Warehouse Shelving Guide
If you're planning a warehouse fit out or rethinking a layout that's stopped working, this warehouse shelving guide is where the process begins. Think of it as the complete guide...
How to Choose the Right Archive Shelving for Your Business
Archive shelving units are for anyone who needs to store, protect and retrieve business documents efficiently: office managers, compliance officers, accounts teams, HR departments, legal practices, medical clinics and public sector bodies. If you're responsible for keeping records safe and findable, these products are for you. Before you buy, think about the space you have to work with. Measure the floor area and ceiling height, then consider whether you need single-sided runs against a wall or double-sided freestanding bays to make the most of a dedicated archive room. Access matters too: how often will staff need to pull files? Keep daily-access records at arm height on open shelving, and store less frequently needed documents on higher or lower levels. Safety is another key consideration. Heavy boxes of paper put real strain on shelves, so always check the uniformly distributed load (UDL) rating per shelf before you commit. Overloaded shelving is a genuine workplace hazard, and the Health and Safety Authority expects employers to manage these risks properly.
Why RackZone?
We're 100% Irish owned and we operate from our warehouse in Ballinasloe, County Galway. We're rated Excellent on Trustpilot, we stock everything locally for faster service and we deliver next day nationwide on orders placed before 3pm. Our trained team is always on hand to help you find the right solution.
Industrial Shelving
View allThe backbone
Our industrial shelving is the backbone of most archive storage solutions. These steel rivet shelving units are freestanding, boltless and quick to assemble: most bays go up in 10 to 15 minutes with nothing more than a mallet. That makes them ideal for fitting out a dedicated archive room or converting a spare office into a document store without disrupting the rest of your operations.
Best for: archive rooms, back offices, stockrooms, file stores and compliance record areas.
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RackZone
Shelving 2000h x 1800w x 800d Orange/Blue400kg 4 Levels
Regular price €290.00Unit price /UNAVAILABLEIn stock (21 units) -
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RackZone
Shelving 2000h x 1500w x 800d Orange/Blue 400kg 4 Levels
Regular price €275.00Unit price /UNAVAILABLEIn stock (24 units) -
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RackZone
Shelving 2000h x 1800w x 600d Orange/Blue 400kg 4 Levels
Regular price €240.00Unit price /UNAVAILABLEIn stock (106 units) -
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RackZone
Shelving 2000h x 1500w x 600d Orange/Blue 400kg 4 Levels
Regular price €220.00Unit price /UNAVAILABLEIn stock (66 units) -
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RackZone
Shelving 2000h x 1800w x 450d Orange/Blue 400kg 4 Levels
Regular price €200.00Unit price /UNAVAILABLEIn stock (61 units) -
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RackZone
Shelving 2000h x 1500w x 450d Orange/Blue 400kg 4 Levels
Regular price €180.00Unit price /UNAVAILABLEIn stock (39 units) -
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19% off
RackZone
5 Bay Special Concealed Rivet Industrial Shelving 1830x914x457 250kg per shelf
Sale price €595.00 Regular price €738.00Unit price /UNAVAILABLEIn stock (61 units) -
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32% off
RackZone
Rivet Shelving 2130h x 1220w x 457d 6 Level Angled 250kg UDL Laminated Timber 5 Bay
Sale price €625.00 Regular price €922.50Unit price /UNAVAILABLEIn stock (39 units) -
Top tip:
Place lockable cabinets at the end of a shelving run so staff can get to day-to-day files quickly on the open shelves and secure sensitive documents just a few steps away.
Cabinets
View allLock it up
What if your archive business documents include sensitive records, confidential personnel files or anything subject to GDPR requirements? Open shelving alone won't do the job. Our steel storage cabinets give you lockable, enclosed storage that keeps documents secure, dust-free and protected from accidental damage.
Best for: HR files, financial records, legal documents, medical records, GDPR-sensitive data and any paperwork that requires restricted access.
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RackZone
Two Door Lockable Storage Cabinet - White 1800(h) x 800(w) x 400(d)
Regular price €295.00Unit price /UNAVAILABLEIn stock (59 units) -
RackZone
Two Door Storage Cabinet Grey/Blue
Regular price €395.00Unit price /UNAVAILABLEIn stock (2 units) -
SOLD OUT
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RackZone
Two Door Storage Cabinet 1830H x 914W x 457D
Regular price €280.00Unit price /UNAVAILABLEIn stock (44 units) -
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RackZone
Industrial Six Drawer Cabinet 800H x 710W x 700D
Regular price €395.00Unit price /UNAVAILABLEIn stock (54 units) -
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RackZone
Two Door Storage Cabinet 1000H x 1023W x 550D
Regular price €225.00Unit price /UNAVAILABLEIn stock (21 units) -
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RackZone
Wall-Zone & Louvred Two Door Storage Cabinet Grey/Blue 1830H x 914W x 457D
Regular price €350.00Unit price /UNAVAILABLEIn stock (35 units) -
Your Complete Guide to Choosing the Right Shelving
Setting up archive storage for the first time? Or rethinking an existing setup? Our Shelving and Racking Buying Guide is a good starting point. It covers the main types of shelving and racking available in Ireland, walks you through the key factors to consider (load capacity, materials, environment and future growth) and helps you match the right system to your needs. Whether you're archiving a few years of accounts or building a long-term document retention facility, this guide gives you the knowledge to make a confident decision.
Read the Shelving and Racking Buying Guide
Need help planning your archive storage? Our team can advise on the right shelving configuration, load ratings and layout for your space. Get in touch today.
From the RackZone blog
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Warehouse Shelving Guide Read More -
Storage Room Planning: Walkways, Access and Efficient Layouts Read MoreStorage Room Planning: Walkways, Access and Efficient Layouts
Most storage spaces aren't designed. They accumulate. A shelf goes here, a pallet there and within weeks you can't reach half your stock without shifting everything else first. That's not...
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Modular Shelving Explained: Extension Bays, Add-Ons & Expansion Read MoreModular Shelving Explained: Extension Bays, Add-Ons & Expansion
Storage has a way of outgrowing itself. You set a system up, it works well and then one day the shelves are full, the floor's getting used and there's a...
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As Seen on RTÉ: The Modular Workstation That Transformed Andrew Porter's Home Read MoreAs Seen on RTÉ: The Modular Workstation That Transformed Andrew Porter's Home
You don't normally expect to see a storage system on prime-time television. But on Sunday 26 April, that changed. Andrew Porter, Ireland and Leinster prop, chose our Modular Workstation System...
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Warehouse Racking Layouts: 5 Proven Configurations Read MoreWarehouse Racking Layouts: 5 Proven Configurations
Whether you're looking for warehouse shelving ideas for a compact unit or planning a full pallet racking design and layout for a large distribution centre, warehouse shelving layouts shape everything:...
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Steel vs Galvanised Shelving: What Works Best For Heavy Use? Read MoreSteel vs Galvanised Shelving: What Works Best For Heavy Use?
Pick the wrong material and you'll know about it. A shelving unit rusting from the inside out, a finish that buckles under weekly cleaning: these are expensive, avoidable mistakes. This...
Frequently Asked Questions
Still unsure?We've got you covered.
From ordering and shipping to products and pricing. We've got you covered with everything you need to know about RackZone.
What is archive storage?
What is archive storage?
Archive storage is the practice of organising and preserving business documents, records and files that you need to retain but don't access daily. It typically involves dedicated shelving or cabinets designed to protect paper records from damage, dust and deterioration, keeping them retrievable when you need them for compliance, auditing or reference.
What type of storage is best for archiving?
What type of storage is best for archiving?
The best storage for archiving is steel industrial shelving with a UDL rating that comfortably supports heavy paper loads. Boltless rivet shelving with adjustable shelf heights is ideal because it lets you configure levels to fit standard archive boxes. For sensitive documents, lockable steel cabinets are the recommended addition to open shelving.
How much weight can archive shelving units hold?
How much weight can archive shelving units hold?
Archive shelving units from RackZone are rated at 250 to 300 kg UDL per shelf, depending on the model. That's more than enough for standard archive boxes filled with paper documents. Always check the stated UDL rating and spread weight evenly across the shelf to keep things safe and stable.
Do I need planning permission to set up an archive room in Ireland?
Do I need planning permission to set up an archive room in Ireland?
Installing archive storage shelves inside an existing commercial building is generally an internal layout change, so planning permission is not typically required. However, you should check that the room meets fire safety regulations and that the floor can support the combined weight of shelving and documents.
How should I organise archive business documents on shelving?
How should I organise archive business documents on shelving?
Organising archive business documents is most effective when you use a consistent labelling and indexing system across all shelves. Group records by type, department or year and place the most frequently accessed files at mid-height for easy retrieval. Use shelf dividers or colour-coded archive boxes to speed things up.
