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Loft Vs Mezzanine, How Are They Different? Which Is Best?

Loft Vs Mezzanine, How Are They Different? Which Is Best?

Nowadays, we use lofts to give beautiful designs to our apartments. Lofts are now a way to maximize space and provide a unique design to the building.

A “loft” is an elevated area with an open floor. It might be under the roof, and it’s utilized for storage. Nowadays we are used to having a bedroom on the top view of the apartment. A “mezzanine” maximizes the space which is being used in a vertical orientation.

What Is A Loft?

Let’s start talking about history. The first time we heard about lofts, it is likely that we had no idea what they were. Having begun over two centuries ago, lofts in Paris are part of a long tradition. They were created with a specific intention. In those days, artwork required high ceilings in order to fit. As a result, each room was designed to have more space to display vast paintings across the different rooms they would have.

It’s good to know that lofts became very popular in our part of the world in the 20th century. We noticed we were missing space to store everything brought to our area or our working space, so Lofts were built.

Later on, due to the lack of storage space and rooms in homes, a few interior designers started to use these structures to take advantage of every inch of real estate. As a result, lofts became so popular in New York City that people began building lofts as part of their apartment buildings.

We need to mention that lofts are a new creative way for many people to get the most out of their space while enjoying having a fantastic view from the room.

Types Of Lofts

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We have different types of lofts, and the type being built will depend on your needs or where the construction is located. The different types of Lofts were identified nearly 30 to 40 years ago. Depending on the size and where it’s located, it will have a different name.

We have five main types.

  • Roof light loft conversion
  • Dormer loft conversion
  • Hip to a gable loft conversion
  • L-shaped loft conversions
  • Mansard loft conversion

What Is A Mezzanine?

A mezzanine is just designed to cover a specific area, meaning that it vertically works out of the floor. This is used to maximize space for storage and have more room to work around.

The origin of the word mezzanine comes from the Italian people. This word means Mezza, which means middle; that’s how we get the name mezzanine. Because it’s between the ceiling and floor, create a middle base between both of these.

When you search for the mezzanine, you will see that it’s an office between the ceiling and the floor, created for storage. But most importantly, we give a touch of an office today to storage space to get the maximum out of it. They were usually used by companies of the time for development or renovation projects, as well as for warehouses. Nowadays, they are more focused on lighting and space.

Same way, lofts have different types of designs; we also have different designs for the Mezzanine. The most important thing you need to understand is that Mezzanine costs are low for the structures we build.

On the other hand, Mezzanines are a cost-effective storage solution that can be added to warehouses, manufacturing operations, and distribution facilities to create additional production areas or increase storage capacity.

If you consider investing in a Mezzanine system, knowing the different types of mezzanines available will help you. Understanding their benefits will help you choose the right one for your facility’s needs. Here you have the five different types of Mezzanine.

  • Freestanding Mezzanine Storage
  • Shelving & Rack Supported Mezzanine Storage
  • Catwalk Mezzanine Storage
  • Full Mat Mezzanine Storage
  • Custom Mezzanine Storage

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Shelving & Rack Supported Mezzanine

These types of mezzanines are strengthened on top of and supported by pallet racking systems or shelving systems. Consequently, there is no need for the use of structural columns. They allow you to maximize your space by giving dense accommodation underneath, as well as storage on top.

Catwalk Mezzanine

This type of mezzanine storage system consists of walkways or aisles suspended from the first level of shelving. Or adjacent to the second level of shelving rows to access the product stored on the second level. Both groups of shelving are configured the same.

Full Mat

Complete mat mezzanine storage systems provide the features of both loose standing and catwalk mezzanine storage types. They can be installed over any already installed workplace areas or shelving and open the second level.

Custom Storage

This type of mezzanine storage structure, as the name implies, is designed according to your facility’s needs. Same as if you need load characteristics, structure spacing, and a design incorporated into a customized plan.

Differences Between Loft And Mezzanine

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Now that we have seen the definitions and origins of each word, we can see they have some similarities between each other. However, it is not difficult to tell the difference between these two. If you want to identify a loft or a Mezzanine, you need to do the following:

Think about this, is this close to the ceiling, or is it in the middle between floor and ceiling?

If the answer is in the middle of both the ceiling and the floor, it’s a Mezzanine. If you notice this is closest to the floor, this is a loft.

Some other differences that we can point out are that lofts are used as a new design for homes, apartments, and even in houses.

The most likely use of a mezzanine floor is for storage. This means typically utilizing either a combination of short and long-span shelving below and above the floor. Many businesses will use one level for one purpose, storage, and the other level for an office.

Which One Is Better, Loft Or Mezzanine?

In order to make a decision on either one, the first thing you need to think of, or the first thing you analyze, is your needs. For what purpose are you purchasing this, and where do you live?

In other words, if you say you need storage and don’t have the budget to create some more space or rent a space to have more storage, the best fit for you will be a mezzanine. The Mezzanine has a low cost to be built within your building.

Let’s say, for example, that you need to rent some storage space. Five thousand dollars is the monthly payment. With a mezzanine, you can improve a lot of resources just by adding this to your plans. Nevertheless, it will still cost at least a couple of thousand dollars. Let’s say you are able to build one within your store; in that case, you don’t need to pay a monthly fee while keeping the same space within your shop.

In our minds, a loft is a place for living. It’s hard to imagine a loft in a factory or a storage facility. Ideally, we all want to make our apartments look beautiful instead of having an old look from the 80s.

We hope this article is of interest to you, but most importantly, that you know if you are not talking about storage facilities, it is most likely you are referring to a loft.