Recycled wood pallets may not be as visually appealing as new, but they are just as durable and capable of supporting the same amount of weight as the original pallet.

Repaired wood pallets come in various grades and are available in the standard sizes. If you need a customized size then new pallets may be your only option.

The price of a repaired pallet is 40% to 60% lower than that of a new one, and it’s more environmentally friendly as less wood is required.

Stringer pallets have three boards, each 2 x 4 inches, that run down either side and in the middle of the pallet, between the deck boards and the bottom boards. These boards are called stringers and they are there to give strength and support to the deck boards.

The stringers may be solid, which allows for only 2-way entry by fork lifts or pallet jacks, or they may be notched which allows for 4-way entry by fork lifts but not pallet jacks.

‌Stringer pallets are lightweight and cannot carry loads as heavy as the block type of pallet. They are designed to be disposable after one use, but many can be used more than once. Regardless, stringer pallets, both new and repaired are in constant demand.

Recycled stringers are more frequently repaired so finding used or repaired ones shouldn’t be a problem They may be your best choice of you don’t have to transport heavy loads. They are also the best choice for those pallets that make a one-way trip with no way to return them to your base of operations.

Advantages of Stringer Pallets

• Lighter, so lower shipping costs
• Cheaper
• Used or repaired pallets are more readily available

Disadvantages of Stringer Pallets

• Not as strong
• Not intended for multiple uses
• Often only have a 2-way entry

Recycled block pallets have nine blocks, each one 4 x 4 inches, placed between the top and bottom slats. Blocks are placed in such a way that pallet jacks and forklifts can slide into the area from all four sides.

Repaired block pallets are stronger because they are constructed with more wood and have fewer gaps. Moreover, the nails that hold them together are heavier gauge, increasing their strength and durability.

Advantages of Repaired Block Pallets

• Readily available
• Can be reused multiple times
• Greater strength and longevity
• 4-way access means easier on and offloading

Disadvantages of Repaired Block Pallets

• Their heavier weight may increase shipping costs
• Less desirable
• Hold significantly lower value

There are many different grading systems used to rate the quality of repaired wooden pallets. There are no government or industry wide systems to guarantee that a pallet graded as “A” by one system is of the same quality as one graded “A” by another. That being said, the grading systems that are in use provide the customer with some idea as to the quality and functionality of a given set of pallets and a means to compare different pallets repaired by a given company. Here are just a few examples of grading systems used by the named companies.

• Grade A or 1 – these are used pallets that did not need repair. At the highest level they appear unused, at the lower level they have some damage but do not yet need repairs.
• Grade B or 2 – these pallets have been repaired but are still structurally sound
• Grade C or 3 – these have been repaired more than once and are not structurally sound. They should only be used to transport light goods that are not easily damaged.
• Premium Grade A – no repairs have been done and the pallet appears unused
• Grade A – may have minor repairs to the stringers or replaced deck boards, may have minor cracking or chipping in woods, still structurally sound
• Premium Grade B – may have partial plugs added or other repairs done to only one of the stringers, more cosmetic damage including wood chip and cracks, paint or other markings
• Grade B – May have full length plugs added to one or more of the stringers, may have multiple blemishes and/ or large cracks in the wood
• Grade 1A – pallets clean, no repairs to stringers, no cracked or missing deck boards
• Grade 1 – pallets clean, minor repairs to stringers, no plugs, deck boards may have been replaced
• Grade 2 – pallets may have some markings or discolorations, stringers may be repaired with plugs or plates, may be splits in deck boards
• Premium Plus A Grade – no stringer repairs, top and bottom 5.5” lead boards, no cosmetic damage
• Premium A Grade – no stringer repairs, 5.5” top lead board, 3.5” bottom lead board, no cosmetic damage
• Plus A Grade – no stringer repairs, 3.5” lead boards top and bottom, no cosmetic damage
• Standard A Grade – minor stringer repairs but no blocks or runners, top and bottom 3.5” lead boards, minor cosmetic damage
• Premium B Grade – stringer repairs including one block or partial runner, top and bottom 3.5” lead boards, some cosmetic damage
• Plus B Grade – stringer repairs including two blocks or partial runners, top and bottom 3.5” lead boards and cosmetic damage
• Basic B Grade – stringer repairs including up to three blocks or partial runners, top and bottom 3.5” lead boards, cosmetic damage

While it is possible to have pallets custom made to fit your specific purposes, most are sold in standard sizes. The most common of these are:

• 40 x 48 inches – this is the most commonly used sized and is the standardized size set by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), roughly 30% of the pallets manufactured in the United States are this size
• 42 x 42 – most commonly used in the paint and telecommunication industries
• 48 x 48 – this size is used for heavy shipments, like filled drums
• 48 x 42 – most often used to transport chemicals or beverages
• 40 x 40 – used almost exclusively by the dairy industry
• 48 x 45 – used for transporting and storing auto parts
• 44 x 44 – used for shipping filled drums or chemicals
• 36 x 36 – used to ship beverages
• 48 x 36 – frequently used in construction where their rectangular shape makes the ideal for shingles, also used to ship paper products

Pallet repair processes do not have a standardized procedure, however there are some steps that should be followed in order to repair pallets efficiently and effectively.

Sorting

Several factors can render a pallet useless. A common problem is missing or broken slats, loose or missing nails, and damaged stringers.

pallet yards will begin with sorting through all of the broken pallets. Despite being beyond repair, salvaged wood may be used to make other repairs. Cosmetic damage usually does not require repairs, so they examined for structural integrity.

Stacking and sorting recycled pallets with broken or missing slats will take place prior to their processing. A similar process will be followed in case of missing or damaged stringers.

Recycled pallets that are too damaged to serve as parts are reclaimed and ground to make mulch and biofuels.

Repair

Once sorted, repairmen and women examine the pallets once again to determine the extent of the damage and what repair protocol is needed to most effectively fix the issues.

Repairs can be made using many different tools, techniques, and materials, and a skilled craftsman is able to determine which one is right for the job. A repairperson will grade the recycled pallet after it has been repaired based on the type of repair it needed and how close it is to its original quality.

Inspection

As soon as the pallet has been graded and repaired, it is ready to be inspected. A quality control expert will inspect every pallet at this point.

Pallets must be inspected to make sure that they have been repaired properly and are in usable condition. In addition, they verify that the pallet’s grade matches the actual pallet’s quality.

While the terms are often used interchangeably, remanufactured pallets are not the same thing as repaired pallets. Both are cheaper to purchase than new and both are eco-friendly by reducing the number of new trees that must be cut and helping to keep wood out of landfills.

Remanufactured

Remanufactured pallets are made from salvaged parts of pallets that have been deemed unrepairable. These parts are then used to build new pallets. Sometimes new pieces of wood are used if the appropriate boards are not available.

Repaired

Repaired wood pallets are those that remain largely intact, with the most of the original wood. Additional wood may be added to strengthen damaged pieces. Metal plates and staples may also be used to repair cracks in the stringers or deck boards, and deck boards may be replaced, usually with salvaged wood.

The materials used to repair pallets are largely the same ones that were used to build then in the first place. Wood is used to strengthen or replace damaged pieces of wood. Nails are used to reconnect deck boards to stringers and stringers to each other.

New materials may be used to repair cracks in the stringers. Metal staples may be used to keep a crack from growing larger and metal plates may be used to strengthen damaged stringers or to prevent cracks from becoming breaks.