Your Complete Online Shelving Buying Guide
There is nothing more frustrating and annoying than moving through poorly a organized warehouse. If you own a warehouse, you surely know how important is to keep and store your inventory in the most efficient manner. If the flooring space in your warehouse is not well organized, it becomes time consuming and quite difficult to navigate and to sort out all materials and supplies. That’s why it is extremely important to install a proper shelving system. A proper storage system is a key element in your warehouse that will help you to maximize the productivity and efficiency. The shelving systems are generally consisted of horizontal and vertical beams. They are designed from highly durable materials, and allow you to store a variety of items and materials in one place.
There are different shelving systems on the market, and you need to choose the most appropriate system for your warehouse. Today, you can also buy shelves online. The main considerations when buying shelves online or offline are: type, size, material from which the shelving unit is made of, total weight, price, and other similar things.
Types Of Shelving Systems
There are many shelving systems on the market, but the most popular are the following ones:
Bay Shelves
These shelves are described as adjustable racks which are most commonly used for storing different items and objects. The main advantage of the bay shelves is that these storing units offer access from all four sides. Made from highly durable materials, the bay shelves are designed to hold large amount of heavy weight items.
Angle Racks
The angle racks are adjustable shelving units which are made from aluminum or steel. They feature slotted holes which can be used to bolt or to peg additional shelves depending on your needs and preferences. There are also some angle racks variations, such as bay shelves, wall strips, and open end shelves. The angle racks are generally used for storage and display purposes.
Wall-Strips
The wall strips are angle rack variations. They can be attached on the wall by a bracket. Beside warehouses, the wall-strips with wall brackets can be seen in large grocery stores, used for storing various goods.
Pallet Racking
This is another form of angle rack, designed from steel or aluminum. The pallet racking system is made for storing and keeping heavy items, like pallets, furniture pieces and other large goods. Suitable only for warehouses, the pallet racks don’t offer the same versatility like the previous shelving systems, and some models don’t come with shelving between the racks.
Floating Shelves
A floating shelf is a type of shelving unit which is fixed on the wall with screws or brackets. Since it is used for storing small items, this system is not common in large warehouses. There are different floating shelves on the market, designed with different attachments, but all models need to be fixed on a sturdy wall.
Mobile Shelves
When looking for shelves online, check the mobile or wheeled shelves. They are ideal shelving solution for many warehouses because they are adjustable and can be easily moved from place to place. The mobile shelves are most commonly used for storing labeled and well-organized goods or materials.
Consider The Size Of The Shelving Unit
It is very important to make some measurements before buying shelves online. Consider the size, width, height, and the depth of the shelving unit in order to select the ideal place in your warehouse for the shelving system. If you need to store large items in your warehouse, look for a shelving unit with large enough shelves.
Consider The Material From Which The Shelving Unit Is Made Of
Today, you can find shelving units made of metal, wood, plastic and glass. For display purposes, the shelves made from glass are an excellent option. Avoid using plastic shelves for both strength and cosmetic reasons, unless you plan to use the shelving system for storing lightweight materials. The wooden shelves are suitable for storing books, papers and other similar items. However, when looking to buy shelves online, choose shelves made from aluminum or steel. These shelving systems are durable and offer amazing strength.
New Or Used Shelving System
Another important decision that you need to make before buying shelves online, is whether to buy new or used units. Although more affordable option, the used shelving units requires careful attention on several things, such as appearance, colour, damages, number of shelves etc. You need to inspect the unit in details in order to avoid ending up with a used shelving system that will create more problems than advantages in your warehouse. If you can afford, always look for new shelving systems.
Consider The Weight Of The Shelving Unit
Although not the most important factor to consider when looking to buy shelves online, the weight of the unit can affect what type of materials or items can be stored. The heavy shelving units are more stable and usually doesn’t have to be bolted down. The lightweight shelving units on the other hand, are easy to move around, but they aren’t strong and stable enough to support heavy items.
