How to Refurbish Old Warehouse Cages: How Many More Years Can They Serve?

After five or six years of use, warehouse cages show chipped paint, rust stains, and slight mesh deformation—does that mean it is time for new ones? In fact, most old cages can continue in service after refurbishment. The refurbishment cost is roughly 30–50% of the price of a new cage, and they can serve another 3–5 years, which beats buying new outright.

The first step of refurbishment is structural inspection. Check each old cage one by one: whether the posts are bent, whether the base frame is twisted, whether welds are cracked, and whether the stacking feet and sockets are worn. If structural deformation exceeds 5 mm or welds are cracked, repair and straighten first before proceeding; cages in sound condition go straight to surface refurbishment.

The surface refurbishment process generally is: degreasing and rust removal, pickling and phosphating, then powder coating or baking paint. Degreasing and rust removal can be done by sandblasting or hand grinding to strip rust and old paint; pickling and phosphating is the pre-treatment that improves the adhesion of the new coating; finally powder coating, 60–80 microns thick, with the color freely re-selected. After this process, the appearance is barely distinguishable from a new cage.

The post-refurbishment service life depends on the original structural condition. For cages with sound structure but only aged surfaces, normal use after refurbishment can continue for another 3–5 years. For cages that already show deformation and weld damage, even if repaired, they should not be stacked high; use them stacked in at most two layers flat on the floor, and keep ample safety margin.

When is refurbishment not worth it? Cages with severe rust, pipe walls already thinned by corrosion, or base skeletons rusted through—refurbishment cost may approach the price of a new cage, so it is better to replace outright. Nanjing Tongnuo Warehouse Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd. accepts refurbishment jobs for old cages and can assess their condition on site, giving concrete advice on whether refurbishment-and-continued-use or replacement is more cost-effective.