Metro Wire Shelving

Metro Shelving: What You Need to Know

KaTom carries a wide variety of Metro wire shelving options to help you organize your kitchen, hospital, or other professional setting exactly the way you need. These highly customizable shelves enable operators to add or remove shelves, set shelving height, and choose a shelving coating. Metro wire racks come in different models and styles, including chrome- and epoxy-coated options.

Wire shelving is beneficial to foodservice establishments because the wire spacing enables air circulation around stored food products, slowing bacterial growth and keeping food fresh longer. Whether your storage area is dry or moist, Metro has a storage rack that fits. We'll go over KaTom's selection of Metro shelving products below and answer a few common questions.

Common Questions About Metro Wire Shelving

Why are Metro racks good for food storage?

Metro wire racks provide space for air to flow through the shelves, meaning even the bottom of stored food is exposed to freshening air currents. Moving air inhibits the growth of mold, bacteria, and other fungi to help keep your products dry. In any foodservice establishment, preventing spoilage leads directly to saving money on replacements and increasing the quality of food served. For the healthcare industry, preventing mold or bacterial growth is vital to ensuring patient safety. Metro wire shelving is also lighter in weight than solid shelving, making it easy to install and move without sacrificing strength. Metro's Super Erecta® shelves can hold 800 pounds per shelf and as much as 2,000 pounds total per shelving unit. These ratings are only certified for evenly distributed weight, so try to balance your stored goods across the shelving for maximum capacity.

What is a wire shelf kit?

Metro racks require assembly upon receipt. Metro wire shelving kits include everything needed to put your new shelving together, including shelves, four posts, and any additional connectors necessary. This arrangement enables operators to assemble the Metro wire shelving in the most beneficial formation for their individual operation. For example, you might want a particularly tall bottom shelf to store larger items and boxes, and shorter top shelves to hold smaller items. Metro shelving kits can be adjusted in 1-inch increments.

Should I use epoxy-coated or metal shelves?

The rule of thumb for wire shelving is to get epoxy- or plastic-coated shelving for wet environments and chrome- or metal-coated shelving for dry and hot environments. While metal finishes stand up better to heat, epoxy finishes are more resistant to corrosion. In a dry environment, corrosion isn't much of a concern, so epoxy-coated shelving isn't necessary; however, in an environment such as a walk-in cooler where moisture builds up over time, we recommend epoxy-coated shelves. Similarly, in a hot environment, the epoxy could degrade over time while metal would be relatively unaffected.

Do these shelves have antimicrobial properties?

Some of Metro's shelves feature Microban® technology incorporated into the coating of the shelves. Microban is an antimicrobial that inhibits the growth of microorganisms on the surface of the shelving, leading to less bacteria, mold, and other fungi for the life of the product. Metro intends the Microban-coated shelving to stay cleaner with less work, but the shelves still need maintenance since Microban doesn't completely stop microbial growth. This protection is especially useful for shelving used in a wet environment. Consult the product details to find shelves that include Microban technology.

Can I get solid shelves or additional shelving?

KaTom carries a selection of additional, replacement, and solid shelves for use with Metro's shelf models. Additional shelves are installed just like the originals and can increase total storage space, though users should be careful not to exceed the overall weight-bearing capacity of the shelving unit. Solid shelves can be handy if you're storing small items that might fall in between the gaps of open wire shelving. Calculate the weight of the solid shelving and stored items against the total capacity of the unit before installing, since exceeding the unit's rated weight could not only damage your shelving but also could present a danger to anyone using or near the shelves.