Moving a Pool Table Around the House
Acquire four wooden dollies. These wooden wheeled wonders make moving heavy objects a cinch. You'll want to wrap the edges of your dollies in carpet or fabric. This will prevent the legs of the pool table from being scratched.
Position your equipment. Distribute your dollies around each corner of your pool table to prepare each for being slid under its legs. Clear the area around the pool table so that there are no objects that might get caught in the wheels and make it difficult to slide the dollies into place. When clearing objects from around/under your pool table, don't forget to remove any throw rugs, which can bunch and hamper the rolling of your dolly.
Lift one end of your pool table up. You should be able to do this alone, but since pool tables are heavy, a friend can considerably lessen your effort. Tilt the pool table off the ground from one of the longer sides. Lift with your legs to prevent injury to your back.
Move your dollies into place. If you are doing this alone, snag the dolly with your foot and push it into place beneath the pool table. Be sure not to overexert yourself in this maneuver or lose your grip; dropping your pool table can damage it. If you are working with a friend, have him roll the wooden dolly into place. Repeat this process for both legs of the end of the pool table that you are lifting.
Brace your dollies. When you raise the other end of your pool table, you will be applying force to the pool table that might cause it to roll backwards on the dollies you have just placed. You'll want to prevent this by locking the wheels, or by placing an object to jam the wheels of your dollies, rendering each stationary.
Lift the other end of your pool table into a raised position. Double check that your dollies are within foot-reach or that your friend is ready to slide the dollies into place, then lift the other side of the pool table. Move the other two dollies beneath both legs of that end of your table.
Free your braced dollies and prepare to roll. Unlock or unblock the two dollies. Now you should walk the path on which you plan on wheeling your pool table. Measure all doors that you'll have to pass through and check these measurements against the width of your pool table. Move carpets and other items that might bunch or otherwise jam the wheels of your dollies. A jammed wheel can jostle your table and do damage to it, you, a wall, or one of your possessions.
Apply firm, steady pressure. You want to control the speed at which your table rolls. Due to the considerable weight of your pool table, if it gains too much speed it will be nearly impossible for you to stop. If you have a friend, each of you should push the pool table from opposite corners of the same side and, in a controlled fashion, move it through your home. If you are doing this on your own, you'll want to take a more central position, probably at the end of the longways side, between the two corner pockets. The weight of the pool table will make it difficult to turn corners. Take this into account when moving it through your home.
Brace a set of dollies. You'll want to remove the dollies opposite your braced dollies first. Before you do anything, check the position and alignment of your pool table. Once you take the table off the dollies, it will again become difficult to move.
Retrieve your dollies. Lift from the middle of the long side of your pool table and have your friend quickly pull the dollies free. Then you should carefully lower it to the ground. If you are doing this alone, you should be able to easily kick the dollies free, and then slowly, in a controlled fashion to prevent damage, lower your table. Once one set are removed, you can unlock the wheels of the dollies at the opposite side and remove these in the same fashion.
Moving a Pool Table to Another House
Remove the pockets. Every standard pool table with have 4 corner pockets and 2 side pockets. Depending on the design of your pool table, these could be attached to the table in various ways, though usually you'll find staples attaching each to the table. Lay on your back underneath the pocket and pry the staples out with a flathead screwdriver or staple puller. To prevent an errant stable falling into your eye, you do not lie directly under the pool table, and you might consider wearing some kind of eye protection.
Detach the rails. Again, the part holding the rails to your table depends on your table, but chances are good that bolts will be holding these in place. You can remove these bolts easily with a regular socket wrench. Slide each rail free. If the rails are attached in sections, you may need a helper to flip them over all at once and disconnect them.
Free the felt. This is the most delicate part of the process, as a tear to your felt can ruin it completely. If the felt is held in place by staples, a staple puller may help prevent you from incurring damage to the felt. Glued felt can be removed by gently pulling it backwards, never upwards or forwards, taking care not to rip it. If you are planning to reuse the felt, fold it up to prevent wrinkles.
Separate the slate from the table. There will likely be screws holding the slate of your pool table to its frame. These can be most effectively removed with a power drill that has been fitted with the right type of bit. In some cases beeswax is used on the screws to prevent damage. If this is the case, use a flathead screwdriver to scrape off the beeswax before unscrewing the slate.
Place the slate in your vehicle. The rock that forms the level surface upon which you play pool must remain unblemished to protect the integrity of your future games. Slate usually comes either in a solid piece or three pieces. Lift the slate off the pool table legs and set it in your transport vehicle. It's safe to stack the pieces of slate on top of each other, but be sure each are properly fastened and don't jostle against anything the might cause damage. To make sure that your slate is undamaged, you should wrap it in a blanket, drop cloth, or some other covering.
Remove the legs. Now that the delicate parts of your pool table have been removed and stowed away, taking the legs off the frame shouldn't pose a problem. Likely, your trusty drill will come to your aid again, and with a proper bit, soon the legs will be off.
Load the frame. You can set the frame on top of the slate in your vehicle. If you have a finished table with lacquered wood, you may want to wrap the finished surfaces with a drop-cloth or some kind of padding to protect against damage.
Transport it to its new home. Any remaining parts should be manageable at this point, and shouldn't require any further disassembly. Finish loading these parts into your transport vehicle and move your table to to the new location.
Scope out the new location. You should take measurements so you can be sure your table will fit comfortably wherever you move it, but even more important, you'll want to clear the area in which you are setting up the pool table and the path to this room. Getting tripped up by a throw rug when you're carrying the slate is a good way to ruin a perfectly good pool table.
Rebuild your table in reverse order. You will want to take great care when assembling your pool table. Improper installation can leave it unlevel, which will affect your game. Starting with your frame and legs, begin reassembling your table. For specific issues dealing with leveling, warping, and cracked or damaged slate, please see the section on troubleshooting.
Place the slate. The slate is one of the most difficult and delicate pieces in your pool table due to its weight. Any damage done to the slate can ruin your pool table. Single pieces of slate will install more easily since you'll only have to slide it into place. For pool tables with three-piece slate parts, move each piece to your mostly assembled table, setting each atop it with space between the pieces. Then: Check to see the pieces haven't been damaged and fit together neatly. Are the dowel pins that connect the pieces bent or warped? If so, you may have to make a trip to the hardware store to buy a few new dowels. Slide each of the three slate pieces together with the proper connectors between and slot the assembled slate into its place on the table. Take care to not get your hands caught between pieces of slate. This can cause serious injury to hands and fingers.
Troubleshooting Problems
Check for twists or frame tension. Especially with older pool tables where the frame may be difficult to deconstruct, over the course of your move, you may have caused the configuration of the frame to shift. This could create difficulty when inserting the slate. Use a level to check that the frame is still properly shaped. You may also want to use a carpenter's square to check the corner angles of your table.
Take warps in stride. Older tables, or tables that have sat in one location for a long time, may have experienced warping, or may have conformed to the natural contours of the home in which it lived. This might mean that you need an additional piece, separate from the parts of your pool table, to balance it and negate any rocking you may notice once the table is moved. When choosing a piece to balance a rocking pool table, you need to choose a material that won't compress under the weight of it. Scrap steel or a sturdy tile might do the trick.
Re-level the table. Buildings frequently have a slight pitch to them, and pool tables, to combat these potential angles, will often have adjustable feet. After you've taken care of the frame configuration and any major imbalances, you can move on to leveling the table. Have a friend hold the level atop a flat part of the frame and: Take the level reading. If the table isn't level, lift the end that needs adjusting. Have a friend adjust the leg in the appropriate direction. Set the pool table down. Check the level reading again and repeat if necessary.
Fix the slate. Significant damage to the slate of your pool table is likely to require a professional repair or even replacement, but small chips or cracks might be within your ability to mend. For small cracks or chips, mix some Plaster of Paris and apply it to the area, while larger cracks can be patched with automotive body filler. After your patch has hardened, you'll need to sand your patch level.
Level slate in a warped frame. There is little you can do to your table if the entire frame has warped to the point that the slate now sits in its mounting on an angle. The slate, on the other hand, can be adjusted. After fitting the slate together and fixing any damage, you can cut thin wedges of wood, called shims, and use these to level your slate.
Know how to handle antique rails. Some older pool tables will use special bolts to connect the rails to the narrow edge of the slate. To remove and attach the rails of an antique pool table, a T-bolt wrench will make the process much easier.
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