Type of racks – differences between a commercial shelf and a home shelf

Shelves aren’t just shelves

You might be thinking that shelves are just shelves. You couldn’t be more wrong! There’s a lot of different types of shelves and shelving. There are shelves for home use, for commercial use, and for industrial use. Within those categories, there are also many different types of shelving. Before we look at the differences between a commercial shelf and a home shelf, let’s take a look at types of shelving for the home.

Type of racks for the home

Fixed-bracket shelves

You’ll find this type of home shelf in a lot of properties since they’re easy to install and robust. These are very popular type of racks, if not the most popular. A fixed-bracket rack allows you to choose the number of shelves and configuration, giving you great flexibility. Fixed-bracket type of racks are typically metal or wood. Another name for this shelving type is suspension shelving.

Floating shelves

Floating shelves look great and a fantastic design idea. As the name gives it away, floating shelves give the illusion of ‘floating’ on the wall because they have no visible supports or brackets. Instead, all of the fittings and fixtures are inside the shelf. Floating shelves are usually engineered wood. Another name for a floating shelf is a ‘torsion box’ shelf.

Corner shelves

Corner shelves are a great idea for an awkward or unused corner space in a room. These are great for displaying or storing items and come in many different types from floor-based units, stand-alone units, and corner units that attach to walls with brackets.

Built-in shelving units

Built-in shelving has become more popular again recently and you’ll often find it on a wall inside an alcove. Once installed, these type of racks become part of the room’s fixtures and is, therefore, difficult to remove. These are a fantastic way of maximizing space in unused areas of the home but are not flexible, unlike other type of racks.

Free-standing shelves

A free-standing shelf gives great flexibility in the home and is great for storing or displaying items. This is a type of shelving unit that is moveable should you wish to rearrange the furniture. There is a great range of colors, designs, and materials when it comes to free-standing shelving racks.

Characteristics of a home shelf

Home shelves are able to withstand anything heavier than the weight of an ornament or a few books. Their design is also aesthetic as well as practical, which means there is a great range of prices depending on whether you choose a practical and basic shelf or a top-of-the-range designer rack.

Type of racks for commercial use

Now we’ve examined home shelving, let’s take a look at commercial shelving.

Top-hung shelves

Although there are some styles of home shelving that is top-hung, you’re most likely to see this type of shelving in commercial use like in stores to display items or classrooms. There are sections in metal that mount on a wall from which shelves can be hung. These type of racks requires strong walls given that the weight they bear is much greater.

Wall shelving

Wall shelving for commercial use is the most typical type of racks we see in businesses. Its main use is to display stock in large quantities. Commercial racks for walls are available in steel, wood, or even glass.

Pegboard shelving

This is such a versatile type of commercial rack! Pegboards offer a whole plethora of combinations of display and shelving options. Pegboards are actually available for use in the home environment too with pegboards for above desks becoming available.

Freestanding shelving

Commercial freestanding shelving racks are extremely common. They’re most often used for displaying products in retail. Freestanding shelving is available as stainless steel or wood.

Warehouse shelving

Warehouse shelving is a whole category in itself! You can get wire shelving and rivet shelving among many other types. Wire shelving racks are usually free-standing and have a wire mesh as the base of the shelf itself. It is a favorite type of shelving for many different businesses. Rivet shelving is great because it goes together with a rubber mallet and, therefore, you don’t need any nuts and bolts. They are assembled by putting the rivet into a keyhole slot. It is really quick to put together, which means that you can get a lot of shelving up in a short space of time and this could certainly be very much helpful for you.

Characteristics of a commercial shelf

The characteristics of a commercial shelf have one main aim: to be strong. Steel commercial shelving and metal commercial shelving are very popular choices in industry. Business owners tend not to look too much into aesthetics. A commercial shelving rack needs to be sturdy but it also needs to be able to support the weight of the items placed on it. What’s more, it needs to be able to withstand products being added or removed with a high frequency.

Which type of racks to choose

The purpose is really important when it comes to choosing shelving. If you’re choosing a rack for your house, it’s probably advisable to choose one designed for the home as it will be much more aesthetically pleasing. That being said, there is very little reason why you can’t use the commercial shelving racks at home. They’re actually really great in a yard, garage, or storage hut. If you have lots of tools that need a home, metal commercial shelving is a great idea. Also, steel commercial shelving won’t corrode and so will last a lifetime. So this could be a very good choice for you.

When it comes to choosing shelving for commercial purposes, you don’t really want to be choosing household racks. The only reason you might use a home rack is if you have a customer-facing business that requires something that looks aesthetically pleasing. Many businesses choose home racks for storage and display purposes in company meeting rooms and reception spaces, for example.