We sell loads of shelving all over the country, and one of the persistent issues is the cost of shipping. In particular, that’s an issue for industrial rivet shelving, which is the most economical type of shelving with the highest capacity. It is easily the most popular industrial shelf type going. For many customers, shipping an all inclusive shelving system is the easiest, most convenient thing — we do it all the time.

The problem with that is the heaviest part of the order is the particle board decking. You can see that easily enough when you compare a 48″ wide, 36″ deep shelving unit with decks included to one without. The unit with particle board decking weighs 173 pounds and change. When you remove the decking, the shelving weighs just 68 pounds. This is why we offer the shelving both ways. The shipping cost for ten units of this shelving with 5/8″ inch particle board would be a around double the cost of shelf framing only, depending on the way it’s shipped and where it’s going. Since we provide online shipping calculation, you can check our site to see exactly how much you’d be saving. Also, smaller orders can typically be shipped via UPS or other package delivery services if they don’t include wood decks.

The other thing to consider is product damage. We properly package, band and protect our shipments, but particle board can get chipped, dented or broken in shipping a lot easier than the steel frames can.

So if you want to save that shipping cost, the easy thing to do is to acquire the particle board from any local lumberyard. You’ll have to have it delivered or go pick it up, but it will be less than shipping it motor freight. It’s an easy cut to make since the shelf size listed actually indicates the deck size. A 48″ x 36″ shelving unit requires 48″ x 36″ decks — no tricky measurements or cuts.

RESOURCES

• Our Rivet Shelving Estimator provides estimates, componet lists, but it’s great for projects and rudimentary layout assistance.
• Penco Rivet Rite Shelving (prices, specs)
• RiveTier Rivet Shelving (prices, specs)
• Rivet Shelving with Bins (prices, specs)

While there are dozens and dozens of shelving manufacturers and even more variations of trade names for them, there are really just three basic kinds of industrial shelving manufactured and broadly used — Rivet-Type, Steel Clip, and Wire. Of course, there are more variations of these shelving types than you can imagine, but most shelving boils down to these kinds. You can also consider bulk rack as “shelving”, but we have found that heavy duty rivet shelving often fulfills the roles it has typically filled.

Rivet shelving is versatile, strong and fast to assemble. It provides easy access, stability, and up to 1,850 lbs. capacity per shelf level. It is constructed from a solid steel frame and uses decking (typically 5/8″ particle board, but also wire decks, plywood or solid steel) to hold the load. It’s used in industrial, warehousing, and storage room applications.

ADVANTAGES:

• It installs really easily, since there is little to no hardware involved, depending on whether or not a center support is used. A mallet is about all you need for the most part.
• It’s the most economical of all shelving types.
• It offers the largest ranges of sizes.
• It has the highest capacities — by far it is the best shelving for high-density, bulk and heavy storage applications.

DISADVANTAGES

• It’s not particularly ugly, but rivet shelving won’t win any beauty contests — at least not in standard configurations. It will never look as good as wire shelving does.
• It’s heavy when you factor in the shelf material, meaning it can cost more to ship it. However, many customers buy the decking locally to save on that cost. (When you do that, it’s lighter than some of the alternatives).
• While it’s highly customizable in terms of size, there are not a lot of options for it, like you can get with steel shelving. You can put bins on it, but there aren’t many options for things like doors or built in dividers.

Steel Shelving can be used in warehouses, offices, tool cribs, etc. It’s frequently installed for high-density applications like under-mezzanine storage for parts storage. It’s available in open and closed style (read this to determine which might apply to your project) and uses back and sway braces to steady the shelving unit.

ADVANTAGES:

• It offers better adjustability than rivet shelving through use of compression clips in 1″ increments.
• Steel shelving is easily the most customizable and accessorizable shelving type. There are built in bin fronts, multiple kinds of dividers, doors, and modular drawer inserts. You can take clip shelving in pretty much any direction you want to with accessories.
• It’s probably better in high-density applications than rivet or wire shelving because shelves can be installed very close together.
• It can be used in office settings and not look out of place.
• It’s available in many colors for decorative applications, although some of those may cost you more than the standard grays and tans.

DISADVANTAGES

• When you take full advantage of its flexibility, metal shelving is more expensive. All those cool accessories add up in cost.
• It requires a bit more to install than other shelving types. Shelves need clips and braces need hardware. It’s not a difficult thing to install, but I’ve never known it to be the effortless installation experience that rivet and wire shelving are.
• One thing it can’t do that wire and rivet shelving can, is be easily converted into mobile storage. (Wire shelving is frequently made into mobile units, and mobile rivet shelving is becoming more common).

Wire Shelving is the most attractive of these shelving types and is used in commercial or “clean” applications more often than the other shelving types. Like rivet style, it has open construction free of side and back sway braces so it can be accessed from all four sides. It may serve in applications where more industrial style shelving is out of place.

ADVANTAGES:

• It mounts easily on casters for mobility.
• The wire is gleaming, clean, attractive and easy to wipe down.
• It can serve in food, wash-down, or wet applications, depending on the shelving finish.
• Open construction. Dust won’t gather as easily on the shelves. More importantly, in case of a fire, it does not obstruct sprinkler systems.
• It’s as adjustable as steel shelving (1″ increments) without the clips or hardware.
• There are many specialty configurations available, with tilt shelves, wall mounting, etc.
• Wire shelving can hug a wall and fit a space, but still maintain access to corner areas. It is excellent to run in straight, right-angle, or corner installations.

DISADVANTAGES:

• It’s more expensive than rivet shelving, and most of the time, metal shelving.
• It doesn’t offer as many size variations as rivet shelving.
• Shelf capacity ranges aren’t typically as broad as steel and rivet shelving, and can top out at 1,200 pounds or so.

Use this “Guide to Industrial Shelving” (PDF file) that details out the advantages of each shelving type to help you decide which shelving type fits your application.