Wire Decking

What Is Wire Decking for Pallet Racks?

Wire decking is an often forgotten but essential pallet rack accessories when it comes time to develop an effective pallet rack structure in your warehouse. Wire decks are sturdier and more reliable than wood decking or 2″ x 4″ planks and can help businesses comply with fire codes. Wire mesh deck also makes loading and unloading safer by adding surface area to the shelving level. Weak pallets or heavy loads? Wire decking adds thousands of pounds of additional support. Here are a few more benefits that come with installing wire decks.

Mesh wire decking has an open-weave design of durable metal. Depending on the model, the pieces of decking fit in between or over the pallet rack’s support beams. The decking does not and should not support the full weight of the pallets, but it does help distribute weight across the support beams, making storage safer.

As the name implies, step channel wire mesh decks can only be used to support step beams, whereas flare channel decks fit a range of beams, but are less robust. At their very core, wire deck products are a safety net for your products. Without wire deck in place, it becomes extremely precarious to unload and remove pallets from the beams in your warehouse, with only inches separating a forklift operator from successfully placing a pallet and causing it to crash to the ground, potentially costing you thousands of dollars in damages.

Wire Decking provides a safe surface to support pallets. Wire deck increases the safety and versatility of your pallet rack system by allowing you to store more than just pallets. Bins, boxes, and other products are commonly stored on wire mesh decking. It helps catch anything that falls from the pallets, preventing lost products or spills from falling to the floor. Without the mesh decking in place, products could get lost if they fall from a pallet onto a pallet below or to the floor.

Types of Wire Decking

Wire mesh decking has several variations. The most generalized differences come in whether the decking rests over the edges of the beams or inside the beam steps — drop-in or waterfall. Forms for the support channels in the decking also differ — flared or step. Combinations of these create the many wire mesh decking options available. Some decking styles may even have inverted options for more variation.

Wire Deck

A Standard or Step Waterfall Wire Deck rests on the step part of the beam while part of the decking rests on top of the beam. The edge of the deck hangs over the face of the beam for added support. The step carries the weight of the decking and its contents across the surface area of the step beam.

The more Channels a deck has the more it can hold. A typical wire mesh deck comes with 3 channels and larger ones will have 4. The face of the decking creates a partially unobstructed view of the entire beam face for reading the labels and product bar codes. Step channel wire mesh decking is stronger than flare channel decking but more limited in application.

Wire Decking Efficiency

Welded wire deck is an effective solution to enhance the versatility and safety of pallet racking. Wire mesh decks improve the overall efficiency of your rack system, prevents dust from accumulating, and allows air and light to flow through each storage level. Each deck is rated for 2,500 lbs. evenly distributed. Steel wire mesh decking with steel support channels allows for the storage of open case items and pallets of inventory in the same sections of the pallet rack. New and used wire mesh deck helps protect against falling items that can cause worker injury and product damage. Wire decks are maintenance-free and easy to install.

Wire Decking Specifications

• Wire deck is durable and saves you money on replacing plywood.
• Fire code compliance. The wire deck is simple to use.
• Allows for both full pallet loads and partial pallet loads to be stored.
• 2″ x 4″ grid pattern.
• Powder coated gray for a highly durable finish.
• 3 U-channel supports designed for standard 1 5/8″ step beams.
• Wire thickness: 14 ga.
• Capacity: 2500 lbs (uniform distributed load)

Top advantages of wire decking pallet racks

• Wear resistance
• No cutting
• Safer
• Very easy to install
• Stronger and sturdy
• Economical – lower cost
• Better lighting