Shelving

Are you looking for some good wood storage options — in particular, steel shelves? In this brief article I would like to describe for you several different types of shelves and racks that are available as steel shelving for wood storage –

One way to store your wood is a steel shelving unit that is called a cantilever rack. These types of shelves are very straightforward and simple in their design: they consist of a main pole or bracket which is usually weighted at the bottom for stability. Attached to the bracket or tower unit are a number of arms which can be placed at various heights by slipping the arms into slots or holes on the main bracket.

A major consideration when choosing any steel shelving for your wood storage needs is storage capacity — not just the amount of wood, but the total weight capacity. If you will be storing a lot of lumber or wood on your shelves you need to make sure that the shelving you select can bear all this weight.

An additional consideration when purchasing brackets for cantilevered steel shelving units: if you choose to purchase used brackets make sure that you carefully inspect them and return any brackets that show signs of undue wear and tear or fatigue — they may give way and collapse when wood is stored on your steel shelves.

Another good steel shelving option for wood storage is wire carts and shelves. These resemble the familiar “bakers rack” shelves that many people have in their homes — except that these steel shelves are made from a heavier gauge wire and have a greater storage capacity. They are perfect for the shelving of small wood items and pre-cut lumber. Additionally you can order these steel shelves with wheels attached to the bottom for quick and easy transportation.

A third option are bulk storage units. These steel shelving units provide storage for larger wood items that cannot be stored on other types of shelves, such as large sections of plywood, particle board or drywall. An advantage of these types of wood storage shelves is that they can be loaded and/or unloaded from all sides. These steel shelves are usually constructed with either wood or wire decks — and wire deck options are, of course, rated at a higher storage capacity.

Of course, for smaller wood pieces and for display in stores indoors you can always choose standardized steel store fixture shelving for your wood storage needs. The advantage of store fixtures is that they do not have such a “industrial” appearance as other types of shelving.

The downside of using store fixtures is that these types of shelves do not have the storage capacity of their larger, industrial cousins. They can be a good option, however, for the storage of finished or varnished wood items, that might otherwise become scratched if they were placed on industrial steel shelves. If you use store fixtures as your steel shelving option, you can purchase these either as single-sided or double-sided units.