Pegboard: Still a Classic Storage Solution for Today
Photo: Flickr
As a kid growing up, I remember visiting my grandparents’ house and heading straight for granddad’s garage. It was immaculate, had all kinds of fun stuff, and everything was ALWAYS in its place. He didn’t have closets where he could hide everything from A to Z, but he did have Pegboard from floor to ceiling. It was a dull brownish shade and definitely not pretty, but it did serve the purpose of keeping all of his Sears tools organized, visible and always at the ready.
Related: Pegboard Storage: A Classic for All-Time
Although Pegboard—popularized in the 1950s—has taken a back seat to more recent storage/organizing innovations, it is still a clever, simple, and inexpensive way to keep everything from tools to crafts to kitchen cookware and utensils in place.
For some back history: Pegboard—a brand name—is essentially a composition hardboard with an overall grid pattern of pre-drilled holes. The practice of placing a hook in the board, hanging a tool, and tracing an outline with a Magic Marker made it a big hit for homeowners in the 1950s. Of course, America’s love affair with the automobile during the same period may have helped fuel the board’s popularity, according to Kenneth Allender, a Home Depot How-To Community Expert. “The American garage needed organization and Pegboard was the answer,” he says.
Lowe’s 43-piece Pegboard Organizer Kit
Today’s Pegboard is not just for the garage anymore. It now comes in pre-finished colors, in thicknesses of 1/4″ and 1/8″, with a variety of reconfigurable hooks, and even mounting rails for support and framing options. You can even find plastic and metal variations. Best of all, it’s inexpensive. A standard piece of 4′ x 8′ Pegboard retails for about $40 and you can pick up a 43-piece set of hanging hardware for under $12 at Lowe’s.
I started thinking of all the ways that Pegboard would help me organize my life. My dog’s leash, which I am forever misplacing, would have a permanent place. I could install some shelves to hold old books and magazines. And, it would definitely help me keep my tools and other items organized in my garage and basement. The more I think about it, I realize that the possibilities are endless. Granddad would be proud!
To see how Pegboard is being used for storage solutions today, check out Pegboard Storage: A Classic for All-Time
For more on storage and organization, consider:
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