DO-IT-YOURSELF POOL TABLE MOVING

POOLTABLEMOVING.COM

Preface: What You Can Expect from This Guide

Chapter 1: Common Mistakes Made When Moving a Pool Table

! • Tearing the Felt! • Dropping / Cracking the Slate! • Damaging the Legs! • Improper Packaging / Protection of Parts

Chapter 2: How to Move a Pool Table DIY-Style

! • Moving Room-to-Room! • Disassembling the Pool Table! • Moving the Pool Table / Parts

Chapter 3: What to Do After Your Pool Table Arrives

! • Reassembling the Pool Table! • Refelting the Pool Table! • Leveling the Pool Table

Chapter 4: Maybe DIY Pool Table Moving Isn’t For Me; What Do I Do Now?

! • Gain from Experience! • What to Look for From a Professional Pool Table Mover

Conclusion: Something You May Want to Consider & A Special Offer

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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CRITICALLY IMPORTANT: Read through this entire guide prior to starting your pool table move.Why did we start by saying this? Because we know how guys are:

“It’s a damn pool table; how hard can it be to move the thing?” “This will only take a minute.” “Where’s the pizza and beer?”

Yep, we’re guys, too, and for all the blessings of being a guy, heavy lifting and moving stuff isn’t one of them. Naturally, following directions is not our strongest suit, and our first inclination is to mentally minimize the amount of time and effort moving will take . . . Read through this guide!

So, you’ve got a pool table and you need it moved. This guide will outline the necessary steps to efficiently as possible accomplish your pool table move. If you don’t read through this guide in its entirety prior to starting, you’re going to have a damn mess on your hands, if not an outright and costly disaster.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM THIS GUIDE

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If you enjoy playing pool and have one in your home, then you are not alone. Millions of people engage in this game on a regular basis. The ability to engage your brain and have fun while doing so (maybe a friendly wager?), these are the benefits of pool playing.

COMMON MISTAKES MADE WHEN MOVING A POOL TABLE

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However, if you have to relocate and moving your pool table is required, or if you just need to move your pool table from your garage to your man cave, this can quickly turn into a serious headache. Knowing the top mistakes to avoid when disassembling your table and completing a pool table installation all over again in your new location may be helpful.

Mistake #1: Tearing the Felt

It is common to disassemble the table due to the large size and heavy weight of it. This will allow you to break it down into parts and complete a pool table installation when you get it moved. It is normal to use a staple gun to attach the felt to the table and make it smooth and taut on the top of the table.

However, unless you are extremely diligent, you can rip the felt when taking it off of the slate that is underneath. This could end up requiring you to totally replace this material, and it will be costly (we’ll discuss this later in Chapter 3).

Mistake #2: Dropping the Slate

One of the heaviest parts of the pool table is the slate that the felt sits on top of the table (if you’ve ever dropped the cue ball from a foot above the table and heard that ‘thud’, or have ever attempted

a masse shot, you know what we’re talking about). This component is one of the main reasons why moving your table can be so difficult. Not only is it possible to drop the slate and potentially cause this piece to shatter, it could also cost you a trip to the ER for slicing open your finger, hand, arm, leg, etc. because slate – when it breaks – breaks into slivers the same way porcelain does. This is indeed an expensive and dangerous mistake.

Mistake #3: Damaging the Legs

Much like the legs on anything other table, the legs on your pool table (you guessed it) hold it in place. You will need to take these off when taking the table apart for your move. This can be a difficult task in and of itself due to the size of the legs on a pool table. If you are a perfectionist, you will want to avoid doing any damage to the legs, but this is entirely possible if you aren’t careful.

It’s common for scratches and dings to be the result of taking your table apart for your big move. It’s also common that because you’re in a rush or not thinking about it, you won’t wrap the legs in protective blankets so that they don’t get scratched whilst en route, which brings us to . . .

Mistake #4: Not Wrapping the Parts Properly

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When taking the pool table apart for your move, it is important to wrap all of the individual pieces properly. There are different types of materials you can use to protect all of the parts. One that is ideal and inexpensive to use is canvas. Some people also rely on old quilts that may be lying around the house to avoid buying other materials.

Be sure to consider the mistakes that are listed above if you are taking your table apart for a move and completing a pool table installation when you reach your new destination. You can have success by planning ahead and knowing what not to do!

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Moving Room-to-Room

Mention that you need some muscle to move a pool table and your scrawny friends might scatter fast. But if the ones with brute strength show up, you have nothing to worry about. If you intend to move the pool table to another area of the

HOW TO MOVE A POOL TABLE DIY-STYLE

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room, you’ll only need four dollies and some type of fabric to protect the legs of the pool table from being scratched during the move.

Here are the steps for how to safely move your favorite pastime from one area of

a room to another:

1. Tilt one of the long sides of the pool table and roll a wooden dolly under each leg.

2. Slowly lower the pool table legs onto the dollies and lock the dolly wheels to keep them from moving.

3. Lift the opposite side and repeat the same action

4. Station a friend at each corner of the pool table. Unlock two of the dollies and carefully move the pool table to its new location.

5. Reverse the steps to remove the dollies from beneath the legs of the pool table.

Disassembling the Pool Table

More elbow grease will be required if you plan to move the pool table to another location. The tools you will need for this effort include:

• Staple puller or flathead screwdriver• Blankets or another type of fabric to protect pieces from being damaged • Protective eyewear• Socket wrench• Power drill with a properly fitted screwdriver bit• Workman’s gloves

Once your tools are gathered and you’ve enlisted all the friends and family you possibly can to help you, listed below are the necessary steps for disassembling this item:

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1. Remove the six pockets by unfastening them using a staple puller or a flathead screwdriver. (Eye protection is a good idea too, since you’ll be lying on your back under the table to access the staples.)

2. Take out the rails on all sides of the pool table using a socket wrench; be careful not to nick your knuckles on the edges while unscrewing the bolts.

3. Loosen the felt on the top of the table with a staple puller. (Note: If you want to change the felt on the pool table, now is the time!) Carefully free the felt using the staple puller unless the felt is glued. If glued, very carefully pull up on the corners until the felt is free. Fold it neatly to avoid wrinkles.

4. Take the screws out of slate with a screwdriver and remove the slate by using a power drill fitted with the correct screwdriver bit. Most of the time, standard 8 and 9 foot pool tables have three pieces of slate. Larger tables can have up to five pieces of slate. If your pool table has one large piece of slate and/or is ofextremely high quality, one large piece of slate may be in place of 2-3 pieces seamlessly pieced together.

Moving the Pool Table / Parts

Make sure your muscled friends are part of this project at this point; here’s a guide as to approximate weight per length of pool table:

• 7” Table – This is one of the smaller sizes and is typically used by beginner players or to accommodate smaller pool rooms. The approximate weight of a 7” table is 450 pounds.

• 8” Table – The average weight for a pool table of this size is 570 pounds.

• 9” Table – If you are the owner of this size table, you can expect it to weigh around 715 pounds.

• 10” Table – This is one of the larger pool tables and one of the heaviest, as well. The average weight of this table is 790 pounds.

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Additionally, there are heavier types of tables on the market and this can increase not only the weight (to around 1,000 lbs.) but also the difficulty of the move.

1. Once the slate pieces are removed, immediately move them and place them on the moving truck. Make sure to lay them on the floor of the truck or flat with adequate support. In spite of their weight, these pieces are extremely fragile as slate is highly prone to chipping and/or slicing away in very sharp pieces. Use gloves, lift as a team, have spotters available for going around corners, stairways, etc. Don’t place slate pieces on anything not sturdy enough to handle their weight, and make sure to communicate.

2. Remove the legs from the pool table and the frame. Cautiously place all pieces in the truck (on top of the slate is a good place if space is limited). You’ll want to wrap in moving blankets all outward facing and/or nicely finished pieces of wood, framing, and pockets so that none get blemished, scratched, or dented during the move.

3. Don’t forget to also label the parts. Keep track of all the nuts, bolts, and screws.

Once all of this this has been completed, all of the parts of the table can easily be transported to your new destination and assembled there.

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Reassembling the Pool Table

The first thing you will want to do is put the table together, and this may not be the easiest task. It’s important when doing this to handle the felt on the table with

WHAT TO DO AFTER YOUR POOL TABLE ARRIVES

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care. The last thing you will want to do is to require pool table refelting once you get all of the items in place.

Listed below are the basic steps for putting your pool table together:

1. Determine the exact location where you want the table to be because the average weight of a pool table is listed in the previous chapter and suffice it to day, it can be extremely difficult to move as well as require additional people around who may not be around after the initial move (and also not so willing to come back and help you out a second time).

2. Put the cabinet of the table in an upright position and attach the legs to the table. Be sure to complete the leveling steps listed below when doing this step.

3. Attach the slate to the table once you have it upright and stabilized. This is where your hired/bribed muscle comes in once again: you will need some help doing this due to the weight of the slate. Extremely important: do not place the slate on any hardwood or laminate floors that may get scratched or on any carpet the slate could snag! You don’t want blemished floors you’re immediately responsible for fixing.

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Refelting the Pool Table

The next step in reassembling your pool table is refelting; this is the most intricate and difficult portion of moving your pool table.

1. Put the felt on top of the slate and make sure all pockets are properly aligned when doing so. Be sure to take extra care with this step to avoid the need for any pool table refelting in the future; if you use the existing felt, the only expense is your time. If on the other hand, the felt wasn’t properly folded and

cared for during the move or if you rip it in the process of refelting the table, you may want to consider refelting prior to finishing your pool table moving. • Gently lay the felt out on top of the slate.

• Align all pockets so that the felt is square.

• With one person below the table ready to staple gun the felt, an other person needs to have an eye on the felt on top of the table to ensure it

is even. Begin stapling in the center of the long side of the table and care fully move toward the corner pockets, making certain to smooth and make

taut the felt on the top as you go.

• If you’re going to glue the felt down, use the same care with squaring up the felt and then fold it halfway back down either the horizontal or vertical

axis and place glue (be careful not to use too much) along one side of the

“The first thing you will want to do is put the table together, and this may not be the easiest task. It’s

important when doing this to handle the felt on the table with care.”

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table under where the rails will go. Repeat this step on the opposite side and then do the other axis in the same fashion.

• Check your pockets to ensure that there’s no extra felt sticking out and that the felt sticks to the line of the table-side corner of the pocket. Pockets are a common place for felt to become worn and/or loose.

2. Be sure to align the rails with the pockets and screw these in as necessary.

Leveling the Pool Table

The first thing you will want to do is to ensure your pool table is the right height. You should refer to your owner’s manual to obtain this information.

Listed below are additional things to do to ensure your table is level:

1. Put a carpenter’s level in the middle of the table to determine if the pool table is level. Have a spotter monitor the level while you do the next steps.

2. If needed, add shims underneath the feet to keep these in place and level while you are playing pool. Not all floors are exactly level, particularly in unfinished basements and in older homes/domiciles.

3. Finally, roll the cue ball down the table and see if once it hits the opposite rail, it comes back directly to you or curves toward a rail. Feel free to use a cue

to hit the ball for precision, but DO NOT use a break shot for this; rather a slow rolling directly-hit cue ball will tell you more as it will better reflect any leaning of the table to one side or another.

Of course, once you’ve followed the above steps and actually begin playing pool, you may notice a curve here or there; if the table is leveled as well as it should be, you shouldn’t have a problem, and if not, you can make the proper adjustments.

Putting your table together DIY-style can be difficult, but it’s certainly easier by following the right steps listed above. You can avoid a pool table refelting by being careful when assembling your table. Once you have this task completed, you can start playing pool and having fun!

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Gain from Experience

Have you looked over all the necessary steps and are now reconsidering how to go about this? Are you stressed out about getting your pool table to your new location and maybe just want to sit and have a beverage? Our advice: gain from available experience.

MAYBE DIY POOL TABLE MOVING ISN’T FOR ME;

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Visit Websites

There are many online resources for doing projects yourself. Some of these – much like this guide – may list the steps involved for getting your table where it needs to be. This may start with taking the table apart and then reassembling it, and even include the details of how to level a pool table.

Check all of the DIY websites and pay close attention to ones that offer advice on items for the home or moving things.

Talk to Others

Chances are you know someone who has a pool table or who’s helped move a pool table regardless if the table is theirs or a friend’s. So, ask yourself, “Do I have a friend or family member that loves playing pool and may have dealt with this dilemma? “If so, you are sure to be able to get a lot of great tips and advice on how to make this move less stressful and get your table where it needs to be.

Listed below are some questions you may want to ask:

1. Did you disassemble the pool table to move it?2. What types of tools were necessary for taking the table apart, if so?3. Did you use any special type of material to wrap the parts in before moving?4. If you moved it intact, how many people did it take to get help move it?5. What was the weight of your pool table?6. Did you know how to level a pool table once you got it moved?7. What type of vehicle did you use to move it, such as a truck, trailer or other?8. Did you ever consider hiring a professional mover?9. Would you attempt this task again on your own or do you feel it would be better to rely on others assistance?

Finally, the more resources you have to choose from when it comes to a move of this magnitude, the better. You can learn a great deal from websites and simply talking to other people that can make this monstrous task a much less stressful one. Just think, the more tips you get for moving your pool table, the easier the job will be!

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What to Look for From a Professional Pool

Table Mover

One of the most difficult items to move may be your pool table if you are relocating. It is critical for you to successfully get this item where it needs to be to hire the right professional pool table mover to do this for you. This can prevent a number of problems from occurring with the move, such as requiring a pool table felt replacement in the process. It’s important to know things that should be considered in advance before making hiring a mover to avoid potential damage to your table.

Licensed and BondedBefore hiring any professional

service, you should make certain the people you contract the work out to have the right credentials. One way to do this is by ensuring your pool table movers are licensed and bonded. This simply means that the company you are hiring can be trusted and is legitimate in most cases, but most importantly that they have insurance coverage should something go wrong in the process of moving your pool table (anybody on the road can get into an accident, right?).

Additionally, you can bet with more accuracy than the outcome of your next

9-ball game that any company with an insurance policy for pool table moving will have trained their employees on how to do this to avoid incurring the costs themselves.

Right ToolsIt is important that the movers have

the adequate tools to get the job done. In the case of moving a pool table, it is important that an industrial sized dolly is on hand and other key equipment to ensure this move is done with accuracy.

What type of truck or trailer does the moving company have? It’s important you know this so you won’t have to be overly concerned about damage being done to your pool table. As we mentioned in the previous chapters, it can be pricey if you have to obtain a pool table felt replacement job and could potentially put you out of the game for some time

Good ReputationThe key to hiring movers you can

trust may l ie in this company’s reputation. Do you know others who have used this service before and if so, was there good feedback? Check online reviews and ask: were the moves successful ones where there wasn’t any damage to the pool table in question?

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You can go online and look at reviews to help you determine if this company does have a good reputation and may be the best one to hire to move your pool table.

The CostsWhen it comes to hiring professional pool table movers,

you will want to consider the expense that is involved. Be sure to find out if the company you hire charges per mile, per hour, or simply per move. This can prevent you from paying more than you want to get you where you need to go.

Conversely, if the price is too good to be true, the movers may show up in a pickup truck like Joe Handyman. As is the case with most things, you get what you pay for, so don’t make price your only consideration or you may be considering how to pay for a new pool table all on your own.

Additionally, don’t forget to sign a contract that is binding. This will ensure that the mover will be responsible for any damage that may occur to your pool when being transported. For instance, if the felt was torn into during the relocation of the item and you needed to get a pool table felt replacement, the movers should pay for it. Most motor vehicle freight companies only have the minimum coverage required by law, which usually equates to around $.60/lb. So, for a 1,000-lb. table, you’d get $600 if it was a total loss; this is important to consider depending the age and quality of your pool table. Make sure to inspect documents prior to signing with a pool table mover.

Hiring the right movers can make all the difference in the world when it comes to your stress level and packing up your belongings. Take the time to consider all the things listed above.

don’t forget to sign a contract that is binding. This will ensure that the mover will be responsible for any damage that may occur to your pool when being transported.

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So, you’ve seen all the steps necessary to move your pool table, and we’ve given you several valuable insights into common pitfalls and “oh, sh*t” moments. What you’ve probably figured out by now is that moving a pool table isn’t easy and requires quite a bit of effort and potential liability on your end.

Having done this ourselves and busted a toe or two (not to mention having patched up walls and repainted corners), we suggest hiring a professional pool table mover with the right equipment to get the job done.

We know this can be expensive, but it’s not nearly as expensive as buying a new pool table or leaving yours where it currently sits, and it sure beats bloodying your knuckles and refelting your table when you DIY.

We’ve got a special offer for you to help you defray some of the cost.

SOMETHING YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER & A SPECIAL OFFER

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“if the price is too good to be true, the movers may show up in a pickup truck like Joe Handyman. As is the case

with most things, you get what you pay for.”

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