Manufactured from steel, a structural mezzanine is a clever combination of main beams, roof supports, columns, decking, staircases, handrails, and pallet gates. A structural mezzanine is a creative solution to increasing workspace in warehouses, retail businesses, and industrial facilities alike. It is a cost-effective and highly-efficient alternative to relocating a business, adding on to a building, or leasing or purchasing additional workspace.
Benefits of installing a Structural Mezzanine:
There is a lot of benefits to opting for high-quality structural mezzanine flooring. For starters, the whole installation process for a mezzanine flooring (from design to implementation) can be done in a few weeks. Compare that to the time and cost it would take to design and construct a whole new addition to a current space and it’s easy to see why so many warehouses, plant supervisors, and businesses in B.C. are choosing this sharp alternative.
Applications:
There are several types of structural mezzanine floors, each with its own specific solution for the industry in which it is implemented. Some of the main applications include:
Mezzanine floors for retail – with the addition of a mezzanine floor in a retail location, store owners are able to significantly increase their retail space not only for more inventory, but also for more creative display space. In addition, mezzanine floors enable retailers to easily create more room for customers to explore the merchandise without feeling cramped and overwhelmed by a small space.
Mezzanine floors for storage and production. Perhaps one of the most common types of mezzanines in B.C., customers opt for this flooring application when their current space is no longer big enough to
accommodate their needs. By expanding work space with a structural mezzanine floor, owners can save both a substantial financial cost and a substantial amount of time involved in the inconvenience of moving to a new property. Installing a mezzanine floor enables users to double their production and storage space in a short amount of time and with minimal disruption to daily business operations.
Mezzanine floors for offices. A great solution for wanting to add office space to an existing office unit or above a manufacturing space, mezzanine flooring is significantly less costly and faster to install than a complete remodel of a space.
Determining the Cost of a Mezzanine Floor
Following a comprehensive site survey and analysis to identify where the mezzanine floor will be situated and how the columns will be incorporated into the existing structure, an exact price is then able to be made.
A structural mezzanine floor will typically cost $30 to $50 per square foot to install. When you compare this price to the cost of moving to a new facility, installing a mezzanine floor could wind up being as much as 80 percent less expensive when compared to alternative storage methods.
Design and Installation
Every structural mezzanine floor’s design requires a customized approach, as all buildings are different and each client has specific requirements. Before work begins, a design team will conduct a comprehensive survey of the customer’s site and analyze the facility to determine where the mezzanine floor will be placed and how to situate the columns into the site’s existing structure.
It will take a work crew approximately 5 to 6 days to install your customized mezzanine floor after you have signed off on the design. The exact amount of time to complete the job depends on a variety of factors, including the number of columns, trusses, anchors, staircases and handrail selections. The bridge angle, gate, gussets and HR ports also influence the amount of time it will take to complete your order.
A team can place approximately 100 square meters of flooring per day, so you can work out a rough idea of how much the project will take based on the footprint of your mezzanine. Please note that you will need to double the time if your mezzanine floor requires a fire rating.
Building Code Adherence
All structural mezzanine flooring must comply with the British Columbia Building Code requirements. The designer will consult with an engineer to verify that your structure meets all building code regulations. Doing so enables us to provide the appropriate documentation that is required for a building permit.
After technicians install the mezzanine floor at your location, an engineer will inspect everything to make sure the structure was installed according to plan. A fire inspector will check any structural mezzanine floor that requires a fire rating.
When you arrange to have someone fit your mezzanine floor, you will need to have the lighting and sprinkler system built in. Contact your lighting or sprinkler system contractor for details about incorporating these features.
Load Bearing Ability
Retail and office space mezzanine floors support a minimum of 100 pounds per square feet, but designers can customize your floor to accommodate additional weight.
You can safely store up to a half-ton pallet on standard mezzanine flooring. However, your designer will need to know what purpose you intend for your mezzanine, to make sure that it will support the required weight load.
Moving a Mezzanine
If you need to move your business to a new location, it’s possible that you can move the mezzanine, assuming it has a design that will work in another building. This is not always possible, though, because each mezzanine is designed specifically to work in a single facility.
Bear in mind that although technicians can easily take apart and relocate a freestanding mezzanine to your new premises, the first building’s applications and permits will no longer be considered valid for the new location, so some adjustments may need to be made.
Questions about Mezzanines? Email Sales, or call 604-946-4838
