5 Important Considerations for Designing a Mezzanine System for Your Warehouse

Warehouse mezzanines serve as an excellent way of maximizing space while improving efficiency. A mezzanine system can give you more storage, office areas, platforms for picking, and a host of other additions to your warehouse and its operations.

However, for a mezzanine system to give you a true return on investment, you must put careful thought into planning it out. Here are five considerations for designing a mezzanine system for your warehouse.

1. Are You Even Allowed to Install a Mezzanine System?

Adding a mezzanine system can come with considerations for

• Building codes
• Compliance issues
• Adherence to legal safety standards
• The need for permits
• Load-bearing concerns
• Fire safety concerns
• Fall safety concerns

This stuff isn’t anything new, but you need to investigate these things before you do anything else.

2. How Much Space Are You Working With?

You need to know the space and dimensions you have to work with. Mezzanine systems come in various styles which you can further customize. Take all the areas you’re working with under consideration:

• The ceiling height or vertical space
• The floor plan and expected flow of floor traffic
• The current and expected layout, including accessibility to things those on the floor need routine access to

All these things hold a lot of importance because either you will have to build a mezzanine system to accommodate it all or change things to accommodate the new edition.

3. Why Do You Want or Need a Mezzanine?

Your mezzanine system must serve a purpose. Luckily, can serve a tremendous number of functions. Still, you need to know precisely which of those functions you’re aiming for.

• Do you need additional storage, shelving, or racking?
• Do you need to create partitions for offices, data rooms, or a dedicated workspace of some type?

A mezzanine system can do multiple things for your warehouse simultaneously.

4. What Can You Realistically Afford? Consider Your ROI.

You must remain realistic about your budget and if you expect a return on the investment you’re making. Mezzanines do offer a cost-effective way to increase the useable space. That, in turn, can help increase flow, capacity, efficiency, and other things that can make the mezzanines well worth it.

5. Will Mezzanine Installation Disrupt Operations, Cause Downtime, or Take a Long Time?

Basically, what will a mezzanine system installation do to your operations? Some of these systems can become rather complex which can require a lot of logistical planning and a lot of construction. Is fabrication occurring on site? Or will contractors bring the mezzanine structures in as they’re completed elsewhere?

When discussing the design, make sure you ask about how long different types of installations will take. You may need to go through the process piecemeal, or a little at a time. Or, you may only need to dedicate a weekend when the warehouse isn’t running any operations. Put consideration into this aspect of the process beforehand so there are no surprises or unexpected disruptions.

Don’t let any of these things scare you off from seeking an efficient platform mezzanine solution. Use these considerations to help you in planning your mezzanine system and lead to an informed choice when it comes to it.