How to Install Pegboard Like an Expert!

Learn how to install pegboard so that it’s nice and sturdy for tools. 

About the One Room Challenge

It’s Week 3 of the One Room Challenge and things are starting to come together nicely. I’m normally panicking at this point about all the things that need to be done, so this is a nice change of pace.

I’ll admit that it’s a little frustrating to work on a work space. We find ourselves joking about needing a workbench to build a workbench. After hubby cut himself while rummaging through a cart of loose tools, installing a new pegboard became the next priority. 

I’m a guest participant in the One Room Challenge and I’m making over my garage in just 6 weeks! Huge thanks to Linda at Calling It Home for inspiring so many of us to get rooms done!

Week 1 | Design Plans

Week 2 | Staining an Old Concrete Floor

Week 3 | This post

Bonus | How to Paint a Wood Grain Pattern

Week 4 | Scrap Wood Wall

Week 5 | Organizing Tips for a Garage

Week 6 | Adding a Retractable Extension Cord to a Garage

Week 7 | Garage Reveal

How much weight can a pegboard hold?

According to a quick search on google, a pegboard can hold 100 pounds if properly installed. 

Can pegboard be painted?

Yes! I’ve used both spray paint and latex paint to paint pegboard. The trick is to use thin coats so that the holes don’t get clogged. 

We used a fun wood grain pattern on these pegboards. 

 Pegboard Before

Our old pegboard was put up quickly without a lot of thought. It began to sag under the weight of all the tools.

pegboard before

Hubby was totes jelly of my awesome pegboards that I made for my craft space. Who can blame him? 😉 So new ones for the garage were in order.

craft pegboard

How to Install Pegboard

Supplies Needed

This post contains affiliate links. By purchasing an item through an affiliate link, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. 

• Pegboard***
• 1×2″s (enough for each side)
• Screws
• Level
• Drill or driver
• Nail gun
• Studfinder

***While shopping, we found that not all pegboard is created equally. If you want a sturdy pegboard, you need to look for the thickest board you can find! In our store, that meant the 4’x4′ pieces that were not primed. Instead of buying 1 sheet of 4’x8′ pegboard, we bought 2 4’x4′ pieces because they were so much thicker. This also helps for transport if you don’t have a truck! Bonus!

Prepare Your Pegboard

1. We started by spraying our pegboard white. I didn’t do a full coat because we planned on doing a fun wood grain painting technique over the top anyways.
2. Once the pegboard was dry, we added our painted wood grain, which turned out super cool. Tutorial for painted wood grain is here. It looks more intimidating than it is. Promise. Two panels took about 30 minutes.
3. Since we used gel stain, we had to let the wood dry overnight.

Installing the Pegboard

1. Once it was dry, we flipped each piece over and added a 1×2″ frame around 3 sides. Since we were joining 2 pieces of pegboard, we centered a single 1×2″ to bridge the center on the 4th side. This adds stability without sacrificing too many holes. If you use a 1×2″ frame for all 4 sides of each panel, you lose 4 rows of holes total. It’s worth it to gain more storage. The wood frame was attached with a nail gun. (This is just to tack it in place. When you attach the panels to the walls, it will be nice and secure.) 
2. Using a level, make sure your panels are straight and screw them into the wall into studs through the 1x2s.  Make sure that you leave enough space at the bottom for tools that hang low. 
3. Attach the 2nd panel. Because we used a single center 1×2 brace, it was a tight fit. Butt the pieces as close as you can get them and attach the second panel in the same manner. 
4. Admire your handiwork. It’s nice to have a pegboard that looks as cool as it functions! Bonus points if you painted it with a cool design! Now that you know how to install pegboard, you can use it everywhere. It’s also great for craft rooms!
5. Fill with tools after you’ve installed the pegboard. This is the fun part. Notice how much space we gained even though we added larger tools to the space. 

Please note that when you buy the thicker pegboard, not all hooks will work 100% with it. Some hooks work better with thinner pegboard. You’ll want the thicker prongs.

Join me next week to see more progress and learn how I’m organizing this space. Hint: we threw a lot away! 😉

Still to do:

• Finish organizing
• Wood panel wall
• Change light fixtures out
• Get garage doors installed
• Paint last workbench

It’s so nice that we’re able to work in the garage again. I’m loving how open it feels. My son had a friend over this weekend and his mom commented on how she had never seen such a clean garage. Lady, don’t look at the rest of my house!! Eek!

Update: Want to see the reveal? Click here!

You might also like:

• How to Install Shiplap in a Bathroom
• How to Install Shelf Brackets
• How to Install Cabinets for Built-ins

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