The shopkeeper or warehouse manager has decided to purchase a boltless shelving system and must now establish the area available to use. In doing so they should also be aware of Health and Safety regulations. For example, the system must not block a fire exit or fire point, making access to a fire extinguisher or fire alarm difficult. The system should not impede the staff from reaching a first-aid box either.

When all these requirements have been met, the retailer will place his or her order. Upon arrival, their first job should be to check that all the components have been included. It is unlikely that a mistake has been made, but there is nothing more annoying than having almost reached the end of the job, the final component needed has not been packed. Full assembly instructions for the storage unit will be supplied.

Unpack the system and begin by placing a post flat on the ground so that the post connector slots are inside. Typically, post connectors will be adjustable every 12 inches or so. Now place the post connectors at the required location. They will usually be evenly spaced and there must always be one at the top and one at the bottom of the post.

Start at the bottom and tap in one side of the post connector and lock it straight away. Tap in the other side and lock. As you work your way up the post it may need to be spread slightly. To ensure the post connector has been securely locked use a screwdriver or a monkey wrench. Your shelving unit is now in place and can start to help de-clutter your working area.

If you have decided to build your own wooden shelving system for the garage and decided where to locate it, your next task is to make sure you have all the necessary tools for the job before you start. Tape measure, hammer and nails, a spirit level, clamps, sand-paper, set square, a mitre saw and enough wood. You may wish to consider wood preservative and stain or varnish as well, but these can be looked at afterwards.

Begin by building the shelving system frame, cut two vertical posts to the required size. Now cut eight pieces that are a third of the length of the vertical posts. Next cut eight pieces, two thirds of the length of the vertical posts. Find the studs on the garage wall. Affix four of the two-thirds length pieces to these studs and space the, cut pieces out so that they are approximately 18 inches apart, not forgetting to use the spirit level to make sure they are horizontal.

Now construct two half ladders, one ladder should comprise of the vertical post and fix four pieces of timber that are a third of the vertical post’s length. These are the frames that go on either side. Then affix the half ladders to either side of the four pieces you previously attached to the wall. Clamp them then nail them together. Fix together the remaining four pieces of two-thirds length wood. Finally, cut shelves and nail them to each shelving frame. When finished, coat the shelving system with wood preservative.

A German company, over 50 years ago, invented the steel racking systems, also known as the boltless shelving system.  They decided to use slotted steel sections for warehouse technology.  In doing so, this company set new standards in flexibility, importantly when responding to their customers’ needs. Whether it is a multi-national organisation with massive warehouses or a corner shop grocer with a small stock room, boltless shelving is an ideal answer to their problems.

Although the patent remains with this particular company, other organisations were quick to recognise the potential of this system and have developed their own versions, still basing the idea on the concept of simplicity, strength and speed of assembly. They have also realised that tailor making a boltless shelving system for individual retailers helps not only their profit margin but their reputation as well.

The German inventors of the boltless shelving system are still developing the product in Germany.  Due to their years of experience in warehouse logistics technology and the interaction with their various customers, they are still refining and developing their manufacture of the system. The boltless shelving system has a modular design; this means that the warehouse’s changing demands can be catered for with ease.

The available space in a warehouse or stock room is utilised to the maximum using this system. A simple one storey or a multi-level racking system can be used. If unusually long depths or widths are required, the same system can still be used, so using a different system is not necessary.

A stock controller’s worst nightmare is a disorganised stock-room. An efficient stock clerk will carry out a stock check at least once a week. A newly employed stock controller should always carry out a full stock check on his first day. The last thing he needs is old, out of date items that have been pushed to the back whenever a new delivery has arrived and been stored away. Plastic storage boxes might be the solution, but not easy to check everything that is in them.

Free-standing shelving systems would seem to be the perfect answer. With castors to make them easy to move around, the stock controller will be able to see what is in stock and how much or how many.

Ideally, this shelving system will be quick and easy to construct with the option of having all of its shelves adjustable. Depending on the type of products needing to be stored, this type of system may have a load bearing capacity of up to 500kg. The buyer is advised to check with the retailer’s sales office regarding this matter, the system does need to comply with Health and Safety regulations

The supplier of the shelving systems should also offer to retail accessories to their systems such as; shelf dividers, modular boxes and bins for small parts. A typical feature of this type of shelving system is the lightweight but sturdy shelf. The reason this kind of shelf is so light but strong is that it is made from cold rolled and formed steel.

With the advent of the internet, working from home has become increasing popular. This, as with anything else, carries its own particular problems. One such difficulty is which part of the home should be dedicated to use as a home office.

The nature of ones business will dictate the type of working space needed. The spare bedroom or converted loft is always a good idea, but the businessman or woman needs to consider how to make the most of the available space by utilising, for example, wall-mounted shelf storage. A desk-top computer should be placed before a window to make the most of natural light and reduce the problem of eyestrain. There are many purpose-built computer desks available.

Typically they are compact, which means they will not take up too much floor space. The computer user should also invest in a well designed chair to support the back, and the user is advised to take a break from working at least once an hour. A shelving system for the storage of documents, files and papers is essential to make sure the entrepreneur keeps his banking and work contracts easy to find, as he will need them for National Insurance and Income Tax return purposes.

An artist or illustrator has different priorities. They will need space to store a portfolio of their work, and drawers rather than shelves are preferred in order to protect their work from, dust, moisture and light. There are storage units available that will hold drawers large enough to hold sizes of paper up to A1.

With the rising domestic fuel costs, it is always a good idea to invest in any way of conserving energy in the home. One such method is to build a porch to cut down the loss of heat when the front door is opened. Porches are also a useful way to provide extra space.

Some of the benefits of having a porch include the fact that in bad weather muddy shoes and boots can be removed and left there to avoid tracking mud onto the lounge or hallway carpet, and a well-designed porch will add to the market value of the house. Installing shelves in the porch will give extra storage space for odds and ends, such as shoes, gardening items, spare light bulbs and a tool box, for example. As well as shelves, the householder might benefit from using a shoe rack. In wet weather, the porch is also an ideal place for coat hooks and an umbrella stand.

A porch should be design to blend in with the house’s appearance. For instance, its roof must be the same as the existing house’s roof. If a sloping roof is to be used, it should have the same angle of pitch as that of the house. The materials used to build a porch have to match those of the house.

The internet is a source of a wide range of porch designs, as well as storage solutions for these areas, such as shelving units and storage racking.  You can examine different styles until you find one that interests you. This done, you can contact a reputable building company for a quote.