Cantilever racking for timber storage.

The storage challenge with timber

Timber is one of the most demanding materials to store efficiently. Lengths vary from 1.8 m up to 6 m or more, packs are heavy, and the open-sided loading required by side-loader forklifts means standard pallet racking simply cannot cope. Cantilever racking eliminates the front uprights that obstruct long loads, replacing them with horizontal arms that support timber along its full length. Arms can be set at any height and spacing to suit your pack dimensions, and the system can be extended as stock volumes grow.

What types of timber does cantilever racking suit?

Cantilever racking is used across the full range of structural and finished timber products. Builders' merchants store sawn C16 and C24 structural joists, wall plates, rafters, ridge boards and floor joists on double-sided cantilever runs accessible from both aisles. Timber frame manufacturers store engineered I-joists, glulam beams and LVL sections on heavy-duty arms rated to handle their substantial weight per linear metre. Fencing and decking distributors store 1.8 m and 2.4 m treated boards and 1.8 m fence panels on multi-level systems. Sheet wood — OSB, plywood, MDF and hardboard — is stored flat on close-spaced arms that support the full sheet area without bowing.

• Structural sawn timber — C16, C24, joists, rafters
• Engineered timber — I-joists, glulam, LVL beams
• Cladding, decking and fencing boards
• Sheet wood — OSB, plywood, MDF, hardboard
• Hardwood and softwood lengths
• Treated and green timber packs

Specifying cantilever racking for timber

The key specification decisions for a timber cantilever system are arm length, arm capacity and arm pitch. Arm length must exceed the depth of the timber pack by enough to prevent overhang issues; for most sawn timber packs a 600 mm or 750 mm arm is appropriate, while sheet materials need arms of 1,000 mm or more. Arm capacity must exceed the heaviest pack weight placed on a single arm — green timber is significantly heavier than kiln-dried and should be assessed separately. Arm pitch is set to allow the handling equipment to access each level without interference. Rackstor UK carries out a free site survey and provides a fixed-price quotation within 24 hours.