Cantilever racking – what it is, how it works and how it could give you more storage with better access

Cantilever racking is a simple yet powerful way to increase storage space and improve accessibility for long objects. The term ‘cantilever’ means a form of protruding beam which is only anchored to a support wall or frame at one end. The entire load is supported at this sole anchor point with no columns or other forms of support anywhere else. Just as a cantilevered floor protrudes out with no underside support, cantilever racking provides rows of anchored support arms which stored objects can be rested upon. How can cantilever racking be used? Cantilever racking is ideally suited for long loads, such as lengthy pieces of timber, plastic extrusions or metal tubes. Each cantilever arm of the rack is spaced apart to suit the load, so longer objects can be rested on fewer cantilevers, whilst smaller objects may need the cantilevers spaced closer together so the object doesn’t fall in-between them. Particularly heavy objects will also need extra support arms to handle the load, whilst objects which are less stiff may need more supports to stop them from sagging or bending.