How Do You Move a Dining Table?

You move a dining table by taking it apart as far as it will go, protecting every surface and edge, and carrying the top on its edge rather than flat. For most tables that means removing the legs or the base, wrapping the top in blankets, and lifting it vertically with one person at each end. A top carried flat can flex and crack under its own weight, and it will not fit through a standard doorway or up a turn in the stairs.

Measure Before You Lift Anything

The most common moving problem is discovering halfway down the hallway that the table will not go through the next opening. Ten minutes with a tape measure prevents it.

• Measure the table top length, width and thickness.
• Measure every doorway on the route, including the frame not just the opening.
• Measure the narrowest point of the stairs and the height of the ceiling above the turn.
• Check the lift or the van door if either is involved.

A top can go through an opening narrower than its length as long as the width and thickness clear it, because you will be turning it on edge and angling it. What cannot be solved is a top whose width exceeds the diagonal of the opening.

Dismantle in the Right Order

Take photographs as you go. It sounds excessive until you are looking at eight identical bolts and two different washer types.

1. Clear the table completely and clean the underside so grit does not scratch the finish.
2. Lay a blanket on the floor and turn the table upside down onto it.
3. Remove any leaves or extension panels first and wrap them separately.
4. Undo the top fixings and lift the top clear of the base.
5. Remove the legs from the base if they detach, keeping each set of bolts with its leg.
6. Put all fixings in a labelled bag and tape it to the underside of the base.

Some tables are not designed to come apart. Solid timber frames with glued joints, welded steel bases and one piece pedestals all travel assembled. Do not force a glued joint apart in the hope of making the move easier, because you will damage a structure that was sound.

Protecting the Surfaces

Different materials fail in different ways, so wrap accordingly.

• Timber: vulnerable to dents and scratches along the edges. Wrap the corners in cardboard first, then blankets, then tape the blankets to themselves rather than to the timber.
• Glass: never lay it flat. Sandwich it between two sheets of cardboard, wrap it, and carry it vertically. Mark the wrapped panel clearly so nobody leans anything against it.
• Marble and stone: heavy and brittle across the middle. Carry on edge with three people, and never rest the slab on a hard floor without a blanket underneath.
• High gloss: scratches from grit trapped in a blanket. Wrap in a soft cloth or bubble wrap first, then blankets over the top.

Avoid parcel tape on any finished surface. The adhesive lifts lacquer and leaves a residue on oil finishes that is difficult to remove without sanding.

Lifting Safely

Dining table tops are heavier than they look. A two metre oak top can approach fifty kilograms, and a stone top of the same size can be twice that.

Stand at each end rather than each side, keep the top on its edge, and lift with your legs rather than your back. Agree the route and the word you will both use to stop before you take the weight. Moving straps that pass under the load and over the shoulders make a real difference on stairs, since they take the strain off the hands and keep the load closer to the body.

For heavy bases, furniture sliders under each leg let you push rather than lift across a hard floor. Never drag a table on its own feet across a wooden floor, because the feet will mark the boards and the sideways load will loosen every joint in the frame.

Moving Within the Same Room or House

Not every move needs a full dismantle. To reposition a table across a room, lift it slightly at each end rather than dragging, or fit sliders. If you are moving a table between rooms on one level and it clears the doorways assembled, simply protect the corners and go.

Where a table must travel up or down stairs assembled, take the base off first regardless. The centre of gravity of an assembled table is high and awkward, and the legs catch on the banister at exactly the wrong moment.

Loading a Van

Stand the top on edge against a side wall of the van, resting on a blanket, and strap it to the wall rails. A top laid flat becomes a shelf, and everything else in the van ends up on top of it.

Load the base separately and fill the space around it so nothing shifts in transit. Keep bags of fixings in the cab rather than the load area, because they are the one thing you cannot easily replace.

Chairs stack more efficiently seat to seat with a blanket between them. Upholstered chairs should be covered entirely, since fabric picks up dirt from a van floor in seconds. If a set of chairs has seen better days by the end of the move, our dining chairs UK sale covers replacements in most common styles.

Reassembly in the New Room

Assemble the base in the room where the table will live, not in the hallway. Turn the base upside down, lower the top onto it, then fit the fixings finger tight all round before tightening any of them fully. Tightening one corner completely before the others pulls the frame out of square.

Turn the table over with help, then level it. Fit or adjust the feet, checking for rock by pressing each corner in turn. Give the fixings a final check after a week of use, since everything settles.

If the move has left the table looking tired, or the new room has different proportions, it can be the right moment to reconsider. Our modern dining tables UK range includes compact and extending designs for rooms that changed shape with the move, and complete dining table and chairs sets UK sale save matching pieces from different suppliers. We are Furniture in Fashion, and we deliver free to most UK mainland postcodes.

Planning the Day Itself

Most moving damage happens because the table is tackled last, when everybody is tired and the hallway is already full of boxes. Deal with it early instead.

• Dismantle the table the evening before, once the last meal has been eaten. It is the one job that can be done in advance without inconveniencing anybody.
• Clear the route completely before you lift. A single box left on a landing forces an awkward change of grip at the worst possible moment.
• Protect the floor along the route with cardboard or old rugs, particularly on a wooden staircase where a dropped edge will leave a permanent mark.
• Load the table top last so it travels against the van wall rather than buried in the middle of the load.
• Unload it first at the other end, so it is out of the way before the rest of the furniture arrives in the room.

If you are using a removal firm, tell them in advance that the table dismantles and where the fixings are. It saves them guessing and it saves you finding a bolt bag in a box of kitchen utensils three weeks later.

Storing a Table Between Homes

If the table is going into storage, keep it off a concrete floor on pallets or battens, since concrete draws moisture. Wrap it in breathable blankets rather than plastic sheeting, because plastic traps condensation against the finish and can bloom a lacquer.

Store the top flat and supported along its length, or on edge in a rack. Do not lean a large top against a wall for months, because it will take a permanent bow. Keep leaves and extension panels with the table and store them in the same orientation as the main top.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I take the legs off a dining table to move it?

Yes wherever they detach. It reduces the weight of each piece, protects the joints from sideways loads, and makes the top far easier to manoeuvre through doorways and up stairs.

How do I move a glass dining table safely?

Always carry glass vertically, never flat. Sandwich the panel between cardboard, wrap it, and carry it on edge with one person at each end. Transport it standing against a van wall and strap it in place.

Can two people move a large dining table?

Usually yes for timber tops, provided the legs are removed and the top is carried on edge. Stone tops of any size need three people. Use moving straps on stairs to keep the load stable and off your hands.

What should I use to protect the surface?

Moving blankets over cardboard corner protectors work for timber and stone. Add bubble wrap or a soft cloth as a first layer on high gloss finishes. Never tape directly onto a finished surface.

How do I avoid marking the floor?

Fit furniture sliders under the legs before moving anything, and lift rather than drag wherever possible. Sweep the route first, because a single piece of grit under a slider will score a wooden floor along the whole path.