Baizewick guide
Getting a games table into your home: the delivery route
Most games tables that fail to arrive in the room fail at a corner, not a door. Measure every pinch point on the way in, then compare the numbers with the packed size.
Why the route matters more than the room
A room can be big enough for a table that cannot reach it. Narrow front doors, tight hallway turns and boxed-in stairs are the usual problems.
Check the route before you order, not on delivery day. Many retailers charge for a failed delivery or a return, and an assembled table cannot be squeezed.
What to measure at each pinch point
- Doorways and gates: the clear width between the door stops, with the door fully open, and the clear height under the head.
- Hallways: the narrowest width, measured between skirting boards, radiators and anything fixed to the wall.
- Corners: both corridor widths where they meet. A corner limits length, not just width.
- Stairs: the width between handrail and wall, and the headroom measured square to the slope at the lowest point.
- Landings: whether the stairs turn, and how far the banister or newel post sticks out.
Packed size versus assembled size
Ask the retailer for the packed dimensions of every box, and the size and weight of the largest single piece. These are the numbers that go through your door.
Slate tables usually arrive with the bed in one or three sections. A one-piece slate bed is heavier and harder to route, so ask which you are getting. Flat-packed MDF tables are usually the easiest to get into a tight room.
Drawn to scale for a 95 cm hallway turning into a 90 cm one, using the same calculation as our delivery route checker. Real routes have handles, banisters and light fittings, so leave a margin.
How corners limit length
When you carry a long item round a right-angled corner, the tightest moment comes halfway round, with the item at roughly 45 degrees. Its length is limited by both corridor widths and by how thick the item is.
Carrying an item on its edge, with the thinnest side across the corridor, gives the most length. Tilting one end up towards the ceiling helps a little more. The delivery route checker works this out for you.
Doors, windows and other ways in
- Lifting a door off its hinges usually gains 3–5 cm of width.
- Patio and French doors often give the widest clear opening into a ground-floor room.
- For garden rooms, check the garden path, side gate and any steps as well as the building door.
- Do not plan to bring heavy items through upstairs windows yourself. Ask the retailer whether their team can do it safely.
What to ask the retailer before you order
- What are the packed dimensions of each box?
- What is the size and weight of the largest single piece?
- Is delivery kerbside, room of choice or full installation?
- How many people will deliver it, and can they take it upstairs?
- What happens, and what does it cost, if the table will not fit through the route?
Common mistakes
- Measuring the door leaf instead of the clear opening between the stops.
- Forgetting radiators and coat hooks that narrow a hallway.
- Checking each doorway but not the corner between them.
- Assuming a slate table comes in one piece, or in three.
- Booking kerbside delivery for a slate table.
Questions
How wide does a door need to be for a pool table?
It depends on the packed size, not the table size. A flat-packed table may pass a standard internal door, while an assembled table often will not. Compare the retailer’s packed dimensions with the clear opening.
Can a slate pool table go upstairs?
Often, because the slate is usually supplied in sections, but the pieces are heavy. Use the retailer’s delivery and installation team, and ask a structural engineer to assess an upstairs floor where appropriate.
What if my table will not fit through the door?
Ask about flat-packed or multi-piece versions, removing legs and rods, or delivery through a wider door. Some retailers can survey the route before delivery.