Several mezzanine components can play a part in how successful you will be incorporating a mezzanine system into your operational workflow.
Column spacing below the mezzanine should be designed to allow space for your equipment and process since their specifications can vary to meet the operational needs of your facility. Column size, placement, framing system, and slab capacity will help determine the necessary features of the final mezzanine structure.
Wildeck’s industrial mezzanine design includes heavy duty columns and support beams. Heavy-duty 5″ x 5″ x 3/16″ thick columns are a standard minimum (larger sizes available), along with 12″ x 12″ x 3/4″ thick baseplates, providing rigid support while eliminating obstructing bracing.
There are options for warehouse mezzanine floors, as well. How the space is used on the upper level of the mezzanine will determine the type of flooring necessary to safely conduct your movements. Options include: roof deck and moisture-resistant resin board, bar grating, roof deck and floor plate, roof deck and concrete, among others.
To increase safety and achieve the operational efficiency you desire from your system, a wide range of products and accessories are available that can be easily integrated with your mezzanine platform. Wildeck mezzanine platforms, mezzanine guard railings, mezzanine stairways and landings are designed to meet ANSI MH28.3: – Specification for the Design, Manufacture, and Installation of Industrial Steel Work Platforms, as well as applicable building code and OSHA requirements.
Wildeck’s patented modular mezzanine railing system (U.S. Patent No. 6,290,213) is code-compliant and conforms to both OSHA and IBC safety guidelines. Designed to be easily installed, Wildeck mezzanine guard railing systems are among the safest and most aesthetically pleasing systems available.
Additional mezzanine work platform options include: decking, lighting, fire protection, pallet/carton/tote lifts, and, forklift safety gates. Each option is a critical component of an effective mezzanine safety platform that performs to the needs of your operations.
A professionally designed mezzanine, such as a Wildeck®, with the addition of PE-stamping will ensure a structurally sound design. The PE-stamp will assure the complete safety and structural integrity of the mezzanine system. This would include the mezzanine layout, column placement, connections, stairs, gates, and all necessary details. This will provide verification that the mezzanine is safe and manufactured to code. PE-stamped drawings are a required component of the permit approval process.
The permitting process varies according to the city, county and state of installation. It is beneficial to have PE-stamped mezzanine drawings available to facilitate the permit approval process for you, your architect or general contractor.
Mezzanine systems are designed for easy, fast assembly and lower cost than standard building construction. In fact, a mezzanine work platform can be custom designed and installed in a matter of weeks. Wildeck uses a modular design which can be easily dismantled and relocated to accommodate future growth.
Mezzanines also qualify for accelerated 7-year capital equipment depreciation, as opposed to the 39 years normally associated with permanent building improvements. Typically, a designed and installed mezzanine is a fraction of the cost of new construction, and incorporating a mezzanine in an existing facility does not require the acquisition of new land.
There are many considerations to think of when adding a mezzanine. Aligning with the right company can be an important factor for successful implementation as they are more familiar with the safety regulations, codes, and industry standards required to execute a successful and safe mezzanine system. Working with an experienced supplier who has a design team with resources and a proven track record will make all the difference in your project’s execution.
Quality mezzanine platforms meet stringent industry standards and specified national, state, and local codes and are specifically designed to meet your size, load and span requirements. Our expertise and extensive manufacturing capability ensures that you receive more value today and for years to come.
An experienced Wildeck dealer will review your mezzanine needs and specify the product, or combination of products, that will best achieve your desired results.
Wildeck products are manufactured in the USA and incorporate the highest standards of structural, mechanical, and electrical design for material handling and facility safety applications. Our team of employee-owners have the knowledge and industry experience to ensure that your projects run smoothly from concept to completion. With quality products tailored to your individual requirements, you’ll receive a level of strength, durability, service, and support you won’t find anywhere else.
Effectively, a mezzanine is a partial floor – or a glorified balcony. As well as being a trendy addition, for many people a mezzanine is a great way to create an extension to the living space or add an extra room. Mezzanines can be quirky and unusual, as they often fit under the roof or eaves, and they act as a gallery over the floor below.
Before you decide to open up your home upstairs, however, there are several things that are important to consider.
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1. Planning your mezzanine
Adding a mezzanine does not affect the outside of a building, so planning permission is often not required. However, anything that changes the slope of a roof or adds a dormer will usually need planning approval, so it is always best to check with your local authority early on before any building or preparatory work starts. A quick call to a duty officer should enable you to understand if you’ll require planning permission for your project. Visit Planning Portal for more information, or check your local planning authority’s website, as rules vary depending on location and the type of property you live in; for example, if your home is listed.
Tina Bauman and Richard Hobson added a modern, industrial mezzanine into their Oxford townhouse. Before their renovation, the building had been made up of a series of bedsits and flats, so the resulting structural work created enough space to add a mezzanine.
The couple didn’t try to hide the industrial aesthetic of their addition. The supporting steels are visible and there is a clear distinction between the modern, glazed extension and the original Victorian structure.
‘The new part of the house is new, and we’re not going to pretend its not – It’s unashamedly modern.’ explains Richard.
2. Structural changes
Building work can be quite hefty, as a mezzanine will add additional weight to the supporting walls of your house, and will need its own supporting structure. Such an element can sometimes mean modifying the existing roof and ceiling, so it’s important that you consult an engineer to design the new mezzanine and provide calculations and information for building regulations to ensure work falls within legal requirements.
3. Building regulations
Building regulations approval will always be needed for a new mezzanine. The main issue that will affect the design is fire risk. Adding a mezzanine level may youmake r home a three-storey house, which will mean that your stairwell needs fire doors to all the rooms. So, normally, it is best to design your mezzanine so that your stairwell doesn’t need upgrading. Plus, your addition should typically be less than 50 per cent of the size of the space that it sits over, such as your downstairs living room. The edge of the mezzanine will also require guarding – a balustrade – to prevent falling from the edge, but in many cases this can be designed as a bookcase or storage wall, so it adds to the overall design and function.
4. Party Wall agreement
If you live in a semi-detached or terraced house and your new structure is attached to a wall that divides you and your neighbour, you will need a Party Wall agreement before work takes place.
The mezzanine living room and its glass balustrade, paired with the massive Visoglide windows, create a connection to the outdoors that the old Victorian house lacked. The mezzanine has created a multi-level open-plan living area in a house with a small footprint. Technically the home is still on three floors, but the link between the basement kitchen-diner and the mezzanine living area gives the impression of one huge room.
‘We could have made the extension bigger and built right across the patio, but that would have made the kitchen darker and we wouldn’t have has these big glass doors and the sense of openess onto the garden.’ says Tania
5. Think creatively
All of this may sound like an enormous amount of red tape, but it’s essential that you comply. Plus, importantly, some of the best design comes out of the greatest constraints and in the smallest spaces. Mezzanines are also great for home offices, where masses of head height may not be necessary, and can work well over bathrooms, if well planned, as they don’t typically need generous heights.
For The House That £100k Built, the team and I designed five bedroom platforms in a three-bedroom house for a large family, and we’ve smuggled them into all sorts of strange places. My favourite mezzanines include bed pods and sleeping platforms, often with reduced head height and restricted access. They are fun and children love them, particularly if the staircase feels secret.
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