Warehouse Systems Limited specialise in supporting storage and production flows in many different industries and environments. They’re here to discuss how they think outdoor storage can work for you:
When we think of industrial storage we visualise a 'inside a warehouse' type building, however there are some situations where there is a requirement for storage outdoors. External industrial storage is often used to store items that can withhold all types of weather conditions, such as raw materials that can be kept outside until required for the manufacturing process or products that are designed for outdoor exposure such as garden accessories, gates, benches and fences.
Storing items outside allows you to allocate the internal storage space to the items that can only be stored indoors whilst weatherproof items can be kept outside. The most important thing to consider with outdoor storage is the risk of corrosion, the outdoor environment can cause the supporting steel to wear away and degrade, leading to a severe safety hazard and high cost implications. Once we are aware that the storage structure is intended for outdoors, durability and safety is our main priority.
A cost effective safe way to ensure external storage durability is to galvanise the structure to provide extra protection against the outdoor elements.
What is galvanising?
Galvanising is a procedure which involves covering the steel with a protective coat of zinc which acts as a barrier between the steel and the atmosphere. Using a bath of extremely hot molten zinc, the steel is submerged into the solution in a dipping motion. This ensures all areas of the surface are covered, eliminating vulnerability when exposed to damp and moist condition and giving the structure a longer life expectancy. Popular galvanised outdoor storage solutions often include pallet racking, cantilever racking and heavy duty shelving.
Outdoor storage is highly popular in various industries including builder’s merchants, garden centres and steel stockists.