The mezzanine floor can be a very useful part of a warehouse that adds extra space to it. Today we will discuss how to choose the right warehouse mezzanine for your warehouse.
A mezzanine floor is an uplifted platform built between the building’s floors for adding additional room in the warehouse facility. This extra room increases the storage capacity in a warehouse.
Apart from that, mezzanine floors can be used as additional rooms. Such rooms can be used for arranging meetings with other warehouse activities.
Moreover, the mezzanine floor allows you to use the vertical space at the utmost capacity. So, adding a mezzanine floor can make a big difference in warehouse efficiency. In this article, we will discuss the following things:
The Benefits Of Using A Warehouse Mezzanine.
There are many benefits of using a warehouse mezzanine. Here we will discuss some of the key benefits of using a warehouse mezzanine:
Increased Storage Space
Storage space is important if your company runs a production line or does a lot of shipping and receiving. An easy method to increase industrial storage is to employ warehouse mezzanine systems.
A warehouse mezzanine provides extra space for storing goods and materials. By doing this, companies may make the most of their current warehouse space without having to relocate to a bigger location.
Increased Safety
If you work as a foreman or in another leadership capacity in a warehouse, you surely appreciate how crucial safety is.
A mezzanine can provide a safe working environment by creating designated areas for workers to perform tasks. Separating employees from potentially dangerous tools or materials can also help prevent mishaps.
To ensure secure access to elevated storage spaces, warehouse mezzanines can be built with safety elements like handrails, guardrails, and staircases.
Cost-effectiveness
Building a mezzanine is frequently more affordable than developing a new facility or enlarging an existing one. And it is also time-consuming
The following benefits of lower overhead costs come from a mezzanine as opposed to purchasing a new building or adding more building space
- Almost all operating expenditures may be reduced compared to buying or increasing building space.
- The opportunity to increase staff and inventory as necessary without incurring excessive expenses.
- Same annual taxes, plus tax advantages for capital equipment investment
It saves our money and time.
Improved Efficiency
A warehouse mezzanine can assist decrease the amount of time it takes to find products and the need for repeated excursions to the same location of the warehouse by offering more storage space.
The addition of a mezzanine can help to improve operational efficiency by allowing for faster retrieval of items and improved organization.
Flexibility
Another awesome plus point of the mezzanine is that they are flexible. You can use it as you want.
A mezzanine can be modified to suit a business’s unique requirements. It can be designed to accommodate specific equipment or storage requirements, and it can be easily modified or expanded as the business grows.
Versatility
Mezzanines can be easily dismantled and relocated if your business needs change, providing you with flexibility and adaptability.
Quickly Set Up Or Taken Down
Mezzanine floors are very easy to set up once the necessary components are created. Additionally, they are very easy to take down and relocate too. Click here to find out the steps you need to follow for the mezzanine floor installation.
So, these are some of the benefits of using a warehouse mezzanine.
Type Of Warehouse Mezzanine.
There are various types of warehouse mezzanine. Here we will discuss four main types of warehouse mezzanines in brief:
Pallet Rack Support Mezzanine
A pallet rack support mezzanine is an excellent choice to fully utilize your existing vertical space. This mezzanine system can be applied in nearly any type of warehouse facility.
This type of mezzanine has a column thickness of 1.5-2.0 MM and a load capacity of 500-1000 kg per layer.
Structural Steel Mezzanine
If you have large production areas then a structural steel mezzanine is the perfect solution for that. The structural frame is constructed with structural steel columns and beams.
This warehouse mezzanine provides a more open feel. A good engineered structural steel mezzanine floor is suitable for heavy-duty works.
Mezzanine Racking
This warehouse mezzanine floor comes with a racking underneath the floor with stairs. The rack supports the whole system as they are fastened permanently in that place.
You don’t need to install other structural columns for support in this case. This means this is quite a cost-efficient mezzanine system to consider. This mezzanine racking is suitable for lightweight products.
Cantilever Mezzanine
The Cantilever mezzanine is a great option to support the different storage needs of the warehouse. It is constructed by combining both a cantilever rack and a mezzanine floor.
So, this warehouse mezzanine will make sure the full usage of warehouse space and additionally improve storage efficiency.
How To Choose The Right Mezzanine For Your Warehouse?
It is very important to choose the right mezzanine floor for your warehouse. The ultimate success of your warehouse will depend on the right mezzanine floor selection. So, you need to make sure your mezzanine floor meets the requirements of your building codes.
Choosing the wrong mezzanine floor can bring harm to your growing business in the long run.
While considering different types of mezzanine floors, you need to choose the right one depending on your warehouse layout.
So, you must be wondering what to consider while selecting a mezzanine floor for the warehouse. Well, there are some factors you need to keep in mind. Make sure you have a clear idea about them while considering a mezzanine floor for your warehouse facility-
1. The characteristics of the stored products
The characteristics of products play a great part when considering a mezzanine floor. Not all mezzanine floor is suitable for storing all type of products. If you plan to store large machinery or a lot of goods then weight-bearing should come under consideration.
As we said earlier, if you plan to store heavy and bulky products then the structural steel mezzanine is perfect for you. The rack support mezzanine is suitable for lighter products.
If you want to store products using pallets then make sure you use the steel mezzanine system. If you have long-striped products to store then a cantilevered mezzanine can be beneficial.
Installing a mezzanine floor without keeping in mind the product’s characteristics can bring damage to your products. So, you must therefore know the characteristics of stored products to choose the right kind of mezzanine for the warehouse.
2. Fireproof requirements
If you intend to have your mezzanine floor fireproof, we recommend you choose steel mezzanine flooring. Apart from that, every warehouse facility should follow the mezzanine floor fire protection protocol to ensure the safety of workers.
Make sure your mezzanine floor has a good fire protection system. If you are looking for a cheaper option then go for plywood flooring. It is compulsory to have the authorization for fireproof flooring.
To find out various mezzanine floor materials, read this article.
3. Dimensions of the warehouse
When it comes to choosing a mezzanine floor, the size and the footprint of the warehouse play a vital role. So, mezzanine floor installation heavily depends on the dimension of your warehouse facility. You must consider the height of your warehouse while installing a mezzanine floor.
Your warehouse must have the IBC (International Building Code) height requirements to be suitable for installing a mezzanine floor. The minimum height requirement given by IBC is 7 feet.
Other occupiable spaces, such as storage rooms or bathrooms should also have a minimum ceiling height of 7 feet (2134 mm).
While constructing the mezzanine floor, make sure it is made in accordance with section 505.1 of IBC codes and conducts. According to IBC, there should be at least two stairways for large mezzanines.
Keep in mind that, IBC won’t allow ship ladders or permanent ladders as stairways. If you are installing a mezzanine floor for a mechanical or equipment system, then better to follow the OSHA requirements too
There must be enough headroom for workers and staff. Also, adequate space for equipment and storage facilities.
Read this article to have in-depth information about the mezzanine floor height.
4. The Budget For Building The Mezzanine Floor Of The Warehouse
The budget is another important thing you need to consider when choosing a mezzanine floor for the warehouse facility. If you don’t have any budget issues then go for the steel mezzanine floor. Otherwise, you can go with rack-supported mezzanine or wood decking flooring.
So, the Mezzanine floor cost is an important thing to consider to choose the right warehouse mezzanine. You should choose the warehouse mezzanine that best fits your budget.
5. Safety Considerations
Safety should always be the main priority when choosing the right mezzanine floor for your warehouse. There must be railings on the stairs because people will frequently use them to go up and down.
The edge of the mezzanine floor must be barricaded with some kind of barrier or railing. So, the risk of falling will reduce to a great number. You can use pallet gates for this.
Whichever mezzanine floor you are choosing for the warehouse, make sure to follow the best safety practices.
So, if you follow these things, you can choose the right mezzanine for the warehouse.
Application Of Warehouse Mezzanine.
Various applications of warehouse mezzanines are as follows:
Warehouse Storage
The mezzanine floor system is widely used for storage solutions in the warehouse industry. Mezzanine floors can be a welcoming addition for better optimization of space. Companies save money by adding mezzanine floors without investing in buildings.
Mezzanine floors can expand the storage system in a warehouse while making the best use of available space. It enables modular and multi-functional space in the warehouse.
Once the available vertical space is optimized through mezzanine floors, the workflow will increase automatically.
Not only mezzanine floor offers a storage solution, but it also can be used in different environments.
If the mezzanine floor is free standing it can be later dismantled and moved with ease. Growing businesses or industries often ran out of storage areas. So, the mezzanine floor definitely a good application.
Mezzanine Office
Apart from using it as storing solution, the mezzanine floor can create additional rooms that can be used as meeting rooms, offices, etc. so, you don’t need to spend extra cash to have an office room elsewhere.
The use of modular offices is quite common in warehouses because there requires first-level management to control the staff. For that, it requires an easy-accessible office room. The modular office can help to attend conferences or to make plans within the warehouse vicinity.
Manufacturing And Assembly Area
The warehouse mezzanine can also be used for manufacturing products or assembling the products.
How To Buy A Cheap Warehouse Mezzanine?
The best strategy to buy a cheap warehouse mezzanine is to buy it from China. Chinese companies like Mracking offer high-quality warehouse mezzanines at a relatively cheaper price. The low labor cost in China is another reason behind the cheap mezzanine cost.
Due to their huge demands in internal markets, Chinese companies can bulk-produce warehouse mezzanines. This also helps to bring down the cost of warehouse mezzanine. So, buying warehouse mezzanines from China is the way to buy cheap warehouse mezzanines.
This is all you need to know about how to choose the right warehouse mezzanine for your warehouse. Choosing the right mezzanine floor for your warehouse is very much important considering the safety of goods and staff.
While installing a mezzanine floor, you need to keep in mind your actual storage needs and safety regulations, and budget.
However, before installing a mezzanine floor make sure you are well aware of the local regulations too. Read other articles on our blog to know about various warehouse storage methods in great detail.