Pallet Rack Installation for Superior Tile Marble in Salt Lake City, UT
Discover how Material Handling USA installed selective pallet rack with wire decking and a security cage at Superior Tile & Marble’s warehouse in Salt Lake City, Utah.
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About Superior Tile & Marble
Superior Tile & Marble is a commercialand residential tile and stone contractor based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The company specializes in the installation of ceramic tile, p or celain, natural stone, marble, and granite for projects ranging from residential remodels to large-scale commercial builds. With a warehouse facility at 134 S. 700 W. in Salt Lake City, Superior Tile & Marble stores the tile, stone, setting materials, grout, adhesives, and specialty installation tools their crews need for active job sites across the Wasatch Front.
The Situation
Tile and stone contract or s manage a unique warehousing challenge. Materials are heavy, fragile, and project-specific — a single commercial job might require pallets of large-format p or celain tile, cases of setting m or tar, buckets of grout, and specialty trim pieces, all staged and ready for delivery to the job site on a tight construction schedule. Mixed with those job-specific materials are ongoing inventory items: standard adhesives, backer board, waterproofing membranes, tools, and residential project stock.
Superior Tile & Marble needed an organized storage system in their Salt Lake City warehouse that could handle heavy palletized materials, keep job-specific inventory separated and accessible, and make efficient use of the building’s available height and floor space. The existing layout relied on floor stacking, which consumed valuable floor space and made it difficult to locate and stage materials quickly for job site deliveries.
The Solution
Material Handling USA designed and installed a selectivepallet rack systemin the Superior Tile & Marble warehouse in Salt Lake City. The system uses standard teardrop-style green uprights with orange beamsand wire decking on every level, configured in a U-shaped layout along three walls of the warehouse bay.
Each section features 96-inch-wide bays with 48-inch-deep framesand three beam levels, standing 12 feet tall. Row spacers connect back-to-back sections where applicable. The layout maximizes storage capacity around the perimeter while keeping the center aisle clear for forklift access, material staging, and through-traffic totheroll-up door.
Layout Drawing
The engineered layout drawing shows the U-shaped pallet rack configuration with sections along three walls, the security cage perimeter with a sliding door, and the elevation view confirming the three-level, 12-foot rack height.
Features
Three-Level Selective Pallet Rack
Three beam levels per section provide organized vertical storage for palletized tile, stone, and setting materials, tripling the usable storage space compared to floor stacking.
Wire Decking
Wire mesh decking on every level creates a solid shelf surface for palletsand loose cases, prevents items from falling through beams, and allows fire sprinkler penetration for code compliance.
U-Shaped Perimeter Layout
Rack sections along three walls maximize storage while keeping the center open for forklift traffic, job staging, and material handling.
Security Cage
A wire partition security cage with a sliding door encloses the storage area, protecting valuable tile and stone inventory from unauthorized accessand theft.
Row Spacers
Six-inch row spacers connect back-to-back upright frames, maintaining proper spacing and adding structural stability to the system.
Standard Teardrop Compatibility
Industry-standard teardrop beam connections allow easy reconfiguration of beam heights as inventory needs change, with no special tools required.
Advantage
For a tile and stone contractor, the primary advantage of selective pallet rack is direct access to every stored pallet. When a crew needs specific materials for a m or ning job site delivery, the warehouse team can pull exactly what’s needed without moving other pallets or restacking inventory. In an industry where project schedules are tight and material delays cause costly construction holdups, this direct access translates to faster job staging and fewer mistakes.
The U-shaped perimeter layout is particularly well-suited to a contractor’s warehouse workflow. The center of the bay remains open for receiving deliveries through the roll-up door, staging outbound loads on the floor, and maneuvering a forklift between rack sections. Materials flow in through the door, ontotherack for organized storage, and back off the rack and out the door when a job site needs them.
Benefits
Job Site Staging Speed
With all materials organized on labeled rack positions, warehouse staff can stage a full job site delivery — tile pallets, m or tar, grout, trim, and tools — in a fraction of the time it took when materials were floor-stacked and scattered. This means crews arrive at the job site on time with everything they need.
Inventory Protection
Tile and natural stone are fragile. Floor stacking leads to chipped edges, c racked tiles, and damaged boxes. Pallet rack with wire decking keeps materials elevated, organized, and protected. The security cage adds a layer of theft prevention for high-value stone and specialty materials.
Space Utilization
Three beam levels at 12 feet tall effectively triple the storage capacity of the warehouse floor area used. This means more inventory in the same building footprint — critical for a contractor who needs to stock materials for multiple active job sites simultaneously.
Material Organization
Separating residentialand commercial project inventory, standard stock items, and job-specific staged materials becomes straight for ward with dedicated rack sections. The photos show a “Residential” sign marking one section — a simple but effective way to keep different material categories organized.
Flexibility
Teardrop beam connections allow beam heights to be adjusted without special tools. As inventory profiles change — larger format tile, different pallet heights, or new product lines — the rack adapts without purchasing new components.
Return on Investment
The return on investment for a tile contractor’s pallet rack system is driven by three factors: labor efficiency, damage reduction, and space savings. Every minute spent searching for materials in a dis or ganized warehouse is a minute not spent on billable installation work. Reducing material damage — even by a small percentage — pays for the rack system over time when dealing with expensive natural stone and specialty p or celain. And maximizing storage in the existing building avoids the cost of leasing additional warehouse space.
The security cage provides additional ROI by preventing material theft and unauthorized access, protecting the contractor’s investment in on-hand inventory.
Installation
Material Handling USA handled the complete project from initial facility assessment through final installation at the Superior Tile & Marble warehouse in Salt Lake City.
Design Process
Our team measured the warehouse bay, assessed floor conditions, identified structural constraints including building columnsand the roll-up door location, and designed the U-shaped rack layout to maximize storage while maintaining safe forklift access throughout. The layout drawing was provided for customer review and approval be for e ordering.
Professional Installation
The installation included assembling and leveling all upright frames, installing beamsand wire decking at three levels, connecting back-to-back rows with row spacers, and anch or ing all components. The security cage wallsand sliding door were installed around the perimeter of the rack area. All packaging materials were removed upon completion.
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of pallet rack is best for a tile contractor?
Selectivepallet rackis ideal for tile and stone contract or s because it provides direct access to every pallet position. This is critical when staging materials for specific job sites, as crews need to pull exact quantities of specific tiles, m or tar, and grout without moving other inventory.
How much weight can pallet rack hold?
Load capacity depends on the specific beam and upright configuration. Standard selective pallet rack typically supports 2,000 to 6,000 pounds per beam pair. Tile and stone pallets are heavy, so the system is engineered to handle the specific load weights for each application.
Do I need wire decking on pallet rack?
Wire decking is strongly recommended. It provides a positive shelf surface that prevents pallets from falling through beams, catches dropped items, meets fire code requirements for sprinkler penetration, and allows storage of loose casesand smaller items alongside full pallets.
What is a security cage for pallet rack?
A security cage is a wire mesh partition system that encloses a pallet rack area with wallsand a lockable door. It prevents unauthorized accessand theft while maintaining visibility and airflow. Security cages are common in shared buildings, multi-tenant warehouses, and facilities storing high-value inventory.
Can pallet rack be reconfigured later?
Yes. Teardrop-style pallet rack uses a clip-in beam connection that allows beam heights to be adjusted without special tools. Sections can also be added, removed, or rearranged as storage needs change.
Does Material Handling USA install pallet rack in Salt Lake City?
Yes. Material Handling USA provides pallet rack design, delivery, and professional installation throughout the Salt Lake City metro area and the entire state of Utah. Request a free pallet rack quote.
Our Process
Assessment
On-site facility measurement and needs analysis
Design
Custom layout engineered for your space and workflow
Delivery
All components shipped and staged at your facility
Installation
Professional assembly, leveling, and anch or ing
Project Results
Need Pallet Rack for Your Warehouse?
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