We design, fabricate and install steel mezzanine floors for warehouses, factories, workshops and offices across the North East. Everything’s made in our works in Washington, between Newcastle and Sunderland, and our steelwork is certified to BS EN 1090 Execution Class 2 and UKCA/CE marked. That last bit matters more than most people think, and we’ll explain why below.
If you’ve got height in a building and you’re short of floor space, a mezzanine is usually cheaper and quicker than moving or extending. Here’s what you need to know before you ask for a price.
What people use mezzanines for
Storage. The most common one. Racking, shelving or pallets on the upper level, often with a pallet gate so a forklift can load it.
Offices. Partitioned office space above a warehouse or production floor, so the office staff can see the shop floor and you don’t lose ground-level space.
Plant and production. Platforms for air handling units, compressors, tanks or process equipment, and access platforms around machines and conveyors.
Retail and showrooms. Extra trading floor or display space. These get treated more like a public floor, with tighter rules on stairs, guarding and access.
Floor loadings
The use decides the load, and the load decides the steel. Imposed floor loads come from BS EN 1991-1-1 and its UK National Annex. As a rough guide, an office floor is generally designed for 2.5 kN/m² plus an allowance for partitions, often around 1.0 kN/m².
Storage is where it varies most. Light storage mezzanines are often quoted at around 3.5 kN/m², heavier storage at 5.0 to 7.5 kN/m² and up. What’s being stored, how high it’s stacked and whether there’s racking or point loads from pallet trucks all change the answer. Plant platforms get designed for the real weight of the equipment.
Don’t guess this one. Tell us what’s going on the floor and we’ll design to it, or work to your engineer’s calcs.
Building Regulations
A mezzanine is new structure inside a building, so in most cases it needs Building Regulations approval. Building control will look at:
- Structure (Part A). Calculations for the steel, connections and the existing slab under the column bases. The floor slab is often the weak point, so we check base plate sizes against it.
- Fire safety (Part B). Whether the mezzanine needs fire protection depends on its use, its size relative to the room, its height and the escape routes. Approved Document B gives some allowance for small storage-only mezzanines, but office and production mezzanines usually need fire protection to the steel and a fire-rated ceiling underneath. Your fire engineer or building control will confirm the period, typically 30 or 60 minutes.
- Stairs and guarding (Part K). Approved Document K sets stair geometry, handrail heights and guarding. For most non-domestic floor edges the guarding height is 1100mm.
- Access (Part M). If people other than warehouse staff will use the upper floor, offices or retail for example, building control may want accessible access, which can mean a platform lift. Storage-only mezzanines are treated differently. Ask early, because a lift changes the layout.
Fire protection is normally board casings on columns, intumescent paint on exposed steel and a fire-rated suspended ceiling under the deck. We coordinate it with a specialist so you get one package.
Decking options
- High-density particle board (usually 38mm) on cold-rolled secondary joists. The standard choice for storage and office mezzanines.
- Steel open grid flooring for plant platforms and anywhere you want light, air and sprinkler water to pass through.
- Chequer plate for hard-wearing industrial use, trolleys and heavy point loads.
- Composite metal deck with concrete for heavier loads, better fire performance or less footfall noise.
Stairs, handrails and pallet gates
Every mezzanine needs a way up, edge protection and usually a way to get stock on. We make all of it in-house.
Stairs are mostly straight flights or dog-legs with chequer plate or open grid treads, built to Part K. Office and retail mezzanines often need closed risers and a bit more finish. We’ve written more on that in our guide to commercial steel staircases.
Handrails and balustrades go round all open edges, with mesh or bar infill and kick plates so nothing rolls off the edge onto someone below.
Pallet gates let a forklift drop a pallet onto the deck without leaving an open edge. Up-and-over gates are the common type: when one side’s open to the forklift, the other’s closed to the people on the deck, so there’s never a gap.
Everything can be powder coated in-house. Our oven takes 8m lengths, so long main beams go through in one piece. Any colour from our RAL colour chart, or safety yellow on the handrails and grey on the frame, which is what most warehouses go for.
Why EN 1090 and UKCA/CE marking matter
A mezzanine is a load-bearing steel structure. In the UK, fabricated structural steelwork has to be UKCA or CE marked against BS EN 1090-1, and to do that the fabricator needs Factory Production Control certified by an approved or notified body. SteelConstruction.info explains the requirement here.
Whoever you use, ask who made the steel and whether it comes with a Declaration of Performance. Building control may ask the same.
We’re certified by SCCS (UKAS Notified Body 2273) to BS EN 1090-1 and -2 for EXC2, certificate 2273-CPR-4181, plus BS EN ISO 3834-2 for welding quality and ISO 9001:2015. EXC2 is the class expected for most building structures, mezzanines included. Our welders are coded to BS EN ISO 9606-1, we have a responsible welding coordinator on site, and materials come with mill certs and batch traceability. It’s all on our accreditations page.
How a mezzanine job runs
Survey. We measure the building, check clear heights, column positions, sprinkler heads, lighting and the existing slab.
Design. Layout, loads, stair and gate positions, then calculations and general arrangement drawings from our design engineering team or your engineer. You approve the drawings before anything gets cut, and they go to building control.
Fabricate. Beams, columns, stairs and handrails made under our overhead cranes, drilled and profiled, then coated.
Install. Our own team fits it. Most mezzanines are bolted together on site, so there’s no hot work in your building and disruption’s kept down. See our structural steel fabrication page for more.
FAQs
Do I need planning permission for a mezzanine floor?
Internal mezzanines often don’t need planning permission, but there are exceptions, especially for retail floor space. Building Regulations approval is a separate thing and is usually needed. Check with your local authority.
Does a storage mezzanine need fire protection?
Not always. Small storage-only mezzanines can sometimes go without, depending on size and escape. Offices and production areas on a mezzanine nearly always need it. Building control or a fire engineer makes the call.
What load should my mezzanine be designed for?
Offices are typically 2.5 kN/m² plus partitions. Storage depends on what’s stored and how. Tell us the use and the heaviest thing going on it.
Is MorFab EN 1090 certified for mezzanine steelwork?
Yes. We’re certified to BS EN 1090-1 and -2 at EXC2, which covers most commercial and industrial mezzanines. We don’t hold EXC3 or EXC4.
Talk to us about your mezzanine
Send us the building size, clear height and what you want the floor for, and we’ll come out and survey. Get in touch or ring 0191 816 2718.