How to Move a Pool Table and Other Basement Games

Moving a Pool Table or Other Large Basement Games

Having a pool table and/or other basement games is a ton of fun – until you have to move them. Many of these games, especially pool tables, are large, heavy, and generally unruly to move, making a process that isn’t for the faint of heart. On top of that, many of these games have fragile aspects to them. Whether you’re just moving a pool table across the basement or moving across an entire state, make sure your basement games survive the trip. 

While pool tables are a common, unruly move, there are other popular basement games that fit this similar mold. Other games where these tips apply include:

• Pinball
• Foosball
• Ping-pong
• Air hockey
• Shuffleboard
• Arcade games

Below, we compiled a series of tips to help improve your moving skills for your pool table move!

Need to hire a team to move your pool table or large other game? Contact CT Best Movers to get started!

1. Make a Plan and Measure

Before moving any large and unruly objects like a pool table, planning and measuring your move is absolutely essential. Nothing is worse than moving your pool table and having it not fit right in the destination. Instead:

• Measure all dimensions of your table game
• Measure/Plan where you plan to put your table
• Measure all doorways and stairwells to ensure your table can fit in to the room

For games like pool and especially ones like ping-pong, having extra room around the table to play the game without hitting walls and ceilings is also extremely important. Be sure to consider this essential extra space before moving and placing!

2. Ensure Your Basement Game is Empty

Pool tables and other basement games tend to have a lot of pieces around. For pool tables this looks like heavy balls and long sticks that need to be moved separately. Not only do pool balls add weight to an already heavy move, but the balls can cause damage to the table or create dangerous situations for the movers if not preemptively removed.

This is similar for games like foosball, where loose balls can fly around and potentially be dangerous to the game and people nearby if not contained.

3. Disassemble What You Can

Any time you can disassemble a large and cumbersome object, that’s the move. For pool tables, this might mean taking the legs of the table off. Keep any screws, nuts, and bolts in a plastic bag taped to the table so they aren’t lost. 

Other basement games can benefit from this as well. A game like foosball may be able to be disassembled further such as removing those long metal handles with the players attached. If not, securing the handles such that they don’t slide in and out, hitting walls and those moving, makes the entire process much smoother.

4. Protecting Your Basement Game While on the Move

Unfortunately, basement games aren’t necessarily known for being the most durable items. With that, protecting your games while on the move is hugely important. This can take different forms for different games. For pool tables, heavy blankets can protect the surface material and the pockets from devastating scratches/holes. Important protective equipment includes:

• Corner Protection by padding corners around turns, stairwells, and bannisters.
• Thick furniture blankets
• Bubble Wrap
• Floor protection with cardboard or light carpet

Other basement games might need slightly different approaches for protection. Pinball, for example, tends to have a lot of glass surfaces on top that must be extra protected with bubble wrap and thick furniture blankets.

5. Get the Right Moving Equipment

The right moving equipment makes for a much smoother, safer, and successful moving process. This starts with the protective equipment listed above, but stems into other equipment that makes lifting and maneuvering easier. Other moving equipment includes:

• Dolly – Helpful for moving large objects across long distances
• Forearm Straps – Gives better power and control when traversing tight spaces like stairs
• Sliders – Can excel in shorter, flat moves by sliding across the floor without scratching

Each basement game might need slightly different approaches and equipment. The terrain of the move itself also plays a role in this. For an easier move, like relocating an air hockey table just across a basement, sliders can make your life much easier. 

6. Get Some Help

Whether you get some friends, family, or a professional moving company to help with your pool table move, having extra hands is hugely important. Some of these games, like pool tables, are almost impossible to move for a single person, especially if you need to conquer stairs. What’s more, the fragile nature of many of these basement games raises the stakes when moving; having complete control of the game is huge for keeping it in one piece.

Professional movers in particular will have experience moving large unruly objects like basement games. With experience navigating pool tables around corners, up stairs, and through tight hallways, professional movers bring with them extra skills/knowledge that only comes from experience.

7. Load Last and Unload First

Especially for large, fragile games, loading them last then unloading them first can make the moving process more streamlined. Getting large objects like pool tables out of a moving truck first creates a ton more space to access other smaller objects behind. Trying to work around a large object in your way makes moving that much less enjoyable. 

Let CT Best Movers Handle It!

Armed with the right tools, years of experience, and the muscle to move almost everything, CT Best Movers are some of the best hands in the moving game. Regardless of if you’re moving within or out of Connecticut, CT Best Movers is the perfect outfit for the job!

Moving itself is stressful as is, especially when you’re straining to move large objects like a pool table. Hiring CT Best Movers can dramatically reduce your stress as you can rest easy knowing all your large valuables will arrive undamaged and ready for a new start in a new space. Give CT Best Movers a call today to schedule your move! No matter how big or small, there are no better movers around Connecticut compared to CT Best Movers!

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