Having a Pool table is excellent. Friends and family can chill out their free time playing pool games without feeling bored – as there are various types of pool games available. For example – 8 Ball Pool, 9 Ball Pool & 10 Ball Pool. Whatever you play, this great table will give you the best gaming experience.
But there is a catch of having a ‘great thing’ lying on your room or garage. There is a saying, “Great things come with great responsibilities.” It’s very true with Pool Tables. For example – what if I ask you how to set up a pool table? If you don’t know the answer, then it is very unlikely to answer how to move a pool table?
Frankly, you need to know the pool table setup and moving process to call yourself a levelled billiard. Whether you are moving to a new place or just want to rearrange your house’s stuff, you have to know the correct way of moving a pool table. This table needs extra care for many reasons. For example – this table weighs more than 1000 pounds & it’s very costly that you wouldn’t try to damage it a bit. Choosing the Best Pool Balls Might be easier but, you need to have a proper idea of setting up a Pool Table, right?
So what are you up to? Bought a brand new pool table and tried to set up/assemble it? Or, just moving your beloved pool table from one place to another place? Follow up these two guides to learn how to set up a pool table & how to move a pool table without being a professional mover.
Table Chart of Page Contents
How to Set Up a Pool Table: A 6 Step Guide
Setting up a pool table is both times consuming & costly – if it’s getting done by professionals. However, any non-professionals can set up a pool table within 2 to 4 hours. A user manual will greatly help in this regard. Besides the user manual, follow these steps, and you’ll be good to go.
Before getting started with a pool table set up, make sure you have necessary tools like – Socket wrench, Screwdriver, Beeswax, Propane Blowtorch, Paint Scraper, Leveler and Billiard Cloth. Here are steps you have to perform for setting up a pool table:
- Space Measurement
- Checking the Delivered Packages
- Attaching Pool Table Legs
- Placing the Slates
- Felting the Table
- Leveling a Pool Table – How to level a Pool Table
Space Measurement – The Crucial Part
Buying a pool table is a big investment by itself. Also, it’s one of the biggest & heaviest things a person can own. But the real problem arose while giving it a permanent place – in a room or garage. Typically a pool table’s size is 8ft by 4 ft or 96″ by 48″.
Besides the table size, keep the cue stick size in mind as well. Normally a cue length is somewhere between 48inches to 58 inches. So after placing the table, you have to keep at least five feet of free spaces around the table. If you fail to do so, you and your partners won’t be able to serve with full potential.
In summary, choose a room or garage containing free space of 13 ft by 9ft or 156″ by 108″.
Checking the Delivered packages
Before knowing how to set up a pool table, you have to know what you’ll receive from the pool table manufacturer. If you fail to check thoroughly – you or your partner won’t be able to set up that pool table for sure.
Here’s a number of things you should expect from those delivered packages:
- Three Pieces of Slates or A Single Slate
- A Cabinet
- Four Legs
- A-Frame
- Six Pockets & Bunch of Screws
- Support Slat/ Wooden Shims – For Leveling
If you find anything missing (including numerous screws), contact the manufacturer and ask for the missing part(s).
Attaching Pool Table Legs
As you have checked the delivered packages, it’s time to assemble the pool table. I hope you have got all the necessary accessories ready for setting up this pool table.
Hopefully, you got the frame pre-assembled. If not, assemble the frame first and continue towards the leg section. Put the cabinet upside down in the determined area. Now attach necessary frameworks like – side panels and end panels according to the manufacturer’s manual guide.
As you’ll be working with nuts and screws, it’s an ideal decision to tighten the screws and nuts to avoid unexpected dissembling. Don’t forget to check leg-mounting brackets too, keep them in the corners of the table as it should be.
After doing all these hard works – it’s time to attach each leg one by one in the table corners. Make sure to tighten them as you don’t want any wobble or movement while playing.
Placing the Slates
By far, it’s the most important & heavy part of the pool table. Slate can weigh between 400 to 600 pounds (181.4kg to 272.1kg). Generally, manufacturers cut them into three pieces for easy transporting.
First, determine the center of the table & mark that with a marker. Proceed to the slate & mark the middle of the slate as well. Now lift the middle slate with a partner and place it in the center of the table. Screw that tightly and place the other two pieces of the slates in the corners.
As you’ll be given wooden shims for leveling, it’s an ideal decision to level as much as possible while assembling the table (putting shims underneath the slates). If you fail to do so, don’t worry about that. You can level a pool table after the installment as well. I’ll be talking about that in the ‘Leveling a Pool Table’ section.
After doing so, you have to fill the gaps between the three slates. Beeswax will help with that. Use a propane torch to melt beeswax into gaps. Leave that beeswax alone for 24hours and then remove the excess with a paint scraper.
Felting the Table
After setting up the table entirely – the only remaining thing is the billiard cloth. It’s also known as Pool Table Felt. You’ll be playing on the surface of this cloth, and it needs to be secured with screws and washers.
Cut holes into the cloth according to the slate’s pocket positions. Don’t overstress the cloth while covering the slate. Put it gently and tighten it with screws and washers. Also, don’t forget to screw or staple those pockets – It depends on your table’s pocket type.
Finally, your setup is complete. You may want to level it thoroughly for perfect ball balance & gameplay – follow up the next section to know how to level a pool table.
Leveling a Pool Table – How to level a Pool Table?
If you feel something is wrong with the table, it’s recommended to level the table thoroughly. However, you don’t have to make everything microscopic accurate. If the table can make the cue ball standstill in every position, it’s considered fair enough.
Follow up these methods to level a pool table:
- Use a Level: You can use any type (Digital or Analog) of the level to determine if there is something wrong with the table’s leveling. Place the leveler in every possible position and find the lowest bump – mark that spot and leg associated with that area.
- Raise Leg: As you have marked the lowest bump, try to raise that particular leg using wooden or rubber shims. Try lifting at least 1 degree at a time – before placing more shims.
- Raise Slate: Raising the slate is relatively tougher as it requires dissembling the slates entirely. Place the wooden shims underneath the slates. Use a carpenter level to adjust leveling. You can even use ball & marble for practical leveling.
How to Move a Pool Table: A 7 Steps Guide
Whether you’re changing your house or just shifting your pool table to another destination – this guide will greatly help you. Moving a pool table is all about disassembling and reassembling in the desired destination (room or garage). Learning how to move a pool table will be much easier following this guide.
Here are the things you need to keep in mind while moving your pool table:
- Prepare Necessary Tools – For Moving, Disassembling & Reassembling
- Measurement of the Target Destination
- Measurement of the Exit – Doorways, Staircases & Hallways
- Disassemble the Pool Table
- Wrap & Label All the Parts
- Move the Table Parts with your partners
- Reassemble the Pool Table
Prepare Necessary Tools – For Moving, Disassembling & Reassembling
You can’t go to the war without a weapon, right? Just like that, you can’t move your pool table without the necessary equipment and tools like Socket Wrench, Screwdriver & Power Drill, Beeswax, Propane Blowtorch, Paint Scraper, Leveler and Heavy Cloth.
The heavy cloth’s part may seem strange to some, but it’s not. While sliding the packages, you may damage your floor – that’s why you should use heavy cloth underneath the packages while sliding.
Other equipment like a socket wrench and screwdriver will help to assemble and reassemble the pool table. Again, the beeswax and propane blowtorch will make sure that your slates are perfectly assembled in the target destination.
Measurement of the Target Destination
As I mentioned earlier, space measurement is a crucial part of setting up a pool table. If your room or garage fails to give enough free space to the table, playing a pool ball won’t be that exciting.
Thinking of the recommended free spaces a pool table needs? The total free space is calculated, keeping the cue stick length in mind. You might own an 8 ft by 4ft (average size) or 96″ by 48″ table.
The average cue stick length is between 48inches to 58 inches or 5ft. Your targeted room or garage needs to have at least 5 ft of free space around the pool table. If you ask for a rough size, I’ll suggest going for a target destination that has a total of 13 ft by 9ft or 156″ by 108″ free spaces.
Measurement of the Exit – Doorways, Staircases & Hallways
While moving your pool table from one room to another – it’s an ideal decision to measure the doorways, hallways, or even staircases. As you’ve already assembled your pool table in a room – no wonder you can take it out of the room too.
But you’ve to concentrate on the target destination’s door size. Also, measure the staircases you have to pass through to reach your destination.
Take a measuring tape and note the measurement of the target destination’s doorways, staircases & hallways.
Disassemble the Pool Table – A Step by Step Guide on How to Disassemble a Pool Table
Dissembling the pool table can be one of the toughest jobs – if you aren’t a professional mover. This work requires a huge workforce. That’s why it’s the perfect time to call your friends to help you out.
After managing a few friends besides you, follow these five steps to disassemble a pool table entirely –
- Removing the Pockets: Start with removing six pockets of your table. These cloth-made pockets are generally screwed or stapled in their exact positions. Use a screwdriver or staple remover to extract those pockets without tearing them apart.
- Removing the rails: Now heads up to the railing. Use a socket wrench to unscrew the bolts supporting the rails. After unscrewing the bolts, gently take off the rails from the table. Make sure to store all the bolts in a secure place.
- Removing the felt: After removing the rails – It will be easier to remove the felt. Felt is a strong cloth used for covering the slates. Usually, felt is secured with staples or screws. Whatever it is, use a screwdriver or staple remover – and gently take off the felt without ripping or damaging it.
- Dissembling the Slates: The overall weights of the slates are 400 to 600 pounds. So you can imagine how much workforce you need. As most slates are screwed with the table – use a power drill to unscrew the bolts. Then gently lift the slate/slates with your friends without dropping it.
- Removing the legs: After removing the slate, head over to the cabinet. You’ll find four legs screwed tightly with the cabinet. Turn the cabinet (main body) upside down, gently unscrew the bolts and remove those legs one by one.
Wrap & Label All the Parts
Hopefully, you have successfully disassembled the pool table. Before heading over to the new destination, there’s one more important thing to do – wrap & labeling all the pool table parts.
However, you should have already packed every component/parts in ordered respect. Now start labeling those parts very specifically – it will help in reassembling the pool table in the target/new destination.
Also, don’t forget to wrap up every package thoroughly in blankets or give a bubble wrap – if needed.
Move the Table Parts with your Partners
After all that hard work, your table is finally prepared for a new place. If you’re shifting your table from one room to another, your partners can help you with that.
Instead of sliding your bare boxes/packages from one room to another, use some heavy cloth underneath those boxes/packages. These blankets will keep your floor and table parts secured from unwanted damages.
However, if you’re shifting your pool table to another house – it’s an ideal decision to hire a truck. Make sure to be cautious while loading the truck.
Reassemble the Pool Table – How to Reassemble A Pool Table?
After reaching your pool table’s new destination – it’s time to reassemble this table. I won’t stress this part again, as I’ve already discussed the steps of setting up a pool table in the previous ‘How to set up a pool table’ guide.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ)
How to clean a Pool Table?
The best practice of cleaning a pool table is using a dry cotton cloth. Don’t even try to use a vacuum for cleaning a pool table – as it will hamper the pool table felt.
How much does it cost to have a pool table setup?
Setting up a pool table can cost $200 to $600 depending on the mover quality. If you’re hiring a top-notch mover group, you need to spend at least $600 to set up the table.
Is it hard to put a pool table together?
Yes, it’s a hard job to put a pool table together. Because the slate alone weighs 400 to 600 pounds, and the total weight can be up to 1000 pounds.
Can you move a pool table without taking it apart?
You can move a pool table without taking it apart if you’re moving the table a short distance (in the same room). But you have to use four furniture dollies underneath the legs to do so.
Can I put a pool table in the garage?
You can put a pool table in the garage only if you have plenty of free spaces available. Your garage needs at least 13 ft by 9ft or 156″ by 108″ of free areas for placing and playing pool ball flawlessly.
However, Do you know how to rack Pool? Readout a detailed overview on Honest Players!
Conclusion
That was it! I hope you got a complete idea of how to move a pool table and setting up a pool table through these two guides. However, if you still find moving or setting up a pool table very tough or complicated, I recommend hiring professional movers.
Because a pool table is an expensive & emotional purchase of someone’s life, and nobody wants to damage this kind of stuff for their faults. You can read our Eastpoint Sports 87-inch Brighton Billiard Pool Table Review.