Pallet types
Solid deck pallet: no gaps between deckboards
Reviewed
A solid deck pallet has its top deckboards butted edge to edge so there are no gaps. On a 48 x 40 in stringer pallet, twelve 4 in boards cover the 48 in length exactly, using about 8.3 board feet in 5/8 in stock against 4.9 for a standard 7-board GMA top.
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What is a solid deck pallet?
A solid deck is a deck with no gaps between deckboards. The boards are butted edge to edge, or the deck is covered by a panel. It is the opposite end of the scale from an open deck with 3 to 5 in gaps.
Solid decks are usually a top-deck feature. The bottom deck normally stays open so fork tines and pallet-jack wheels can work.
How a solid deck pallet is built
Compare two 48 x 40 in stringer pallets with 5/8 in top boards:
| Standard GMA top | Solid top | |
|---|---|---|
| Boards | 2 x 5-1/2 in + 5 x 3-1/2 in | 12 x 4 in |
| Gaps | 3.25 in | 0 |
| Top deck board feet | About 4.9 | About 8.3 |
| Top nails (3 stringers, 2 per joint on boards up to 5-1/4 in, 3 on wider) | 48 | 72 |
| Deck coverage | About 59% | 100% |
In the Uniform Standard's terms, two butted 4 in boards are treated as equal to one 6 in board. Alternatives to butted boards are tongue-and-groove boards or a plywood or OSB panel over the deck; see panel deck pallets.
palletdesign.ai lays out the top boards from the count and widths you give it and reports the resulting gap, so a solid deck is simply a board set that fills the length.
When to use a solid deck
- Small cartons and bags that would sag or drop into gaps.
- Drums and pails, where chimes can drop into wide gaps. palletdesign.ai warns when gaps exceed 2.5 in under drums; see drum pallets.
- Concentrated or point loads that need even support.
- Loose or small parts, or loads where the product itself must not touch the stringers.
When not to use one
- Anywhere gaps do no harm. A solid deck adds lumber, nails and weight: at about 4.4 lb per board foot for green mixed hardwood, the extra 3.4 board feet in the table above adds roughly 15 lb.
- Kiln-dried vs green lumber: green boards shrink as they dry (roughly 1% of width per 5% drop in moisture content below about 28%), so a "solid" deck built green opens small gaps.
Solid deck vs standard deck
| Solid deck | Standard open deck | |
|---|---|---|
| Gaps | None | Typically 3 to 5 in |
| Lumber and nails | More | Less |
| Weight | Heavier | Lighter |
| Best for | Drums, small cartons, bags, point loads | Most cased goods |
How to specify a solid deck pallet
- Size and pallet type (stringer or block).
- Top deck: "solid" or "butted", with board count, thickness and width, or panel material.
- Bottom deck: count and layout (usually open).
- Lumber moisture: kiln dried if the deck must stay tight.
- Fasteners per joint.
- Load type and weight, especially drums, bags or point loads.
For the base design, see the 48 x 40 stringer pallet and the deck board spacing guide.
Questions
- What is a solid deck pallet?
- A pallet whose top deckboards are butted edge to edge, or covered by a panel, so there are no gaps.
- When do you need a solid deck pallet?
- When small cartons, bags, drums or point loads would sag or drop into deck gaps, or loose parts would fall through.
- Do solid deck pallets cost more?
- Yes. They use more boards and nails; on a 48 x 40 stringer pallet the solid top uses about 3.4 more board feet and 24 more nails than a GMA top.