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Shelving

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Frequently Asked Questions

Understanding Industrial Warehouse Shelving: Best Practices, Costs, and Materials.

What does shelving mean in warehouse?

Installing and using the proper shelving in a warehouse is an essential part of organized and efficient operations. Factors that should be considered when choosing shelving include: functionality, safety (worker, product, and building), and size.

  • Layout:
    • - Are you leaving enough room for pallet jack trucks or forklifts? - Did you leave room for packing/shipping/receiving desks? - Are there dedicated lanes for pedestrian traffic?
  • Configuration:
    • - Does the shelf configuration promote efficient use? - Can your equipment safely reach the top shelves?
  • Construction:
    • - Do the shelves have the proper weight capacity to handle what you’re putting on them? - What kind of shelf do you need? Open wire or solid deck? - Is the material strong enough to withstand accidents?

    Is it cheaper to make or buy shelves?

    If you are outfitting an entire warehouse, purchasing shelving and racking is the best choice for several reasons.

  • Manufactured shelving has been payload capacity and structurally tested, so they are safe and reliable.
  • Most manufactured shelving systems are extremely adjustable, reconfigurable, & reusable with parts that fit correctly and are interchangeable.
  • Often times, sourcing and purchasing similar raw materials that manufactured shelving uses with which to build your own shelving can be expensive.
  • Once you’ve sourced the materials, you then need to spend time and money to actually build the shelves. This will often be done in-situ, so moving or dismantling the shelving if you remodel or move will be equally time consuming.
  • If you build your own shelving, you are gambling whether it can handle the weight you are putting on the shelf and how safe it is for your people and equipment that will be relying on the shelf to work as needed.

    • What is the best material to use for shelving?

    Heavy-gauge steel with painted or powder coat finishes is the preferred material for warehouse shelving. It is resilient, durable, and can handle heavy loads. The thickness of the steel will vary based on the height, weight capacity, and use, so make sure you properly research the shelving system you need to ensure it can withstand the loads and will work with the equipment you’ll be using.

  • While wood can be used, it isn’t generally recommended because it:
    • - Is flammable - Adversely-affected by moisture (important when installing on concrete) - Generally, has a lower weight-capacity vs steel - Easily damaged if hit by pallet jack trucks or forklifts - Is prone to cracking & splintering under heavy pressure and stress loads

    What are the different types of shelving?

    Generally speaking, there are two primary types of warehouse shelving: Pallet and Cantilever.

  • Pallet racks, as the name suggests, are designed to hold a lot of product stacked on pallets. They are exceptionally strong and durable, and can be adjusted as your business needs change.
  • Cantilever racks are made to handle long items like piping, steel stock, and long board wood. They are not made for boxes, pallets, or skids. They look a little different than standard pallet racks, but they offer the advantage of being easier to load and unload.