Warehouse mezzanines are your savior when you're running out of storage space in your facility and don't want to pack up and move elsewhere. In industry jargon, a steel mezzanine can be defined as an elevated second-story base which serves as an additional storage platform. The best part of mezzanine storage is it expands your storage capacity without wasting floor space, a complete win-win. Yes, you do need to invest money in building a mezzanine, this is a much more affordable proposition than having to expand your current space or moving to a larger space altogether.

At American Surplus, we provide premium Mezzanine storage solutions that are stable, sturdy and serve as permanent storage solutions. Not just that, these elevated storage platforms also help to make a more efficient operation.

Interesting, there is not one but five major styles of warehouse mezzanine system to choose from. This article offers a brief overview on these different styles to help you choose based on your budget and warehouse storage needs.

Roll-Formed Mezzanines

If you're looking for a cost-effective yet quality mezzanine storage solution for your warehouse, count on a roll-form mezzanine. These mezzanine storage structures are made from lighter-gauge steel and are slightly more economical to purchase compared to some more expensive mezzanine systems. The ideal places for roll-formed mezzanines are commercial warehouses and retail stores. In other words, warehouses or locations that can promise less interaction of mezzanine structure with forklifts are safe for roll formed mezzanine.

Roll-Formed Mezzanine Structures are mostly used for:

• Light to medium weight item storage
• Seasonal items that will not sit on the storage platform for long
• Various SKU's of different sizes

Benefits of Choosing a Roll Formed Mezzanine:

• Economical Mezzanine Storage Solution
• Installation is comparatively fast & simple
• Simple to adjust to different use cases

I-Beam and Truss Mezzanines

Also known as structural steel storage mezzanines, these wide span platforms are constructed of sturdy I-Beams and trusses and present a powerful storage platform. The best benefit of structural I-Beam mezzanine solutions is wider column spacing when compared to roll formed mezzanines. While other mezzanine structures can only achieve 10-15 ft. column spacing, the structural mezzanine ensures more than 25ft of column spacing. Additionally, the more durable structural I-Beams provide additional capacity compared to your average roll formed mezzanine. Put simply, structural I-beam and truss mezzanine storage platforms allow higher capacity storage without tampering with your floor space compared to a roll-formed mezzanine system.

I-Beam and Truss mezzanine storage platforms are mostly used for:

• Production Equipment
• Heavyweight Inventory
• Modular Offices

Benefits of I-Beam and Truss Mezzanine Systems:

• Highly durable and powerful
• Can hold more weight compared to other mezzanine storage solutions
• Wide Column Spacing
• Long Lasting Storage Solution

Truss & Girder Mezzanine Storage

Truss & Girder Mezzanine Storage systems are crated with straight rods as well as featuring a spatial or planar structure accompanied by triangular elements. These truss rods host axial pressure or tension to accommodate sturdy materials. Girder truss is specifically engineered to bear heavier load compared to other trusses. There are additional posts and plates to support with extra strength needed against shear and bending. These kinds of mezzanine storage systems reduce requirements of intermediate beams, walls, footings, and columns- which eventually save construction costs and time.

Truss & Girder Mezzanine Storage is mostly used for:

• Heavy item storage
• Manufacturing Equipment
• Large lots of product in need of long-term storage

Benefits of Truss and Girder Mezzanine Storage:

• Extremely sturdy and durable
• Able to support heavy loads
• Reduced twisting and warping of material
• Fast construction and installation
• Lower construction costs

Pallet Rack Supported Mezzanines

Pallet rack supported mezzanines are storage platforms comprise of a pallet racking system integrated with the entire mezzanine structure to build up high-density storage. These mezzanine structures are installed within or above pallet racking. With pallet rack mezzanines, it almost feels like moving into a completely new facility! If you don’t want to spend money on a whole new pallet racking supported mezzanine, you can always repurpose your existing used pallet racks into mezzanine storage.

Pallet Rack storage mezzanines encompass several options such as catwalks, stair towers, pallet drop zones and more. Of all these, the catwalk mezzanine option is the most popular. Pallet Rack storage mezzanine are generally used for:

• Lightweight automotive parts
• Tools
• Exhausts and Pipes
• Archived Product
• 3SPL Storage and Retrieval

Benefits of Pallet Rack Supported Mezzanines:

• High density storage solution
• More economical compared to other mezzanine storage systems given additional rack storage underneath
• Stores all products standard pallet rack can support
• You can design double or even triple-level pallet rack supported mezzanines to increase vertical storage base
• Can be integrated into a pick module

Steel Shelving Supported Mezzanine

As the name implies, Shelf Supported Mezzanines are are simply mezzanine platforms supported by a steel shelving system, which provides a strong and sturdy vertical storage base for your warehouse. Based on your warehouse storage needs, you can create either a single-level or multi-level platform with your steel shelving mezzanine.

Given its sturdy structure, the steel shelving supported mezzanines are not just used to store warehouse products. In fact, they can also accommodate a smaller modular office or conference room if you're looking to expand your facility's office footprint.

Steel shelving supported mezzanine platforms are mostly used for:

• Automotive parts
• Items that need long-term storage
• Small Parts
• Piece picking operations

Benefits of Steel Shelving Supported Mezzanines:

• Lasts for years with limited maintenance
• Able to hold all kinds of hand-loaded items for storage underneath its platform
• Able to house modular offices and conference rooms on top of its platform
• Capable of multi-level designs

Advantages of Warehouse Mezzanines

Greater Storage Space: The obvious advantage of warehouse mezzanine solutions is the immediate boost to storage space. Scaling up your business means taking on more inventory over time, calling for additional storage space sooner rather than later. With a limited footprint inside a smaller building, you might already be running out places to store your products -- This is where mezzanine storage solutions come to the rescue with their elevated platform effectively doubling your storage space vertically.

More Economical than Relocation: The second major benefit to choosing a mezzanine has to be the time and cost savings compared to relocating to a larger space. It can be daunting, expensive, and time consuming to have to relocate your facility when the time comes expand your inventory capacity. Why bother with the hassle when a warehouse mezzanine solution can expand your footprint vertically at a fraction of the cost of moving to a new building?

At American Surplus, we guarantee a high quality and versatile range of new & used warehouse mezzanine storage solutions. Whether your product storage requirements demand pallet rack storage, hand-loaded shelving storage, or an open floor plan, we can help you ever step of the way. Our specialists can provide you with detailed CAD drawings and decades of combined layout design expertise so that you get the optimum storage solution for your needs at a fraction of the cost. From finding the right warehouse mezzanine solution to handling every stage of installation, we will be there by your side at every step. To start your free warehouse mezzanine consultation, contact our sales team by requesting a quote online, or you can call our office directly at (800) 876-3736