If you have lived in your home for quite a long time and have a pool table, then it is likely that you have not moved the pool table since it was first placed in your house. Pool tables are extremely hard to move, but they are also valuable. Used tables are typically worth between $1,000 and $100,000, so they are worth moving if you have decided to purchase a different home. Professional movers can help you with this, but you will need to prepare your pool table for the moving day. Preparation involves removing the rails, releasing the felt, and removing the slate slabs. To learn about some tips to help you remove the felt, keep reading. 

Identify The Felt

One of the most delicate parts of your pool table is the felt that sits on top of the slate. This felt can be punctured easily during the moving process and should be removed beforehand. Also, removing the felt will allow you to move the slate from underneath the felt more easily. Some pool tables have two or more pieces of slate, and each slate piece can be moved separately to minimize weight.

The felt on the table is made out of wool, and the material is typically either a polyester or nylon wool blend, or it is a woven worsted wool. If you are not sure what type of felt you have on your pool table, now is the time to figure this out. Blended wool felt is much cheaper to replace than worsted wool, and you will notice pilling and fuzzy residue on the blended felt as it wears. If you have a worsted wool pool table, then the felt will appear shiny and woven, and the surface will look dull as it wears. Inspect the pool table to find out which felt you have. 

Release The Felt

If your pool table is covered in a blended wool felt that is in need of replacement, then you can simply pull off the felt from the marble. Keep in mind that a professional refelting will probably cost you a few hundred dollars for the cheaper material. Now is a good time to have the felt replaced, so you do not need to be careful when removing the felt from the slate underneath. A flathead screwdriver is a good tool if you are not saving the felt. Use the tool to remove the staples from the underside of the pool pockets. Remove the pockets and use a socket wrench to release the bolts from the wooden rails that sit on the sides of the table. Pull off the rails and look for the staples holding the felt down. The felt is typically held in place along the thin sides of the slate. Use your screwdriver to remove all the staples. 

If you have a table with a worsted wool cloth or a blended wool felt covering in good condition, then you should remove the felt a bit more carefully. Instead of using the flathead screwdriver to release the staples, purchase a staple lifter tool made for upholstery instead. This tool has two sharp points that you can slip underneath each staple so they can be pulled up easily without damaging the felt underneath. 

Gently lift and remove each staple. If you plan on replacing the felt, then pull the felt off the table and throw it away. If you are saving the felt, then fold it in half twice making sure that the top part of the felt is folded towards the middle. This will help to keep the play area of the cloth safe. Once the felt is folded, place it in a plastic bag and set it aside or place it in a moving box. You can now use a socket wrench to remove the bolts from underneath the slate slabs and work with a moving company like Absolute Moving & Storage Inc to lift and move them. 

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