Mezzanines allow warehouses and distribution centers to increase usable area without leasing additional space or moving operations to larger warehousing facilities. Your business saves on rent, moving costs and also possible property taxes.
Businesses are increasingly turning to mezzanines for utilizing unused vertical space. Multilevel mezzanines can more than double the existing floor space. This can be used for storage, work space, locker rooms, records rooms and offices.
Used mezzanines are a cost-effective option worth exploring. This is because even though mezzanine systems are a cheaper way to add new space, they attract additional costs in the form of conveyors, pallet trucks, maintenance, and safety and fire inspections.
There are a number of mezzanine options available depending upon the intended use.
Free-standing mezzanines: These are the most popular type of mezzanine systems installed. Other names include structural or steel mezzanines. The wide-span design allows easy flow of traffic and space utilization under the mezzanine. Customization, easy assembly and disassembly are useful features. This mezzanine type attracts depreciation-related tax benefits.
Rack-supported mezzanines: Also known as a catwalk system, these mezzanine systems are an alternative to structural mezzanines. They feature walkways and are used mainly for manual loading and unloading of pallets in a racking system. The overhead space can be used for creating storage space that works out cheaper than with a structural mezzanine.
Integrated mezzanines: Integrated mezzanines are a part of the building's structure. Their place in a layout is decided in the original design. Integrated mezzanines have a concrete floor and offer the highest load-bearing capabilities — which can be used to store and move heavy loads. A variant of this type of mezzanine has part of the mezzanine resting on columns, while a part of the load is borne by the building.
Shelving-supported mezzanines: Warehouses with SKUs that are best stored in shelves can make use of this mezzanine system. Shelves are accessible from all four sides and ideal for order-picking operations. The shelving serves as a base for the mezzanines. Handrails and stairs are usually required with this type. Once set up, this mezzanine system is not amenable to rearranging. It does, however, offer cost economies as compared to the free-standing system.
Considerations when installing a mezzanine floor in the warehouse
- Intended use and capacity requirements
- Ability of the flooring to take the load of the mezzanine columns
- The heaviest load points
- Conformation with local building codes and having the necessary permits
- An optimized layout for space utilization and easy movement of men and materials
- If modular mezzanines not suitable, then the cost of customizing the mezzanine to existing floor plan and workflow
What are the flooring options available?
The flooring or decking options depend upon the intended use. Steel plates are a popular option because of their solidity and load-bearing capabilities. Plates with a checkered patterns engraved on the surface provide slip resistance. However, steel plates are a costly flooring option.
Wooden boards of different gauges are an option for light loads. They look good and are easy to clean but susceptible to scratches. A steel roof deck with plywood over it is another alternative. For warehouses storing and moving hazardous chemicals, steel flooring covered with lightweight concrete is recommended. Steel bar grating is easy to install and disassemble, and it provides ventilation.
