Most Common Uses of Mezzanine Floors
If your business is in the process of expanding but moving your premises simply isn’t appropriate- either because it’s too expensive or you’re happy where you are- you’re probably on the lookout for a design solution which will maximise the space you already have. Your answer? Mezzanine floors.
If your building has high ceilings, installing a mezzanine floor is a great way to utilise overhead space without limiting the ground floor areas. Although you may think that mezzanine floors are only used as stylish architectural features in contemporary homes, they are actually extremely valuable in commercial settings. Mezzanine floors are a space-efficient solution for storing stock, exhibiting products and generally creating more space in order to grow your business.
So, if mezzanine floors are used in industrial settings, where exactly might you see them? In this blog, we’ll take a look at the most common uses for mezzanine floors and in which commercial contexts you might find them. But first, we’re going to give three reasons to install a mezzanine floor and demonstrate why they’re so crucial to developing your business.
Three reasons to install a mezzanine floor
There are many different ways to design and construct a commercial space, but installing mezzanine floors is one of the most efficient and beneficial. Here are three reasons to enlist a team of mezzanine floor installers:
● A cost-effective way to grow your business: rather than moving your entire operation, which would obviously cost you a lot of money, a mezzanine floor will allow you to simply optimise the space you already have. When going through a period of rapid growth, you’ll want to keep your costs down in order to prosper from the expansion of your business- installing an affordable mezzanine floor will enable this to happen.
● Improve safety within your workplace: as your stock starts to grow, this can cause hazards in your workplace. If you have stacks of boxes building up and nowhere to store them, you could put your workforce at risk of tripping and falling. This is obviously not good for their health and could also be potentially expensive for you if they choose to claim compensation for a workplace injury. A mezzanine floor will give you a place to store your stock, keeping your workspace clear and free from hazards.
● Maximise your space: by installing a mezzanine floor, you could potentially double the floor space from which to operate your business. This accommodates future growth whilst also optimising the productivity of your current operations. If your space is unordered and messy, it could slow your workers down, but by making the most of the space you have and strategically designing the layout to suit you, your workers can work more efficiently.
Common uses of mezzanine floor construction
If you think your business would benefit from the advantages we’ve listed above, then it’s probably time to look into mezzanine floor design. Still not sure if it’s suitable for your business? Below, we list the most common uses of mezzanine floors and in which commercial contexts you might find them.
The primary use for mezzanine flooring is, more often than not, storage. So if your business operates using a warehouse that involves storing your products, you’ll most definitely benefit from installing a mezzanine floor. Whether it’s food products, construction materials, clothing, electronics or pretty much anything else that a business produces, a warehouse mezzanine offers you an abundance of additional space to store your assets and keep them organised.
When choosing a company to design and construct a mezzanine for your warehouse, it’s a good idea to speak to them about the other storage options available. Many warehouse-based companies utilise industrial racking and shelving too, designed specifically to suit their unique requirements.
Manufacturing units have various needs; space is required to manufacture the products safely and efficiently, to package and store the assets produced and also an office area to manage logistics. With mezzanine floors, you can divide up your manufacturing building into these different sections in a streamlined way, without having to cram everything onto one level.
A mezzanine floor in your manufacturing unit will also benefit your workforce; with clearly defined spaces, the different teams within the business will have their own areas to work without encroaching on eachother’s space and affecting productivity. For example, your mezzanine floor could house the office space whilst the core business operations go on downstairs. This way, your office team won’t be disturbed by the noise and hubbub of the busy factory floor.
From your warehouse or manufacturing location, the next stop for your products is most likely some kind of distribution centre- another place where you’ll probably see mezzanine floors. Distribution centres sort products to be sent on elsewhere, and with the monumental growth of online shopping over the past few years, the distribution industry has expanded dramatically.
For distribution companies like courier and postal services, mezzanine floors allow them to optimise their space and as a result, take in more products to be distributed and boost profits. Much like in a manufacturing unit, the space can be divided up into different levels which correlate with different aspects of the business, or in the case of distribution, into categories of products or even locations.
All of the settings we’ve mentioned so far are ‘back of house’ operations that benefit from mezzanines, however, the retail industry- a customer-facing industry- is also a major benefactor of mezzanine floor design. Within retail units, mezzanine floors are used to increase selling space and therefore expand the horizons of the business.
There are many examples of retail companies using multi-level design solutions, however, they’re mainly used by outlets that sell large products which require plenty of space to be viewed clearly by customers. For example, DIY stores, car showrooms, homeware and furniture stores and design showrooms (e.g. for kitchens and bathrooms). If your business sells construction materials like tiles, doors, windows, flooring and lighting, a mezzanine floor could be the ideal way to display as many of your products as possible and hopefully secure sales on-site.
In all of these retail spaces, you may also wish to create a separate area to host customers and discuss big-ticket purchases like cars and vehicles. Mezzanine floors offer the opportunity to create a private space where your customers can liaise with the sales team away from the shop floor.
If you’re expanding your workforce and you need additional office space, a mezzanine floor could be your solution. There’s nothing worse than working in a cramped and crowded office, and in fact, it will probably restrict the productivity and satisfaction of your employees. By installing mezzanine floors, you can instantly inject a contemporary, open plan feel into your office and give your team the space they need to work at the optimum level.
As we mentioned earlier, mezzanine floors are the perfect way to divide up your building into separate areas. However, in an office setting, it can be distracting for everyone to work in the same area (even when split into different levels), particularly if they work in different teams. So, to optimise your multi-level space, you could also consider using partitions to further divide up the space and create some more privacy.
From functional industrial styles to more contemporary designs that incorporate glass and colourful panels, partitions are a great way to make the most of your office area. Plus, when they’re combined with mezzanine floors, you can reap the benefits of various separate spaces in your building without having to pay for a full-scale refurbishment.
Choose Racking and Shelving Ltd to create the perfect mezzanine floor design and grow your business
Here at Racking and Shelving Ltd, we’re passionate about creating intuitive and effective storage systems for businesses working within a wide range of industries. Whether you manage a distribution centre, a retail unit or a factory, we guarantee that our products can improve the way you use your space day-to-day. Our storage solutions include everything from racking and shelving to mezzanine floors and partitioning, and are all designed with safety, functionality and affordability in mind.
Since 2003, we have been working on creating storage solutions that make working life easier and our team have many years of experience in the design, supply, delivery and installation of such products. Over the years, we’ve built up a loyal customer base, all of whom benefit from a variety of our quality storage solutions and using our products, are achieving the best possible results for their businesses. Many of our new customers don’t realise just how crucial effective space management can be until they invest in our solutions; after which, their productivity- and therefore their profits- increases boundlessly.
If you think your business could benefit from a custom-designed mezzanine floor, some pallet or cantilever racking or simply a set of lockers and cupboards, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today . We’ll be more than happy to discuss your needs and create a solution that works for you.
