Construction & Contractors Blog
Pallets are commonly used for transportation and storage of various types of goods. Pallets are made of different materials with different properties. As such, different types of pallets will be suitable for different types of applications.
Wood and plastic are among the most commonly used materials to make pallets. This article discusses various factors that should be considered when choosing between the two pallet materials for the benefit of prospective homeowners intending to use pallets for transportation of construction materials.
Legal Aspects Of Pallet Use
There are a number of rules and regulations that govern the use of pallets for transportation of materials. Prospective homeowners looking to import construction materials need to understand these rules and regulations before choosing one pallet material over the other.
The use of wooden pallets is synonymous with more stringent shipping rules and regulations. A large number of these regulations address the environmental concerns associated with the use of wood pallets. As such, wooden pallets will be subjected to a more rigid inspection before they are cleared for shipment. This can result in shipment delays, thereby affecting the speed of delivery for construction materials. Plastic pallets are subjected to less stringent rules and regulations and would be the best choice for homeowners getting their construction materials from overseas.
Fragility Of The Materials
When choosing between plastic and wooden pallets, a prospective homeowner should consider how fragile the materials to be transported are.
Pallets made of wood are usually fitted with fasteners meant to prevent involuntary movement of the materials being transported. However, when transporting fragile items such as paint cans and ceramic tiles, the fasteners may prove to be counter-productive. If the fasteners happen to get loose mid-way through the journey, they can easily puncture the paint cans or damage ceramic tiles. As such, plastic pallets would be a better choice for transportation of highly fragile construction materials.
Cost-Related Considerations
The prospective homeowner's budget has a great impact on their choice of pallet material. Wooden pallets are usually more affordable than their plastic counterparts. However, the initial cost of purchase should not be the only cost-related consideration that a homeowner factors in. The initial cost of purchase should also be weighed against the trade-off costs associated with the chosen pallet material. Prospective homeowners should evaluate whether the initial cost of purchasing pallets is higher than that of damaged construction materials and possible delays in shipment.
Share9 November 2015
Welcome to my blog! My name is Richard and my big passion in life is looking for old buildings to restore. My love of old buildings started when I was seven years old and I visited my grandparent's house in Alice Springs. It was a large Victorian building which looked magnificent even though it was in a bad state of repair. Once I grew up and made some money, I decided I would like to invest in old buildings to bring them back to life. I hire a range of different contractors to complete the work on my behalf but I take a keen interest and I have learnt a lot of things.