Wood is the most popular material for making pallets because it is strong and durable. To ensure your pallets do not rot and stay that way, proper maintenance is essential. First, consider how long you will be storing the wood pallets. For short-term storage of a few months or less (most pallets are available), the effects of outdoor storage such as moisture, sunlight, etc. will generally not adversely affect performance. the capacity of wooden pallets. However, long-term storage in poor conditions can lead to pallets that look “bad”, mold growth, and may even rot and become unfit for use. Therefore, avoid damage to wooden pallets by storing them properly.
4 Tips to prevent the wood pallets from rotting
If you need to store wooden pallets for a long time, try these tips to help ensure your pallets stay new and free from rotting.
Keep pallets off the ground
Bottom pallets lying directly on the ground, even on top of bricks, can lead to the bottom panels rotting with long-term storage. The solution to this is to place the wooden pallets on the backing, allowing the bottom pallets to stay dry in wet conditions which will greatly increase the life of the pallet.
Ample storage area
Pallets are stored in a suitable, spacious warehouse area that can be stored for long periods. On the contrary please note that even keeping indoors in a damp, confined area can lead to pallet rotting.
Rotate stock
When you are about to import a new batch of wooden pallets into the warehouse, make sure you use the older pallets at the end of the row before switching to the new pallets. This not only helps the old pallet products to be sold out but also ensures the quality of the newly imported pallets.
Moving pallets
If you have a batch of pallet wood products that will not be used for several months, it is best to move them to another location periodically. If the wooden pallets are stacked 20 high, remove the top 10 and place them on the bottom. This repositions and ensures that no pallets are in an environment that is too humid compared to the rest of the wooden pallets.
How to know if the wood pallet is rotten or not?
If you suspect that the pallets are showing signs of decay, use a hammer to hit the boards. Rotten boards will break in a straight line and appear “crunchy”. You can use enough force to break good boards, but the wood will crumble. It takes a lot of force to break a pallet even with a hammer.
It is important to check wooden pallets for decay before use to avoid accidents and injuries.
Do not use problematic pallets, as the potential for further damage to the product or people is not worth the savings. If in doubt, contact your pallet supplier to inspect older pallets to ensure they are still safe to use.
In addition, the use of pallets that are not ISPM-15 certified (IPPC International Plant Protection Convention) should be avoided as untreated, disinfected pallets risk further damage to the product and the user. use.
