When I was last working on the garage, I installed a pegboard. Let me tell you, it's been a-MAZ-ing! It got a lot of loose stuff off the shelves, things that didn't fit in bins or otherwise just didn't go there.
Have I mentioned I'm on a decluttering kick? One thing I've noticed about this process (or lack thereof) is that I declutter the garage, and in the process I move stuff into the house. Then I declutter part of the house, and I move stuff into the garage. It's not the SAME stuff, but the piles keep building up regardless. Add to that, the need to take Halloween and Christmas decorations back and forth from the attic, and I think I may never get anywhere with this!
Anyway, just an observation.
I started with this tutorial from Positively Splendid, who happens to have a similar heart favicon as my site so clearly it was meant to be. Her post had great instructions, I found.
After I bought all the materials recommended in the tutorial I linked to above I started by cutting the 1x2s to use for furring strips. Because the pegboard hangers need to stick through the pegboard to the other side, there has to be room between the back of the pegboard and the wall. That's what the furring strips are for.
I pulled out our jigsaw, which predates our marriage...I seriously don't know how old this thing is, but it still works like a charm. It's kind of a pain to find new blades, because newer jigsaws use a T-shank and this one uses a U-shank, but they're around. I just have to remember not to buy the wrong kind.
And yes, that's my old kitchen table. I don't have a workbench so it's a decent substitute for now.
Once the furring strips had been cut to length, I needed to screw them into the wall. I had to actually buy a stud finder. I think the last time I used one, I was about 10 years old and bored, and it was something to play with. It was one of those old ones with a magnet and the little dangly things...do you have any idea what I mean? I tried to find a picture on Google for you but apparently no one else is nostalgic about 1970s stud finders. Maybe I'll locate it on my next trip to my parents' house.
Update: my mom found it and sent a photo!
Anyway this electronic model worked great. Of course, my husband asked why I needed a stud finder, since I obviously already had a stud. He's a hoot. :)
These are the furring strips after I attached them to the wall. They weren't perfectly spaced but close enough...this is a garage, after all! So three 48" 1x2s attached with 22" between each one. And level if I do say so myself.
Now, someone needs to tell me why it's so blasted hard to screw wood screws into studs. I stripped several screw heads, even after adjusting the chuck on the drill. Even if I pre-drilled the holes, it was still hard. Literally my arms were sore for two days after! At least I could skip arm day at the gym. (I don't go to the gym so I actually don't have an arm day to skip, but if I did, I could have.)
With the furring strips in place, the two 24x48" pegboards went on much more easily. The boards were heavy so I did need help from my son to hold them in place while I screwed them into the strips, but there was no upper body workout and delayed onset muscle soreness to go along with this step.
Once the boards were hung, I started adding the different pegboard holder accessories I bought. It was a combo pack at Lowes, which I chose because I really didn't know what I would need.
You can see just some of the junk I was able to get off the shelves here. Saws, a painter straight edge, the hammer, clamps, my safety googles, etc. I've added a lot more since then.
And for fun, I hung up the Jimmy Buffet sign (that we've had almost as long as the jigsaw!) above the breaker panel. It's not a style I would want in my house, but it's fun in the garage.
One more surprising benefit, and I know this is going to sound odd, but the pegboard smells great! Every time I go into the garage I smell the fresh wood. I guess I'm weird like that.
Inspired? If so, head on over to Positively Splendid to see her full set of instructions.
Leave a Reply