Organising clutter is likely near the bottom of things you want to do at the weekend, just above cleaning the bathroom or purging your inbox. It can seem like a daunting job if you don't know what you need, but once you do, it becomes a breeze.
In this simple guide, we'll help you find the best shelving unit for your needs that will help you keep your stuff organised and create more floor space in your home. Sounds good, right? Let's get started.
Shelving units - there are so many options!
When looking for shelves, you'll be thinking about things like:
- Type of shelving
- Size of the units
- Load Capacity
- price
Below, we'll help you learn more about the top things to consider before starting your decluttering journey.
With several options available, you'll want to know that you're choosing the right shelves for your space.
You might be thinking, "A shelving unit is a shelving unit, isn't it?" well, not quite. There's no one-size-fits-all approach to shelves, as everyone's space is different. Let's break it down:
What shelves are available?
Slimline shelving
Slimline shelves are one of the most popular options available, and rightly so - they're a handy bit of kit. These units are smaller than standard shelving and can fit into tighter spaces in your home without compromising loading capacity. They're perfect for when you don't have much space, with a height of 150cm, a width of 75cm, and a depth of 30cm that lets them slot into small spaces like cupboards.
These space-saving storage shelves are also available at 180cm high, 90cm wide, and 30cm deep, giving you more shelf space while enjoying the benefits of a smaller shelving unit.
Wide Shelving
These shelves are perfect if you're a bit of a hoarder or have a larger space to organise. These long-span shelving units are the ideal storage solution for when you need to store bulky stuff or if you're organising a larger room. These 5 Tier shelving units have a shelf width of 120cm and twin support beams under the shelves; these units give you the extra support you need.
Extra-Deep Shelving
Extra-deep shelving offers you more space to store your oversized, heavier items. The 60cm shelving depth gives you more than standard racking and helps you get on top of organising any larger areas, such as store rooms, cellars, workshops, or workplaces.
These deeper shelves give you extra room to add storage boxes if you want to organise smaller items like nuts and bolts.
Heavy-Duty shelving
These heavy-duty boltless shelving units hold a massive 200kg per tier (1000kg per unit), making them perfect for storing heavy loads in the garage and as industrial shelves for workshops and stockrooms. These storage units are ideal for storing tools in sheds and garages.
What are the benefits of shelving?
You might still be thinking, do I need shelving units? We've already covered a few benefits above, so let's see what else they can do for you.
- They create more floor space: Shelving stores away your goods, giving you extra room in your home. Without junk littering the floor of your bedroom, garage, or shed, you can move more freely and put your newfound space to better use.
- They save time: Storing your goods nearly means you know where everything is, which stops you from racing around to find things when you're in a hurry.
- They reduce housework: Shelving units can help reduce housework by up to 40%! The tidier things are, the less work you'll have to do.
Are shelving units easy to assemble?
It's storage, not sto-RAGE.
At Rhino Racking, we know you don't want to waste hours sifting through complicated instructions and fiddly nuts and bolds. That's why we engineer our shelving units with a no-nonsense boltless design that makes set-up a breeze.
You can get this done pretty quickly. How quick? We find that most of our customers set these units up in 10 minutes - let's put that into perspective you could:
- Build 2.1 Rhino Racking units during just one episode of Friends: with episodes being 22 minutes long on average, you can build two units and get started on a third during that time.
- Walk just half a mile: Though individual speeds vary, it's widely agreed that walking 0.5 miles takes the average person 10 minutes. That means you can build one of our shelving units in less time than it takes to walk to the shops.
- Listen to Bob Dylan's classic song 'Desolation Row' and finish the assembly with 1min 21sec to spare.
Thanks to the simple design, you won't need to mess screws - slot the beams into place and tap lightly with a rubber mallet to secure them.
Our range of freestanding shelving can be used as single units or attached using connector clips provided in the box. They can also be attached to walls for extra security.
Do you want to see it for yourself? Watch our assembly video below.
Where can I use shelving units?
Shelving units are suitable for most environments, but they're popular in houses, garages, sheds, offices, stockrooms, and warehouses. However, where you'll be using your units is also a factor, and that's where finishes come in.
Standard beams will do the job when setting them up in your home, stockroom, or garage storage. That's because they're not exposed to the elements and have no risk of rusting. When your shelf units are going inside the shed, summer house, or greenhouse, they could be affected by the cold and dampness - that's why it's best to go for galvanised shelving units - these durable units have unpainted, galvanised steel frames that protect against rust.
At Rhino Racking, we have a wide range of shelving designed for different environments and purposes. We have galvanised shelving ideal for tidying up your garden shed or garage, slimline shelving for organising the cupboards in your home, and heavy-duty wide-span shelving for stockrooms, warehouses and workshops.
Top tip:
- If you're using your shelving in an area with high humidity or little airflow, it's best to coat each board with varnish to prevent moisture from seeping in.
How much can shelving units hold?
When choosing storage shelves, you need to know they're fit to do the job. First, ensure the load capacity to store your goods is suitable (especially if you're storing bulkier items). It's also worth looking out for shelves that have undergone load testing, like the Rhino Range has, to give you extra peace of mind.
All shelving units in the Rhino Racking range are heavy-duty, holding a massive 1000kg per bay, that's 200kg per shelf, which covers almost everything you'd need to store in your home, including books, boxes, tools, paint tins, clothes, food, and more. Each MDF shelving board
Top tip:
- Try not to overload one side of the storage shelf - it's best to distribute the weight evenly to avoid any bowing or sagging.
How much will I need to spend?
When buying shelving, we don't think you should break the bank to get your space neat & tidy. That's why we offer high-quality, durable shelving and racking at affordable prices.
You can get started for as little as £30.99 with our slimline garage shelving units, with our larger wide&deep boltless storage racks available at low prices starting at £51.99.
We also offer multi-buy deals so you can get the best value for money when organising a larger space such as a workshop, stockroom or warehouse.
Top tip:
- It's best to measure up your space before you make any purchases- this eliminates any guesswork and saves you from buying more than you need.
Where to next?
Now you're clued up on shelving units, why not check out the rest of our handy guides? Here we cover how to organise different areas of your home or business and get the most out of your space.
Alternatively, you can call our friendly UK team on 0191 500 6000 or email us at info@rhinoracking.co.uk to chat.