving a pool table with broken slate because once they start the job and discover the slate is broken there isn't a lot most of them will be willing to do because of the time involved - Checking the slate to make sure it's not broken is a skill pool table installers acquire after doing several jobs. It is also described for consumers in our
Pool Table Buyers Guide - Pool Table Reviews publication

The pool table installer will then begin by removing the attachments for the pockets and move on to dismantling the rails. When doing this there are several things that can damage the pool table or the rails so the installer uses their experience and knowledge of how to move a pool table to prevent any damage being done to the rail system. Most rail systems will be 6 piece so again it is wise to let a person who really knows how to move a pool table perform this task.

So now the pool table has it's rails removed and it's time to remove the felt, The felt can be attached to the pool table a few different ways so the installer who has experience and knows how to move a pool table carries a number of different specialty tools in order to remove the felt.

**a word of caution, pool table felt rips really easy so if you are not careful you could end up having to apply new felt to the pool table as well. If this is the case you will probably pay between $80.00 to $125.00 for a new piece. Then the felt must be installed on the rails and slate, this is a task that very few people who don't know how to move a pool table get right, they usually end up calling an installer who knows how to move a pool table and install pool table felt**

Usually the felt is left on the rails and only removed from the slate. Now the slate is uncovered and it must be determined what type of filler was used on the slate when the pool table was moved there previously. This will determine how you separate the slates without doing any damage to them. There are several materials and methods that can be used by people who know how to move a pool table but you really have to be careful of a few of them as they could lead to broken slate when trying to separate them. Some older slates also have methods of joining that can cause serious damage to the slate if you don't know what to expect because you can't see it.

After the slate has been separated it must be loaded into the proper transportation vehicle. A qualified installer who knows how to move a pool table will know exactly how to transport the slates to prevent them from being broken during transit. Slates will also generally require two people carry them as they are extremely heavy in proportion to their size.

Now the frame and legs must be dismantled, this is an easy task as long as the person who moved the pool table previously knew how to move a pool table and didn't do any damage to the attachment bolts or t-nuts, these can cause some serious difficulties if not installed properly, a good mover will know the tricks if they run into any problems with the wood or bad components

Loading and transporting

Now the frame, slate, legs and rails will need to be transported, most installers who know how to move a pool table will have a good size truck with a lot of space and straps to protect the pool table from getting damaged during transit. There really is not a good substitute for the proper gear and vehicle to transport the pool table.

Unloading and set up

The pool table is unloaded and set up in the opposite order of the tear down and loading. During the setup there are some things that change however. The legs and frame are attached or constructed and placed in the room, if you don't know how to move a pool table you can consult our
Pool Table Buyers Guide - Pool Table Reviews publication which details room sizes and placement of the pool table. A good installer who knows how to move a pool table will be able to advise you exactly where the pool table should be constructed for the best play in your room.

After the pool table has been placed in the room the slates are placed on the frame, some schools of thought say it should sit for a while under it's own weight to settle, some think less time is fine. The most difficult part for a person who even knows how to move a pool table is leveling. People who are handy with building things and don't know how to move a pool table usually never get this right. They bring out their torpedo levels and carpenters levels, laser levels, bubble levels and unfortunately these items really aren't effective in leveling a pool table for even an installer who knows how to move a pool table. These levels are great for hanging pictures or building cabinets but are not for leveling a pool table.

Leveling a pool table takes a great deal of experience. An apprentice installer working with years of experience will not even know how to effectively move a pool table after even two weeks when it comes to the leveling process. Hundreds of methods are used around the country but the most common specialty level used that we have found is a level used for extreme balancing of machinery. $150.00 - $300.00 investment

Leveling a pool table by a person who knows how to move a pool table correctly can take anywhere from 20 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on the pool table and room. Many poor quality brands of pool tables will take longer to level and some can't be leveled because the quality of the slate or construction is so poor. You can check our Pool Table Buyers Guide - Pool Table Reviews for information on the best quality brands and how to check the quality of a pool table you are buying.
After the slate has been leveled a filler must be used to join the slates so they are evenly connected and will not cause the ball to roll off in another direction while playing the game. A very frustrating event when you own a pool table There are several fillers that can be used, some good and some bad, a topic of debate between movers who know how to move a pool table but most of them work just fine.

Installing the felt

Besides leveling the pool table, installing the felt can be the most difficult task for a person who does not know how to move a pool table. Generally we find when the "do it yourself" type does this they end up with very loose felt or wrinkles all over the table by the pockets. Another frustrating thing during game play The felt is stretched and attached using one of the preferred methods of attachment to either the slate or the slate backing which is generally wood but some slates don't come with one and it must be attached another way. This part is another task many people who don't know how to move a pool table need a qualified installer to perform for them.

Finishing the installation

After installing the felt correctly the rails and pockets must be installed in the reverse order they were removed and the pockets must be attached correctly so the balls don't fall to the floor after pocketing the ball. A qualified mover who knows how to move a pool table will generally check their installation to make sure it's still level and does not need any further leveling before they finish the job. Pool table movers do not like call backs because they are very time consuming.

Conclusion

Obviously there are things left out of this article about how to move a pool table. Moving a pool table takes a lot of experience and cannot be described on the Internet effectively. We suggest contacting a qualified installer who knows how to move a pool table, the best companies in your area can be found here at used-pooltable.com and if you are buying a used pool table you should consult our Pool Table Buyers Guide - Pool Table Reviews for the best information online about pool table quality and how to survive buying a used pool table without losing money.

Used-pooltable.com has been online for nearly a decade and we are dedicated to helping the consumer get a great service, price and good quality pool table. Please see our website to learn more about pool tables and to find an excellent company near you.

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