How to Dismantle a Pool Table

A pool table is not something that can be moved easily. Because of its size and heavy weight, you should always disassemble a furniture style pool table before you move it, even if you only plan to move it to another room. If possible, hire a professional to do this for you. If you want to save money by doing it yourself, you can do it by following steps below.

Step 1 – Remove the Staples Under the Table

With a staple remover or a flat head screwdriver, lie on your back under the table and remove all the staples that hold the pockets in place. Wear protective eye wear, as these staples can easily fall into your eyes.

Step 2 – Unscrew the Bolts

Once you have removed all staples, use a wrench to remove the bolts from the underside of the rails. Usually, there are three bolts for each rail. Place these aside in a Ziploc bag so you don't have to worry about losing any in the process of dismantling the rest.

Step 3 – Remove the Rails

Without the bolts, the rails should be loose, and at that point, you can pull them off. There are typically three different types of railings on pool tables. Individual rails can simply be pulled apart from the others. On the other hand, if you have two horseshoe-shaped rails connected on each side of the side pockets, they can be pulled apart from the connection. Rails that are connected together will require help so that you can flip them simultaneously. These pieces are heavy; use caution so you don’t break the side pockets when flipping them. Once you have removed the rails, disconnect the pockets as well.

Step 4 – Remove the Felt

Determine ahead of time whether the felt is stapled or glued to the table's frame. If it is stapled, you will need the staple remover or needle nose pliers to remove the staples. If the felt is glued in place, carefully pull it up from the surface a little at a time, in a backward motion. If you pull it forward or upward, there is a tendency for the felt to stretch and create bulges when it's re-glued. Be especially cautious when you remove the felt near the pockets.

Step 5 – Fold the Felt

Once the felt is removed, fold it neatly. Avoid depressing folded edges, as this could create lines in the felt when it's reattached to the pool table.

Step 6 – Remove the Slate

To remove the slate from the table’s frame, use a drill with a screwdriver bit. There is usually one screw at each corner of the slate, but sometimes they are located at the center beam. The screw heads are occasionally covered with beeswax to create an even surface above the screw. This often makes the screws difficult to spot, and you will need to dig the wax out of the hole above the screw head to give you direct access. Take your flat head screwdriver to the wax and remove the screw.

Step 7 – Finish by Removing the Legs

Lastly, remove the legs from the pool table. At this point, your pool table has been sufficiently taken apart and you're ready to move it.