Shelving offers a simple and effective way to organize nearly any workspace. Whether it’s a garage, warehouse, storage shed or commercial shop, you can use shelving to keep it organized. There are different types of shelving, however, including solid and vented. While they both feature multiple surfaces on which to store and organize items, they aren’t the same.
What Is Solid Shelving?
Solid shelving is exactly what it sounds like: storage units with flat and solid surfaces. You’ll often find them in homes, offices and retail stores. It features a clean and polished appearance that many owners prefer.
What Is Vented Shelving?
Vented shelving is characterized by an open design. Also known as wire shelving, it features multiple surfaces for storage — just like solid shelving. Vented shelving, though, has an open-grid design to improve airflow and visibility.
Differences Between Solid and Vented Shelving
Solid and vented shelving are used for the same purpose of storing and organizing items. They are also available in many of the same materials, such as aluminum, steel and plastic. But there are still several key differences between solid and vented shelving.
Vented shelving offers better airflow than solid shelving. Air will flow through the shelves to reach the stored items. Why does this matter? With little or no airflow, moisture may accumulate on the items, which can lead to damage if left unchecked.
Vented shelving is lightweight. With its open and perforated construction, it typically weighs less than solid shelving. As a result, vented shelving is easier to move. You can lift and move it to a new location.
Solid shelving, on the other hand, typically has a higher load capacity. It features a solid construction that allows it to hold more weight than vented shelving. If you’re looking for a new shelving unit to store heavy items, there’s no better choice than solid shelving for this reason.
Another benefit of solid shelving is that it’s easy to clean. You can spray it with an all-purpose cleaning solution, followed by wiping down the individual shelves with a paper towel or cloth. Vented shelving is more difficult to clean due to its open construction. Cleaning liquid may drip down and through the shelves.
In Conclusion
Shelving can be classified as solid or vented depending on its construction. Solid shelving features a solid construction, whereas vented shelving features an open construction. There are advantages to both types of shelving. Therefore, you should weigh the pros and cons of each before making a decision.