Pegboard Storage Solutions: Hole-y Sheet!

November 15, 2010 — DIY, home improvement, real estate, worcester county

Versatile pegboard provides easy and inexpensive storage solutions for virtually any room and under-utilized wall space.

Know your pegboard

Pegboard comes as either tempered hardboard panels or metal sheets.

Hardboard panels are ¼-inch thick and feature ¼-inch diameter holes, evenly spaced 1 inch apart across the face of the entire sheet. Hardboard pegboard panels are easy to cut into custom shapes for fitting odd-shaped areas.

Hardboard pegboard comes in standard sizes (2×4-foot, 4×4-foot, and 4×8-foot sizes); commonly available colors are natural, black, and white. Latex paint color can also be rolled on.

Hardboard panels are lightweight and affordably priced; expect to pay $8 to $50 for a 4×8-foot panel.

Metal sheets come in several types of metals and weights. Some feature slots, rather than holes, to accommodate specialized accessories, such as bins and shelves. Metal pegboard sheets are durable and the perforations never lose their shape. Properly installed heavy-duty versions support up to a ton of items.

Metal pegboard sheets come in a variety of patterned and smooth finishes, and a variety of anodized colors. Standard sheet sizes are the same as hardboard, plus 16×32-inches and 4×10-foot panels. Cost: $33 to $400.

Accessories: Standardized perforations accept a wide range of hooks, clips, shelves, bins, racks, jars, and other storage accessories that you can arrange and rearrange to suit your changing needs. Use them to organize any combination of household tools, supplies and belongings. Cost: 30 cents to $15 each.

How and where to use pegboard

• Garage: Behind the workbench or on any wall, pegboard organizes tools, measuring tapes, lawn maintenance gear, sporting goods, fishing equipment, and more.

• Laundry room: Specialized racks, shelves, and bins hold the ironing board and iron, as well as clothespins and other wash day supplies.

• Basement: Seasonal décor, extension cords, and tools are some of the goods you might want to organize here.

• Hobby room: Create a station for wrapping gifts, making crafts, or scrapbooking using tilt-out bins, twine holders, shelves, and jars to organize supplies.

• Kitchen: Julia Child kept all her kitchen gear on pegboards on kitchen walls and backsplashes. If you prefer to keep paraphernalia out of sight, install pegboard on the back of a pantry door or inside a kitchen closet.

• Bathroom: Round up ribbons, hairpins, the hairdryer, toiletries, and other necessities—all on pegboard applied to the back of the bathroom door or inside cabinet doors.

• Bedroom: Shelves and racks on pegboard provide a hip means for organizing jewelry, belts, scarves, bags, books, magazines, CDs, and DVDs. Install a sheet on the wall or inside an armoire or closet.

• Living room: For a hip, industrial look, us a metal strip pegboard to hang a revolving display of photographs or artwork.

• Music room: Literature racks store sheet music on pegboard; guitar hangers are also available.

With four home renovations to her credit, Jan Soults Walker is a devotee of improvements, products, and trends for the home and garden. For 25 years she’s written for a number of national home shelter publications, and has authored 18 books on home improvement and decorating.