Why a Slate Pool Table Has to Come Apart to Move

People sometimes ask whether a pool table can simply be slid out of a room on a dolly. It cannot, and trying is one of the fastest ways to ruin a good table. A slate table is not one solid object. It is a frame, a stone bed on top of the frame, cloth stretched over the stone and rails around the edge, and every part of it depends on the stone staying flat.

Why the playing surface is slate

Slate is a stone that can be machined very flat and stays flat, which is what lets a ball roll in a straight line across the table. Wood and composite boards can bow or shift as the room changes with the seasons. Stone is also heavy and brittle. It does not flex the way wood does, so a piece that is tipped carelessly or carried with too few hands can chip or crack.

That is why a slate bed is cut in sections, commonly three, rather than made as one slab. The sections are set on the frame, joined and sealed along the seams, and then covered with cloth. Once assembled, the seams are filled and the whole surface is leveled so it plays as a single plane.

What happens when a table moves

Taking a table apart follows the build in reverse. The rails come off. The cloth comes off. The slate sections are unfastened from the frame and lifted out one at a time, usually on edge and with enough people to control the weight. The frame is then taken down, and the pieces are wrapped and carried out. Building it back up in the new room repeats the whole process in the original order.

It sounds like a lot, and it is, which is the reason to hire someone who has done it many times. The shop's technicians are the ones who handle a move, and the shop's about page says not to be surprised if Steve himself shows up at your house to do a recovery or an installation.

What moving day looks like

The shop moves tables from room to room or from town to town, and it can usually finish the job in one day. If your schedule needs something different, it will work with you to meet it. At the new location, setup includes installing the table, assembling the slate and sealing the seams, and installing the felt and leveling. For a table you already own, the setup is the same, with the felt re-installed.

One caution is worth knowing ahead of time. Cloth that has come off a table does not always go back on well. If it is worn, stretched or damaged on the way off, new felt or new bumpers may be needed, and the shop notes that these are an additional charge if needed. Raising that question before the move keeps the day free of surprises.

Storage between homes

Sometimes the new room is not ready on the day the old one has to be empty. A floor is being replaced, a basement is being finished, or two closing dates do not line up. The shop has a climate controlled storage facility and can keep the table there for as long as it is needed. Cold and damp are hard on wood, stone and cloth, so a controlled space is the right place for a table waiting out a renovation.

Getting ready for the crew

• Clear the area around the table and take down anything hanging over it, such as lights and wall art.
• Remove the balls, cues and accessories, and empty the pockets.
• Check the path from the room to the door, and tell the shop about stairs, tight turns and any steps outside.
• Decide ahead of time whether you want new felt in the new room, since the cloth is off anyway.
• If you no longer want an older table, ask about removal and disposal, which the shop quotes by the job.

Why leveling comes last

Floors are rarely perfectly flat, and a different room means a different floor. After the slate is down and the seams are sealed, the table is leveled so a ball set anywhere on the surface stays put. A table that is a hair off will let balls drift to one side, and no amount of practice corrects for that. It is the last step in the setup, and the one that makes the earlier work pay off.

If you have a move in mind, the recovery quote page has options for moving a table house to house, within the same house or to storage, along with taking one apart or putting one back together. Steve quotes each job, so tell him about the rooms and the stairs. The services page covers the rest of what the shop does, and the phone number is (845) 597-5532.