Wire mesh decking is one of the most widely used safety components in pallet racking systems, and one of the most important to get right. Warehouses around the world specify wire decking every day without fully understanding the differences in load rating, compliance and construction quality that separate a product that delivers certainty from one that doesn’t.
As a wire decking manufacturer for over 40 years in Australia and 10 years in Germany, we have worked directly with rack manufacturers, rack installers and procurement teams to supply high performance wire decking that is correctly specified, independently tested and built to perform. This guide is designed to explain why wire decking is important for the safety and longevity of your pallet racking, how to choose the right solution for your project and why MantaMESH is a trusted and proven supplier of wire mesh decks.
What is wire mesh decking?
Wire mesh decking is a welded steel wire grid panel that sits across rack beams to create a load bearing shelf surface, providing greater safety, compliance and durability compared to particle board or solid steel mesh shelves.
Each wire decking panel has two main components: the wire mesh panel itself, and the pre-welded channel supports underneath that distribute the load across the racking beams. The key characteristic of wire decking is its open area, a requirement under modern fire safety standards like FM Global and NFPA 13. Greater than 70% open area mesh designs allow unobstructed water flow, eliminating the need for in-rack sprinklers and simplifying fire safety compliance across your facility.
The main reasons warehouses use wire decking are for fire suppression compliance, visibility of stock from below, airflow between levels, hygiene (no dust accumulation like solid shelving), and load distribution (especially for poor quality or custom sized pallets) across beams. It also installs without tools – it simply drops onto the rack beams.
Why use wire decking on pallet racking?
A common practice in warehouses is to place a pallet of goods directly across the rack beams; however, this is potentially unstable and prone to product drops or warehouse incidents, like hitting the back rack beam while placing the pallet. Wire decking gives full under-pallet support for safer, faster and cleaner put-away.
Without a wire deck, a pallet’s stability depends entirely on the strength and condition of its own base, with weight resting on just two narrow beam edges rather than being spread across a full supporting surface. Damaged pallets, uneven loads or off-centre placement all increase the risk of a pallet tipping, collapsing or losing stock between levels. In most cases it prevents the use of expensive slave pallets.
Wire decking removes this risk by creating a continuous, supported surface across the full span of the bay. Forklift operators can place pallets with confidence, stock stays secure regardless of pallet condition, and the open mesh design still allows sprinkler water, light and air to pass through unobstructed. The result is a racking system that is safer for your team, more forgiving of everyday warehouse conditions, and compliant with fire safety standards. This also gives forklift drivers more certainty and confidence that the pallet is well supported, which may result in a faster operation.
Types of wire mesh decking
Every pallet rack requires a unique solution to ensure a safer and more efficient warehouse storage system. Selecting the right solution for your warehouse starts with understanding the beam type your racking uses, as this determines how the wire deck needs to seat and lock into place.
Box beam
The most common beam type is the box beam, recognised by its closed, rectangular profile. Wire decks for box beam racking are designed to drop directly onto the top of the racking beam, with the channel supports sized to engage precisely on the flat upper surface for a stable, no-tools installation.
Step beam
Step beam racking features a stepped profile along the top of the beam, creating a ledge for the deck to seat into. Wire decks configured for step beams are designed with channels that precisely match this stepped profile, ensuring the deck sits flush and securely locked in place rather than resting loosely on top.
Waterfall and SafeEDGE® design
The waterfall end type refers to the front edge of the wire deck, where the mesh curves downward over the face of the beam rather than terminating in a straight line. This design conceals the beam’s front edge and gives the rack a cleaner, more finished appearance while maintaining full structural support.
With the MantaMESH configurator, customers can choose the desired end type for their design, allowing for complete control to match your project requirements. Every MantaMESH wire deck utilises our SafeEDGE® design, with the waterfall having a smooth edge wire to eliminate sharp edges at the front of the deck.
Inverted hemmed channel design
The deck’s load capacity relies on the metal support channels welded underneath. At MantaMESH we have developed a patented engineering solution (protected with numerous international design registrations) that provides peak performance, quality and cleanliness. Our unmistakable inverted hemmed channel is engineered to perform without any sharp edges.
Our channel design features five distinct engineering improvements designed to keep your team safe during handling and installation:
- dual dimples for superior load distribution across the span
- a thin wall profile that delivers excellent load carrying performance
- a formed ridge that guarantees outstanding weld quality at every wire intersection
- an inverted form that eliminates dust and debris accumulation for maximum cleanliness
- a reinforced smooth double wall hem that removes sharp edges entirely
Supporting channel engagement
In the MantaMESH configurator, you design your wire mesh deck solution around the exact rack specifications. By choosing the correct beam width for your design, the supporting channel of the wire deck will have a precise engagement with the rack beam and therefore a guaranteed maximum performance.
MantaMESH for multi-beam solutions
MantaMESH offers three solutions to suit a variety of pallet racking layouts. The standard two-beam configuration is the most common for general warehouse applications, spanning a single bay between two beams.
For racking layouts with a centre support, the rack and standoff solution spans three beams, providing full support across the additional structure. For double deep racking, where a wire deck must span four beams, the MantaMESH double deep solution is available through the configurator.
A unique feature of the MantaMESH rack and standoff and double deep solution is that it’s supplied as a single piece of mesh. Most suppliers commonly join multiple sections together to form one deck, which adds extra handling and installation time to your warehouse procurement, but also gives potential risks of pieces not staying in place. With MantaMESH, your multi-beam decking solution arrives ready to install as one complete unit.
Whatever your racking layout, the MantaMESH configurator allows you to specify the exact solution for your application, fully ANSI-rated and built to perform.
To learn more, read our full blog on the ANSI wire decking standard.
Rather than wasting time calling or emailing a supplier to see if they can give you the exact specifications you need, the MantaMESH configurator makes it easy. With the online configurator, registered customers can create their solution in seconds and instantly see the best available price and lead time. As soon as an order is confirmed, our online manufacturing system automatically schedules production with our smart manufacturing machines. From data in to product out, there is no human intervention required – with MantaMESH, you are always in control.
Explore the MantaMESH® wire decking range or register for access to MantaMESH today to help you win more business.