Different Types of Pegboard: Get Organized in the New Year

 

With 2019 officially just days away, people across the country will be adding “get more organized” to their list of New Year’s resolutions. A pegboard is a simple and useful way to organize various items and keep clutter to a minimum.

What to Organize with a Pegboard

Tools are one of the most common items that people choose to organize with a pegboard. A large pegboard in the garage just above a work area is extremely convenient for any type of job. With a hammer, wrench, pliers, and other tools so handy, a homeowner may not even need to get up from his or her chair to find the proper tool. Some other popular uses for pegboard include:

• Kitchen supplies: There’s nothing worse for cooks than needing to measure an ingredient and not being able to locate a measuring cup. Keeping this and other kitchen supplies such as a rolling pin and spatula nearby on a pegboard make this frustration a thing of the past.
• Home office supplies: While some people put everything they need into desk drawers, others prefer to have items closer to them to grab as needed. A pegboard above a desk can hold an eraser, paper clips, a stapler, and other common home office supplies. An extra bonus is that this takes up less floor space.
• A place to store valuable collections: Half of the fun of collecting specific items is putting them on display for others to admire. A pegboard in a bedroom, living room, or home office is perfect for this purpose.

The possibilities for organization with a pegboard are nearly endless. The above represent just four popular uses.

Understanding the Different Types of Pegboards

There are a few different types of pegboard with Masonite being the most common. Masonite is constructed from resin and compressed wood fiber and then painted over with a thin coating of oil. Some of the benefits of using Masonite include that it’s readily available, affordable, and customers have the option of 1/4-inch or 1/8-inch openings. Some drawbacksare that Masonite is vulnerable to weather elements, the 1/8-inch openings are inadequate to hang larger tools, and the necessity of using furring strips that can limit the number of holes available for use.

Metal pegboards are constructed from steel and offer greater sturdiness and strength than Masonite. It’s easy to clean and has a long lifespan because it’s resistant to sagging and warping. On the downside, it’s the most expensive of the pegboards, is heavy, and can conduct electricity. That means it’s inadvisable to use a metal pegboard in a garage with exposed wiring.

Plastic or acrylic pegboards are lightweight, come in a variety of sizes, comes ready to mount, and are strong enough to hold the largest tools. Some homeowners don’t care for the aesthetics of this type of pegboard, but the combination of ease-of-use, cost-efficiency, durability, and light weight is appealing to many.

It may take some trial and error for people to find their preferred type of pegboard. The good news is that all three types can help them achieve their resolution to become more organized in the new year.