Column Protectors

Wally and Floora:

Wally Says:

Floora, did you know a column needs a completely different guard than a wall? There is no flat surface to work with, so the guard has to wrap the whole thing. A forklift clips a rack upright. A pallet jack catches an edge. A car door swings into a garage pillar, and the concrete takes all of it.

Here is what to settle before you order column protectors:

• Shape and Size
  Round columns use the diameter, square columns use one side, and rack uprights use the depth of the leg. The Sentry line fits columns from 6 to 20 inches, and the foam wrap fits a 24 inch column, round or square.
• What Hits It
  A parking garage suits the foam wrap, which is built so it will not scratch automotive paint. A forklift aisle suits a taller guard that covers the height where the hits land.
• Conditions
  The foam wrap is waterproof, chemical resistant and non-conductive, and it works down to 0 F. That range covers a cold garage or an unheated warehouse.

Buying Tip: Yellow shows up in a dim garage or aisle, so pick it anywhere visibility helps a driver find the edge.

Floora Says:

Thank you, Wally! Column protectors go on fast once the measurement is right. Here is the order of work:

• Measure the Widest Face
  Round and square sizes differ, so take the measurement before you order rather than after the wrap arrives.
• Pick the Closure
  The foam wrap closes with straps and loops or lock buckles. The rack guard wraps on with Velcro straps. The Sentry guard slides straight over the column.
• Fill the Gaps
  Sheets cover the sizes between stock wraps, at 42 or 48 inches tall and 44 inches wide.
• Check the Rack Spec
  The McCue rack and pole guard fits racking from 2-3/8 to 3-3/4 inches and exceeds impact requirements of EN 15512.

Buying Tip: Keep a spare wrap for the aisle that takes the most traffic. A wrap comes off and goes back on with its own straps, so a swap takes minutes.

Column Protectors For Warehouses And Parking Garages

Columns take hits that walls never see. A forklift clips a rack upright. A pallet jack catches a corner. A car door swings into a garage pillar. A column protector wraps the whole column, so the impact lands on foam or plastic instead of concrete or steel. Warehouses and parking garages use them most. Our foam wrap is built for vehicle contact, since it will not scratch automotive paint. It is also waterproof, chemical resistant and non-conductive, and it works down to 0 F. For wall corners, see corner guards.

Column Protectors For Round Columns, Square Columns And Rack Uprights

Round and square concrete columns take the foam wrap. It holds 2 inches of polyurethane foam inside an EVA shell, stands 39.3 inches tall, and fits a 24 inch round column or a 24 by 24 inch square. Straps with loops or lock buckles hold it closed, in yellow or black. For other sizes, the same material comes as sheets, 42 or 48 inches tall and 44 inches wide.

Rack uprights and poles use a smaller guard. The Sentry protector is low-density polyethylene with a patented air vent, which lets air escape on impact so the body absorbs the hit without splitting. It fits columns from 6 to 20 inches and rack uprights of 3 or 4 inches, in 18 and 42 inch heights. The McCue rack and pole guard is polyethylene foam in safety yellow. It fits racking from 2-3/8 to 3-3/4 inches, wraps on with Velcro straps, and exceeds impact requirements of EN 15512. More floor level protection sits on floor mounted bumper guards.

The EVA corner profile covers a 4 by 4 inch corner at 42 inches high, so it also suits the corner of a square column. It sits with the rest of the impact range on rubber corner guards, and the wider impact line sits on Sentry products.

How To Size A Column Protector

Measure the column across its widest face, then match it to the table. Round columns use the diameter. Square columns use one side. Rack uprights use the depth of the leg. When a column falls between sizes, contact our team to check the fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

What size column protector do I need?

Measure the widest face. The Sentry line fits columns from 6 to 20 inches, and rack uprights of 3 or 4 inches. The foam wrap fits a 24 inch column, round or square. Sheets cover the sizes in between.

What are column protectors made of?

Three materials. The wrap uses polyurethane foam inside an EVA shell. The Sentry guard uses low-density polyethylene with an air vent. The rack guard uses polyethylene foam held on with Velcro straps.

Do column protectors work on pallet racks?

Yes. The Sentry line includes rack sizes of 3 and 4 inches. The McCue rack and pole guard fits legs from 2-3/8 to 3-3/4 inches and exceeds impact requirements of EN 15512.

Will a column protector scratch a car?

The foam wrap is built so it will not scratch automotive paint, which is why it suits parking garages. It is also waterproof, chemical resistant and non-conductive.

Do column protectors work in cold garages and unheated warehouses?

The foam wrap works down to 0 F and is waterproof, so a cold garage is fine. Each product page lists the range for that line.