Storage · Tool
Will the shelf take the load?
Length, load, casters, and room in — a pass/fail against Metro's published ratings and the right finish for the environment out.
The rating check
Ratings from Metro's published Super Erecta specifications. A #10-can case runs about 50 lb — six cases on one shelf is already 300. The room's finish rule matters more than most people think: chrome in a walk-in is a rust timeline, not a shelf.
Email me these numbers
Asked every week.
How much weight can wire shelving hold?
Metro's published Super Erecta ratings: 800 pounds per shelf evenly distributed for shelves 18 to 48 inches long, 600 pounds for 54 inches and up — capped at 2,000 pounds per stationary unit and 1,000 pounds per mobile unit.
What shelving finish for a walk-in cooler?
Not chrome — condensation corrodes it. Epoxy-coated shelving with antimicrobial protection is the cooler and freezer standard; stainless or polymer handles dish rooms and chemical storage.
Why does putting shelving on casters halve the capacity?
The published unit rating drops from 2,000 to 1,000 pounds on mobile units because casters concentrate the whole load on four small points — and moving loads add dynamic stress the posts must absorb.
A tool gets you close. A person gets it right.
Every number here is a starting point, not a quote. Your Zink specialist runs these questions for a living — and checking your math costs you nothing.