Wire Decking
Wire decking is made from wire and mesh, its flexibility and toughness make it the most common form of pallet decking. It’s helpful for many storage facilities as it is durable and resistant to mold and bacteria. Wire decking is an ideal solution to improve the flexibility and safety of your pallet racking system. The airflow that the wiring gives stored materials is important and not only is wire decking fire-resistant, but the holes are wide to allow for water from a sprinkler system to get through. The drawback of wire decking is that it can be costly, and it can’t support heavy narrow loads.
Slotted Decking
Where wire decking isn’t suited for heavy items, slotted decking is a great alternative, as it has a slotted open steel deck. This allows the heavy loads to have a larger surface area so their weight can be evenly distributed. This style of decking can be helpful in preventing potential damage of inventory. It is also good for fire protection due to its open design that will allow water to flow through. It can be difficult to clean slotted decking, particularly if your warehouse is tall and the top decking is hard for employees to reach.
Solid Steel Decking
Solid steel decking is known to handle incredibly heavy storage and is great for warehouses that want to house irregularly shaped materials that are of different sizes and weights. It’s smooth steel design make it ideal for bulk storage, baggage goods, and small items. The disadvantage of solid steel decking is that it isn’t always compliant with fire codes as your sprinkler system will be ineffective as it can’t get through.
Perforated Decking
Perforated Decking is like the style above in that both are made from steel, but the small holes that are punched through allow for airflow through the stored materials as well as water in the event of a fire. This small hole style decking can make it more likely to comply with local fire codes without compromising on strength. Perforated pallet rack decking is safe, reliable, sturdy, and easy to install. However, perforated decking is not suited for fabrics or materials that may snag in the small puncture holes.
Wood Decking
Wood decking is a cost-effective style for pallet racks as it is not as expensive as steel decking. This decking can hold light to medium loads of various shapes and sizes. Wood decking is versatile and can be designed to fit most storage facilities, with the ability to have an open stored plan. The downside to wood decking is, of course, the elements. In the event of a fire, wood decking would not be ideal, and a sprinkler system drenching the timber may do permanent damage in the form of warping or molding.
