Introduction
The importance of storage racks
Whether it’s the balcony or garage of the home, the storage room of the office, or the material area of the workshop, cluttered items can always make people feel irritable and waste a lot of time looking for things. At this time, a suitable Storage Rack becomes a “savior” – it can not only quickly organize items, but also maximize the use of vertical space, so that small spaces can also exert large storage value. I have been doing procurement planning for many years, and I have seen too many cases where space utilization has doubled due to the right storage rack, such as a small hardware store, where materials were piled all over the floor before, and after choosing the right metal storage rack, the storage space directly increased by 60%, and the efficiency of picking goods was also improved a lot.
Choose the right storage rack for your purpose
The core purpose of choosing a storage rack is not to “just buy one that can be used”, the core purpose is to adapt to your own needs – not only to ensure the safety of storage of items, but also to fit the size of the space, but also to take into account practicality and durability. For example, storing snacks and sundries at home and storing heavy tools in the workshop require completely different storage shelves; If you choose a storage rack with insufficient load-bearing capacity to put heavy objects, it is easy to have potential safety hazards. To put it simply, if you choose the right one, it is a “space artifact”, and if you choose the wrong one, it is a “waste product”.
Determine storage needs
Evaluate the type of items stored
First of all, it is necessary to clarify “what to put in”, which directly determines the type of storage shelf. Common items can be divided into three categories: one is light and small items, such as family snacks, stationery, office documents, consumables, such items have low load-bearing requirements for storage racks, focusing on layering and easy access; second, medium-weight items, such as pots and pots in the kitchen, small household appliances, and small parts boxes in the workshop, need to have a certain load-bearing and stable structure on the storage rack; third, heavy and large items, such as hardware tools, metal materials, and large equipment accessories, which must choose high-strength load-bearing storage racks. I helped the customer choose a household storage rack before, the customer didn’t say at first that he wanted to put the oven, chose an ordinary wooden rack, and then put the oven on it and directly bent the shelves, and then replaced it with a metal rack to solve the problem.
Calculate the required storage space
Once you’ve determined the type of item, estimate how much space you’ll need. You can first count the number and size of items, such as the height of the stacked boxes and the total volume of scattered items, and then reserve 10%-20% of the spare space to avoid subsequent new items. There is a simple way to do this: place all the items to be stored in a centralized manner, measure the length, width, and height of the overall occupancy, and choose the size of the storage rack based on this to ensure that the capacity of the storage rack can cover the needs. For example, a small e-commerce warehouse, after calculating the size of the package to be shipped, selected a multi-layer storage rack with a corresponding layer height, which saved 30% of the space compared to the previously randomly selected shelves.
Consider the weight capacity of the storage rack
Load-bearing is the core safety indicator of the storage rack and must be paid attention to. According to industry data, the load capacity of each layer of household lightweight storage racks is usually 10-30kg, which is suitable for small items; medium-sized storage racks have a load capacity of 30-100kg per layer, suitable for kitchens and small offices; Heavy storage racks bear more than 100kg per layer and are used in workshops and warehouses. Here I would like to remind everyone not to trust the “maximum load bearing” marked by the merchant, try to choose products marked with third-party test reports, and the load capacity should not exceed 80% of the marked value when actually used, so as to avoid structural deformation caused by long-term overload.
Choose the right material
The storage racks of different materials are obviously different in terms of load-bearing, durability, appearance, etc., and the following table is clearly compared:
Material type | Pros: | Cons: | Adapt to the scenario |
|---|---|---|---|
woody | beautiful appearance, good texture, suitable for home style; Easy to assemble and silent | limited load capacity (mostly within 30kg); Afraid of moisture and insects; Long-term load-bearing is easy to deform | Living room, bedroom, study to store light and small items |
Metal | Strong load-bearing capacity (can be more than 100kg); Good durability, anti-corrosion and anti-deformation; Long service life (usually 5-10 years) | The appearance is more industrial, and some styles need to be assembled; metal collision is noisy; The price is slightly higher than that of wood and plastic | Workshops, warehouses, garages, kitchens, to store heavy or moisture-prone items |
plastic | cheap; Lightweight and easy to move; Waterproof and moisture-proof, easy to clean | Load-bearing difference (mostly within 20kg); high temperature is easy to age; Excessive load-bearing is easy to break | Balconies, bathrooms, toiletries, small potted plants and other light items |
I helped a young couple choose a storage rack before, and they needed a good-looking shelf for books and ornaments in their living room, and finally chose a solid wood storage rack; And their balcony is equipped with washing machine accessories and cleaning supplies, and a waterproof plastic shelf is chosen, which is not only suitable for the scene, but also cost-effective.
Consider the layout of the space
Measure the available space
Before choosing a storage rack, be sure to accurately measure the available space in the placement, including length, width, and height, and also pay attention to reserving space for opening the door and walking to avoid affecting daily activities after the storage rack is put in. For example, when placing a storage shelf in the corner of the kitchen, the length and width of the corner should be measured, and the distance between the cabinet door should be reserved; Storage racks should be placed in the garage to avoid the passage of vehicles in and out. Many people have made the mistake of “buying by feeling”, such as a customer before me, who bought a large storage rack without measuring, but could not fit in the storage room and could only return it, wasting time and freight.
Choose the right size and shape
Choose a storage rack according to the shape of the space to maximize the use of space. For example, narrow and long spaces are suitable for narrow and high storage shelves to use vertical space; The square space can be equipped with a hand-pushed multi-layer shelf for easy movement and access; The corner space is suitable for triangular or corner storage shelves to avoid wasting space. In terms of size, the height of the household storage rack is recommended to be no more than 1.8 meters, which is too high to take the items and is easy to dump; The storage rack in the workshop or warehouse can be used with a ladder according to the height of the floor.
Evaluate the mobility of the storage rack
Mobility is important if the shelf position needs to be adjusted frequently. Storage shelves with spinner wheels are suitable for this type of needs, such as document shelves in the office, utility shelves in the kitchen, which are convenient for moving and cleaning at any time; If the storage rack is fixed in one position for a long time, such as a heavy material rack in a workshop, choose a fixed model without wheels, which is more stable. Here is a reminder that the storage rack with wheels should be selected with a brake function, which can be fixed in position after lowering the brake to avoid accidental movement.
Yigu (Purchasing Agent) Perspective
As a senior purchasing agent, I recommend that when choosing a Storage Rack, you should prioritize balancing “demand, quality, and cost performance”. If the home scene focuses on appearance, you can choose a solid wood frame with moisture-proof treatment; For industrial or heavy-duty storage scenarios, prefer metal frames made of Q235 steel, as these shelves have guaranteed load-bearing and durability. When purchasing, pay attention to choosing manufacturers with mass production capacity, which not only have more favorable prices, but also provide customized services to adapt to special space needs. In addition, be sure to ask for the load-bearing test report of the product to avoid buying “three noes” products, after all, safety is always the first priority.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q1: Is it better to choose wood or metal for home storage racks?
A: Look at the storage items and scenes. put books, ornaments and other light items, and pay attention to appearance, choose wood; Put heavy items such as pots and tools, or place them in trendy scenes such as balconies and garages, and choose metal.
Q2: How to choose the appropriate load-bearing capacity of the storage rack?
Answer: The load-bearing capacity is selected according to 1.2 times the weight of the stored items. For example, if the total weight of the stored items is 20kg per layer, choose a storage rack with a load capacity of at least 24kg per layer to avoid long-term use and deformation.
Q3: How is the stability of the storage rack with wheels?
Answer: The stability of high-quality wheeled storage racks is no problem, and the key is to choose the one with brake function. Putting down the brakes for daily use can hold the position firmly, making it suitable for storing items of medium weight and below.
Q4: Are metal storage racks prone to rust?
Answer: Look at the surface treatment. Choose metal storage racks that have been sprayed and galvanized, which have strong corrosion resistance and are not easy to rust; If placed in a humid environment, it is recommended to choose a galvanized model for better rust prevention effect.