You finally have the room of your dreams in your new garage. However, after using it for a while, you’ll see that you need an organisation system to maintain cleanliness. Slatwall and pegboard are the two solutions that have piqued your curiosity.
If you’re building a garage from the ground up, slatwall is the way to go for the organisation over the pegboard. Adding slatwall to your garage will enhance your property’s value and aesthetic appeal. Adding a slatwall to your bespoke garage will further increase its usefulness.
Read on to find out how slatwall and pegboard vary from one another and what the advantages and disadvantages of each are. Once you finish reading, you should feel assured that you’ve selected the ideal storage option for your one-of-a-kind garage.
What Is Slatwall?
Because of the grooves or slats that run throughout, slatwall is also known as Slotwall. Hanging metal racks that showcase clothing for sale is a typical organisational method for retail businesses. The use of slatwalls in residential settings, particularly garages, is rising.
Typically, medium-density fibreboard, or MDF, is the material of choice for slatwall. Pulverised hardwood and softwood are the building blocks of this engineered wood. They are mixed with a resin binder and wax to create the panels. For accuracy, they have been machine-added. The Slatwall undergoes finishing processes such as lamination or melamine paper pressing before it is sent to you, the consumer.
A standard panel size for slatwall is four feet by eight feet, although larger panels that span the entire wall are also an option. Hang everything from bicycles to tool bags and playsets by attaching aluminium or plastic inserts to the slatwall of your personalised garage. The fittings are also usually not visible, which is a plus.
One further perk of slatwall is the variety of colours it comes in. Available panel colours are maple, white, taupe, and black. Your bespoke garage will look more versatile with this. The slatwall could blend in with your current garage design if you aim for that effect.
Benefits Of Slatwall
- With ten panels that span an 8-by-4-foot portion, or 32 square feet in total, together with ten-piece multi-purpose hook kits, garage slatwall ensures the load capacity and stability for hanging heavy tools and sports equipment.
- A combination of medium-density fibreboard (MDF) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) makes up slotted wall panels. Using high heat and pressure, medium-density fibreboard (MDF)—often thicker and more substantial than particleboard and plywood—can be compressed into panels. So it can withstand fires. Furthermore, PVC (polyvinyl chloride) can adjust to changes in temperature and humidity. Why?
- Two components comprise polyvinyl chloride (PVC): PVC film, a multi-purpose plastic that may be used to make waterproof clothing, and PVC. The alternative is polyester fabric, which is inherently quick-drying and classified as a “hydrophobic” substance.
- Regarding aesthetics, slatwall is the most colourful panel option, and you may paint it in whatever colour suits your décor demands. So, your garage will always seem lovely and clutter-free.
- Additionally, the heavy-duty rows of horizontal sliding slots allow you to connect a diverse range of hanging accessories readily switched to horizontal slatwall, including shelves, hooks, bins, and bins.
So, most of us would likely choose a standalone slatwall unit to display an entire ensemble instead of a dummy. For a long time, slatwall panels weren’t only utilised in garages but also used as wall coverings and product displays in retail establishments.
Drawbacks
Every aspect of life possesses positive and negative qualities, much like a coin. There is no exception to slatwall. It’s too tough to remove from the wall when affixed directly. Among the choices, a garage wall panel is the most costly but has the most aesthetically pleasing appearance. To top it all off, installing your panels correctly requires knowledge of the slatwall display technology.
The weight, complexity, and variety of equipment needed to install slatwall panels—not to mention the challenges of cutting to size and sinking into the wall studs—suggest that you engage a licenced and insured contractor, a trained worker, or a handyperson to do the job.
What Is Pegboard?
A pegboard is another alternative to consider when planning your garage organisation project. Instead of slats or grooves, pegboard—called perforated hardboard—has holes. Before that, these holes are boring. There is no difference in size between the two holes.
This type of board is called a pegboard because each hole may be used to connect hooks or pegs. Not every pegboard is made of wood. Another material they may be made of is steel. Metal pegboards are often smaller than their hardwood counterparts because of the weight and expense implications of having more material.
The lack of board thickness is usually to blame for the sagging that certain metal pegboards experience when they go from one mounting position to another. However, this ought not to transpire if the thickness of your pegboard is sufficient. Even if perforated, pegboards constructed of hardwood don’t perform better. The durability of the pegboard will decrease with repeated heavy loads or an excess of light ones. Fractures or distortions might appear.
Benefits
- A useful tool for keeping the garage floor free of clutter is a pegboard, which may be metal or wood.
- Even though metal pegboards are more expensive than wooden ones, they are fireproof and durable.
- In addition, when secured directly to drywall or wall studs using a furring strip, the metallic sheen of metal pegs illuminates a dimly lit area. Wooden pegboards, on the other hand, are more likely to be chipped and split than metal ones. As a result, you may discover them in sizes to suit any storage demand or area, and you can cover a whole wall with many panels.
- It is simple to mount perforated hardboard on the studs of a garage wall or within cabinets (if the cabs are sturdy enough). Use lathe screws to fasten it to the furring strips or wall studs. You may use regular screws for wood or drywall.
- Pegs also make it simple to hang and reposition various accessories.
Drawbacks
Everyone thinks the pegboard is tacky and unattractive. White and brown are the most common colours for pegboard panels, which might make a garage seem less lively than the slatwall system. Feel free to use any hue you choose when painting it. After that, you’ll need to be cautious since the holes can become clogged with dried paint, forcing you to drill even more holes through the hardened paint. That can make it hard to attach hooks or anything else that hangs.
The pegboard also reveals its weight restriction, meaning it can only hold tiny, lightweight items like yard equipment and smaller hand tools. Hooks and hangers often fall off when you hang heavy things from a pegboard, such as a bicycle or a push lawn mower. The material needs to be stronger to sustain the weight of heavy equipment over time, and the fact that it is fastened directly to studs in a garage wall makes it much less sturdy.
Garage owners face another issue with the need to put spacers over drywall to keep the panels at an angle to the wall when using pegs. As a result of the mounting pegs requiring a tiny space behind the board and the necessity for furring strips for installations over drywall, pegboard accessories can only be installed with them.
Which Is Better, Pegboard Or Slatwall?
Now that you know what slatwall and pegboard are and what their advantages and disadvantages are, you can make an informed decision. Slatwall is the best and most efficient choice for your personalised garage. In addition to cleaning up the area, it will add value and provide many useful features. When compared to pegboard, slatwall has the following advantages.
Looks
For decades, retailers have relied on slatwall for its clean, seamless look. Everything on the slatwall will appear to be floating midair on the garage walls as the mounting hardware may be concealed. Similarly, the pegboard isn’t ugly, but its design is outmoded.
Durability
The longevity of the slatwall is another one of its best features. It’s not bulletproof but far more durable than pegboard for attaching things on slatwall. Remember that any material, even metal, can be damaged by overload. Putting too much weight on a wooden pegboard causes it to distort and become unstable.
However, a messy appearance could result from using excessive pegboard holes all at once. That is to say, there is no clear winner, and that is an issue when planning the layout of your unique garage.
Organisation
With just pegboard, you can only put a little order into your garage. Sure, you can mount all your equipment on one board and use another to suspend bags of various contents from hooks. Would a pegboard work for securing a bike, though? In such case, no.
Slatwall can take it just fine, no matter how big or little your object is. Hooks attached to the slatwall allow you to display your tools like a pegboard, but there’s more to it than that. Everything from netts and rackets to bags of soccer and basketball balls, surfboards, beach chairs, and even a little ladder is securely fastened to the slatwall. Additionally, the slatwall will not buckle, warp, or bend under the weight.
Difference In Style
When you look at slat wall organisers side by side with pegboards, the physical distinctions are obvious. Slat walls are made of long, horizontal strips of sturdy material that fit flush with the wall. To the naked eye, they seem like siding for a house.
A pegboard, in contrast, is a single panel with multiple holes punched into it. Things can be hung using either system’s hooks. Slat wall systems are a great choice if you’re going for a more refined aesthetic in your garage. On the other hand, you must recognise the pegboards’ exposed holes.
Design considerations for using a wall system to manage your garage may be important.
Especially if you plan on using the space in your garage for recreational or artistic pursuits; nevertheless, outward appearances do not imply essential quality. Now, let’s see how well it works. Slatwall is the way to go for organisation over pegboard if you’re building a garage from the ground up. Adding a slatwall to your garage will enhance your property’s value and aesthetic appeal. Your bespoke garage will serve many purposes with the addition of slatwall.
Temperature And Moisture
Inattention to this detail can have far-reaching consequences, yet many overlook it. The environmental factors cause the temperature and humidity levels to fluctuate constantly in garages. Almost no one maintains a constant temperature in their garage.
Slatwall panels made of PVC are more resistant to these kinds of things. They are impervious to changes in humidity and temperature. However, pegboards can withstand this moisture level shift, making them more likely to break and harm the panels.
Cost
At this point, it’s clear that Pegboards are the only ones that can win this section. The obvious superiority of Slatwall panels lies in their strength, durability, load capacity, and functions. You have to pay for such wonderful attributes. You can use pegboard panels if your budget is minimal. A word of caution, though: you get out of it what you put in.
Comparing Organisation Using Holes Vs. Slats
No one can dispute the ease of usage or the fact that pegboards have existed for some time.
There are a lot of holes on each board, so you may put the hooks wherever you choose.
Standard peg holes are around an inch apart, limiting your customisation options. Board clutter can occur inadvertently due to the large number of holes. Although it does fit, the style could be more appealing.
But slat wall systems are compatible with bins and baskets of varying sizes, so you can easily store everything from little trinkets to bulky furniture. Minimise unsightly clutter by storing each item in a hanging container or on the wall.
In conclusion, slatwall is the preferred storage solution for garages due to its durability, aesthetic appeal, and ability to hold heavier items. While pegboards are more affordable, they are less sturdy and have limitations on weight capacity. Slatwall offers better organisation and flexibility, making it ideal for a personalised garage. However, it’s important to consider factors like budget, temperature, and humidity when deciding between the two.
