UK & Ireland Coverage • Used Racking Bought & Sold • Delivery • Installation
Buyer education
Everything worth knowing before you buy second-hand racking — written for warehouse managers, not for search engines.
Used pallet racking is commercial storage equipment that has previously been installed in a warehouse, then carefully dismantled, sorted and made available for reuse. Good used stock is structurally sound steel with cosmetic wear — not scrap.
Used racking suits businesses extending an existing run, fitting out quickly, working to a tight capital budget, or setting up temporary or seasonal storage. It is less appropriate where a specific engineered design, guaranteed matched components or full traceability is required from new.
New racking gives you a designed system, current manufacturer documentation and full component availability. Used racking gives you value and, often, faster availability. Many warehouses end up with a sensible combination of both.
Systems such as Dexion, Link51, Mecalux, Apex, Redirack, PSS and Stow each use their own upright profile, connector and lock design. Identifying the manufacturer is the first step in working out what can be added to an existing installation.
Beams from one manufacturer will not usually engage safely in another manufacturer's upright. Even within one brand, profile and connector designs change over time. Always confirm compatibility before ordering additional components.
An upright frame is described by its height and its depth (front to back). Frame depth normally relates to pallet depth and overhang; height determines how many beam levels you can fit under the roof and handling equipment reach.
Beam length determines how many pallets sit in a bay and the clearances between them. Common lengths in the UK sit around 2,250mm, 2,700mm and 3,300mm, typically carrying two or three 1,000mm–1,200mm pallets.
Capacity is quoted per pair of beams at a stated deflection and load pattern. Where a used beam's capacity cannot be verified from markings or manufacturer data, it should be treated as unknown rather than assumed.
Look at the upright profile shape and perforation pattern, the beam connector, the safety lock and any rolled-in branding or labels. Photographs of these details plus key dimensions are usually enough for an experienced eye to narrow it down.
Upright front profile, upright side profile, beam connector, safety lock and an overall shot of a full bay. Add a tape measure in shot where you can — scale helps enormously.
Expect scuffs, paint loss and minor surface marks. Look carefully for bent or twisted uprights, damaged baseplates, distorted beam connectors, missing locks, weld damage and impact deformation — those components should not go back into service.
Often yes, provided compatible components can be sourced and the extension suits the floor, the loads and the layout. This is one of the most common reasons customers come to us.
Different systems should not be mixed within the same bay or run. Separate runs of different systems within the same warehouse are normal and acceptable.
Racking travels on artics or rigids depending on quantity and length. Confirm site access, turning space, offload method and whether you have a forklift available — it affects both cost and timing.
Consider aisle widths for your handling equipment, beam level positions for your pallet heights, sprinkler and lighting positions, floor loading, and whether the installation can be phased around your operation.
Racking transfers concentrated loads through baseplates into the slab. Floor condition, thickness and flatness all matter, and shimming may be required. Where you are unsure, get the floor assessed before installing a tall system.
Column guards, end-of-row barriers and floor-fixed protection substantially reduce impact damage in busy aisles, and are usually far cheaper than replacing frames.
Installed racking should be visually inspected regularly by a nominated person, with periodic formal inspections and a written record of findings and actions.
Damaged components should be unloaded and replaced or repaired appropriately. Straightening impact-damaged steel in situ is not a repair.
Installed systems should display load notice information reflecting the configuration actually installed — bay and beam-level load limits based on the beam positions in place.
Start with your pallet, your handling equipment and your throughput. Aisle width, pallet positions per bay, beam levels and pick faces follow from there — not the other way round.
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