When you’re selecting the pallet racking materials to use for your warehouse or storage, it pays to choose the right system the first time around. Whether your warehouse is for storage, building or packing materials, you need to ensure your flooring is suitably strong for what you’re storing.
There is certainly a lot to consider when you are building a warehouse, regardless of size. If you’re about to begin a project and need to select flooring for your warehouse, read on to learn why a strong concrete floor is necessary.
If you ever saw the American version of The Office, you’ll remember that scene where Michael Scott goes down to the warehouse and ends up knocking all their racks over by driving a fork-lift into them. Your warehouse needs to be Michael Scott-proof. That means you must bolt those racks down to the floor with anchor plates, and a concrete floor is going to be the best way to do this.
Concrete isn’t the only option for a warehouse floor, other common choices are linoleum, vinyl (VCT), and epoxy. While these are all suitable, they may not be the best if you’re going to be storing heavy items or need heavy-duty racks. Even anchored racks can pose a safety concern if the flooring is inadequate, so if you’re thinking of choosing something other than concrete, make sure you talk to a qualified engineer to check your flooring choice will be adequate.
You should also be aware that as your racking grows in height, your flooring quality becomes even more important. Any imperfections in your flooring are magnified when storing goods up to 9m high, so concrete will be best in this scenario.
Concrete is extremely durable and easy to clean, only requiring sealant every two to three years. If you expect your warehouse to be relatively quiet with little traffic, you could consider another material, but concrete flooring is the easiest to clean, seal and maintain. You can also paint it to keep it looking fresh.
Most warehouses and storage rooms will be on a level surface, but sometimes a sloped floor is the best way to make use of all available space. In this case, the slope must be gentle, no more than 12mm per 3 meters. If this is the case, you may need to purchase custom racking units to best suit this layout.
This question really needs to be answered by an engineer if you are referring to an existing floor. If you are designing a new warehouse then racking loads will need to be taken into account by an engineer in the design phase. Always ensure you consult a totally independent Structural engineer to review and recommend the racking anchor/base plates that are required to withstand the weight loading that will be placed on your floor.
A qualified professional should perform inspections on your new flooring and racking after installation, and again periodically, especially after any event that may have weakened either or both.
Concrete is standard for most warehouses. Why? Let’s take a look at the pros of choosing concrete:
Carefully choosing the right flooring for your racking system can make a huge difference in the installation, efficiency and performance of any warehouse. Conversely, selecting inefficient materials can greatly hinder your progress, and you may have to redo certain steps in the installation process. In extreme cases where installation has been poor, or the soil beneath was wrongly assessed, warehouses have had to be torn down, so you cannot underestimate the necessity of getting this step right.
By assessing the elements you need for a successful warehouse racking installation, you can be sure that your new warehouse is secure, safe, easy to maintain and compliant with relevant industry specifications while lasting for many, many years of intense use. Click here to find out more about our warehouse racking solutions on offer, or contact us to discuss your storage needs.
