It’s a busy life, and whether you are in business or running a home there’s always a huge amount to think about.

Often, storage is the last thing on our minds – and yet the consequences of inadequate storage have a real impact on our lives. Stock that should be carefully kept on racks and shelves lies around on the floor getting damaged; staff can’t find it, so customers can’t buy it – and it does no good to your brand and reputation to have a messy store or warehouse.

At home, too, if there is nowhere to put anything, everything lies around in a heap. Toys, for instance, clutter the floor and can cause a real hazard when a simple set of shelves with storage boxes could restore order and tranquillity in the home!

We know that storage is sometimes forgotten, so we make our website easy to browse. That way, you can see and order exactly what you need rapidly and easily – and you may be surprised at how little our shelving and racking ranges will cost you.

We deliver swiftly and efficiently, because once you have decided to reorganised your storage, we know you want to get on with it.

And we know you will be pleased with the results, whether you have bought racks and shelves for home or for your business. No clutter, everything available to hand when you need it and no stock loss – it’s a far better way to enjoy your home or working environment.

When all you have is a very small space with a lot in it already, the idea of putting anything else in there seems crazy. The last thing anyone wants to do is make a tiny room more cramped and cluttered with a bulky storage unit or a huge wardrobe but if you choose your racking correctly you might actually make the room feel more spacious.

Take a good look at the space and a good look at what’s in it. Often a small room feels full to bursting when too much of the floor space is taken up with boxes and bags and other bits and pieces, but the pile may only be two feet high. By taking that pile and arranging it in a storage cabinet the full height of the room, you can reduce the surface area it takes up and dramatically increase the available floor space.

These days it’s easy to buy racking in any configuration or size, tailored to fit the oddest shaped space. You can often choose the required length and height, and this will really help you get the best from the wall space in a small room, an attic, or the little hideaway under the stairs.

Proper racks can not only make the tiniest of rooms seem less cramped, it can also make all your bits and pieces easier to find and simpler to put away in their rightful places. If any of the rooms in your home seem too small, consider a new storage solution as a way to make it seem bigger.

Storing wine properly will make sure it tastes as good as possible when you do want to open the bottle. The right racking and storage methods make all the difference, especially if you want to lay down a high quality bottle or two to mature for a special occasion. There is no reason you can’t buy a good but young wine at a nice cheap price then let it age for a few years in your own cellar.

In fact, you don’t really need a cellar. Not everyone has a one and not everyone has a huge amount of time and money to devote to building a fine collection, but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep your own wines. A garage will do just as well as long as the temperature stays more or less constant. The storage room should feel a little chilly but not freezing cold.

Bottles should be placed on their sides. This keeps the corks from drying out and shrinking, which can let air into the bottle and spoil it. If you place each one with the label side up you’ll be able to tell if sediments are forming just by looking at the bottle. You don’t need special racking – cardboard boxes full of horizontally stacked bottles will do just fine.

In fact, boxes are sometimes helpful. Ideally a wine space should be dark, and if you want to use the cellar or garage for other things it’s a good idea to ensure the wine is kept away from the light.

As the old carpenter’s saying goes, you should always measure twice because you can only cut once. When a plank is sawn there is no going back so to avoid waste it’s important to always make exactly sure you’re going to make the cut in exactly the right place. Even the most experienced carpenters and cabinet makers measure everything twice and mark the sawing lines in pencil and so should you – if you make your own shelving that is.

These days most people don’t. It’s quicker and much more convenient to order it ready made or flat packed. The finished racking is much better looking and stronger than anything most of us could hope to build and few people have the workshop space or the time required to make furniture. Aside from professional and hobby carpenters most of us aren’t all that great with a saw.

There is still value in the old saying though. Measure twice, cut once has become measure twice, order once. If anything the second version is even more vital. Saw a plank in the wrong placed and you’ve wasted a plank. Order the wrong sized shelving and you’re really stuck- sometimes literally, halfway up the stairs.

Always measure the space available for new racking or furniture carefully. Take note of all three dimensions (including height) and if you’re ordering ready made rather than flat packed consider how you’re going to get it into the room. That’s often the hardest part, especially if you want to put your new purchase upstairs.

Storage is an essential part of any business which relies on a regular supply of stock in order to satisfy customers, and you should base your choice of storage rack on the specific materials to be stored.

For example, if you store timber planks or metal sheeting, a cantilever storage rack would probably be your ideal choice. A storage system specifically designed for clothing is also available from a selection of online retailers. If you run a clothing business, it is vitally important that clothes are stored in a manner which protects them from damage and discolouration.  Proper storage and warehousing facilities are pre-requisites of successful distribution and rapid deliveries, so it is important to invest in a system which is flexible and can be added to or rearranged in order to cope with changing business demands.

New business operators sometimes do not realize the importance of storage and warehousing until it is too late but a good warehouse system and great stock keeping practices are the bedrock of all successful retail outlets. If your line of business dictates that you need to store items which are outsized and heavy, then you should carefully size all racking before purchase and ensure the maximum weight capacity of shelves.  There are a select few reputable retailers who trade online and offer good deals on quality shelving and racking systems so shop around for a good deal.  Most firms are happy to advise you on the best options available for your particular requirements.

As the conveniences of the modern world becomes more and more profound, our hunger for space seems to similarly increase. In smaller homes, this can put real pressure on a living space, to the extent that it can undermine both the aesthetics and functionality of the home.

Luckily, one of the features of the modern world is that where problems arise solutions are sure to follow. In regards to spatial management this is definitely the case, and nowadays there are lots of ways to increase the spatial potential of your home, and usurp the space lost to incorrectly stored goods.

When you choose furniture for you home, and you are concerned that space in the home is constrained, you may consider choosing items that have spatial management built in. For example, if you are choosing a dining room table, but are concerned about the loss of space, then you might consider a table that can be folded and stored easily, which will essentially give you the best of both worlds.

Often the best storage solutions to problems are the most simple. Storage racks, although relatively basic, can in fact revolutionize the space in your home and increase the quality of a space by freeing it from incorrect storage of goods.

Whilst you might think that storage racks will only work effectively in certain rooms of the home, such as home offices or utility rooms, they can be equally at home in livable spaces, such as living rooms or bedrooms. This is because modern living spaces strive to contend with items such as DVDS, CDS or computer games, all of which can be effectively stored using a rack or shelf.

The modern home needs to be able to perform on a variety of levels, for example, it needs to be a space that is both functional and well designed. Also, your home will need to cater for the needs of all its inhabitants, which can often be contrasting, particularly if you have children.

Luckily, there are lots of racking solutions for all sorts of applications, which means that even if you have a particular storage requirement by incorporating storage racks into the home you can greatly improve the quality of the space, and solve the problem of incorrectly stored goods.

Certain rooms have their particular demands in regards to space. For instance, whilst a living room area should be optimized to be lived in, it can still be home to a variety of “stuff.” Commonly, people store their DVD collections in their living rooms (which makes sense considering that it is home to the TV).

The obvious problem with doing this is that incorrectly stored DVDs can make a living space seem messy, and undermine the quality of the space. This issue is easily solved, however, with racking specifically designed to house DVDS and CDs.

Whilst DVDs are a common source of spatial issues, your own storage needs may be a little more idiosyncratic. For example, you enjoy a particular hobby or work from home. In either case your living space can be undermined by the build up of goods, and therefore racking is often the only way to regain the space in your home.

Storage racks can be constructed of a variety of materials, including steel and chipboard, melamine painted steel and galvanised steel.

Furthermore, they can be tubular or traditional and finished in chrome or a variety of colours.

Wide-span racking is particularly suitable for items which are wider than average and if you plan to store heavy items, ensure that you purchase tough industrial strength racking.

Melamine powder coated painted storage racks are easy to assemble and clean and the coating offers protection against scratches and chips which can cause rust to set in. Tubular racking is extremely strong and can often bear loads of up to 200 KGs. Furthermore, tubular systems are versatile as they are often modular, meaning that they can be easily extended in order to create more space if necessary.

Garment racking allows t-shirts, jackets, suits and all manner of clothing to be stored safely and securely and should be considered for any retail storeroom, as garments can easily be damaged in storage and therefore become worthless.

Cantilever racking and pallet racking are best suited for timber yards and businesses which require extensive use of pallets, such as supermarkets or export businesses.  For any business which requires extensive warehousing, storage racks are essential, and nowadays there are many innovative solutions to resolve problems such as unusual or restricted storage areas.

Furthermore, mobile racking is an excellent idea for businesses which have to ensure that delivery trucks are quickly loaded with the correct products and are set rolling toward satisfied customers all over the country. Many companies offer discounts on bulk orders, so if your company has several outlets nationwide, it is still possible to find a reasonable deal on quality storage systems.

Choosing the correct shelving and racking for your business can be very important in terms of maximising storage areas and ensuring that products are easily accessible and securely stored.

You should first consider the type of products which are to be stored in terms of weight, size and any special considerations such as dangerous, fragile or hazardous materials.

Many reputable websites will offer shelving in a range of materials which is suitable for a variety of products.

Budget metal shelving can be perfectly appropriate for storing a range of items but it is important to ensure that it is sturdy enough to bear the weight of materials which are to be placed on it.

Heavyweight industrial shelving may be the best choice for heavy duty items and can be constructed of a variety of tough and durable materials such as galvanised steel.

Racking allows for the storage of a larger volume of materials so therefore is more suitable for organisations which have extensive warehouse areas.

Specialist pallet racking is also available which is capable of storing entire pallets of products or equipment.

Furthermore, businesses which require the storage of outsize materials such as lengths of timber of metal should consider cantilever racking systems, which are specifically designed for this purpose.

Many firms offer complete shelving or racking solutions which can maximise even the most restricted storage areas. Some mobile shelving systems can offer various levels of storage, which considerably increase storage capacity.

Finally, it is always important to balance quality with affordability as cheap low quality solutions are not always the best option as they can prove to be false economy. It can often be better to pay slightly more for durable shelving or racking which will have a long lifespan.

Hobbies are fantastic. They’re something that can be enjoyed at any time and often serve as a great way to escape from what some would consider as the ‘real world’ of work and bills. In fact some of the things that people do as a normal form of relaxation can become far more than that in the hands of a passionate collector or hobbyist.

Consider the act of watching television for example. Most of us watch a little television in the evening or at weekends. However some people make a home cinema their absolute passion with an ever larger screen or even a projector system. Add to that the latest in sound systems and the home cinema soon needs its own room.

This will contain all the electronic equipment but also a large collection of Blu-ray discs in order to enjoy the highest possible definition. In fact some people become obsessed with particular shows so they may end up with, for example, a Dr Who room containing books, magazines, DVDs, CDs and maybe even action figures.

Whatever the collection or hobby, storage racks and shelving are essential. In fact there is nothing the true anorak likes better than deciding how to arrange their collection. Should it be alphabetical, chronological or by some other criteria?

Even the business of planning your storage can be fun. This is where we at BiGDUG come in with an unrivalled selection of storage racks and shelving. In fact we have the perfect storage solution for you whatever your needs.