Storage Ideas
Hanging a Pegboard in Your Garage
Classic storage solution
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Pegboard, also called perforated hardboard or perfboard, is one of the simplest and least expensive storage solutions for hanging tools and other lightweight objects. When mounted to the wall and outfitted with metal hooks, pegboard provides a convenient way to keep items from getting lost in the back of a drawer or the bottom of a tool chest. Pegboard also makes it easy to change the arrangement or collection of your wall-hung items, because you can reposition the metal hooks any way you like without measuring, drilling holes, or hammering nails into the wall. In fact, pegboard has served as a low-cost storage option for so long that there are a multitude of different hooks and brackets you can buy to accommodate nearly anything you want to hang. Any home center will carry both the pegboard and the hooks.
You need to install pegboard correctly to get the most value from it. If your garage walls have exposed studs, you can simply screw pegboard to the studs. The empty bays between the studs will provide the necessary clearance for inserting the hooks. On a finished wall, however, you’ll need to install a framework of furring strips behind the pegboard to create the necessary clearance and provide some added stiffness. It’s also a good idea to build a frame around your pegboard to give the project a neat, finished appearance.
If your garage tends to be damp, seal both faces of the pegboard with several coats of varnish or primer and exterior paint; otherwise it will absorb moisture and swell up or even delaminate.
Pegboard & Hanger Hardware Styles
Hanger hardware comes in many shapes and sizes, from the basic J for hanging a single tool to double-prong hangers for hammers and even shelf standards. You can buy assorted hangers in kits or stock up on the type you’re likely to use the most.
Two common thicknesses for pegboard hangers are 1⁄8"-dia. and 3⁄16"-dia., both of which fit into standard pegboard hole configurations. The thicker the hanger, the more it can handle. Both types rely on the mechanical connection with the pegboard and can fail if the holes in the board become elongated. The pegboard must have furring strips on the back side to create a recess for the hangers.
Pegboard is a single-purpose sheetgood material. It is used to create a wall surface with storage function (occasionally it may be used as a cabinet back where ventilation is desired). Although it comes in 1⁄8"-thick panels, avoid them in favor of 1⁄4"-thick material. Most larger home centers carry it unfinished and in pre-finished white. Woodgrain and other decorative panels can be found, and you can also buy metal pegboard panels. The standard size holes are 1⁄4"-dia. and spaced in a 1"-on-center grid.
Locate and mark wall studs if your garage wall has a wall covering. Make sure the marks extend above and below the pegboard location so you can see them once the pegboard is positioned on the wall.
