Having a messy or cluttered garage or shed can make it difficult to find what you need when you need it. This is where an organizational system like pegboards or French cleats comes in handy, as they can help you keep your tools and equipment organized and easy to find. But which organizational system is better for you; French cleats or pegboards?
Choosing between French cleats and pegboards can be a difficult decision. French cleats and pegboards have benefits and drawbacks that can sway your decision. For example, pegboards are cheaper to install than French cleats. So, the choice is based on your preference and what you can afford.
What are the benefits and disadvantages of using French cleats in your home, garage, or shed? How do these compare with the benefits and drawbacks of using pegboards? Let’s find out!
Pegboard Vs. French Cleat: What You Need To Know
Whether you are trying to declutter your garage so you can find all your tools easily or you are revamping your home and your garage or shed to make it look better and more organized, you will most likely be looking at installing an organization system.
All garage systems will utilize the wall space you have in your garage to help organize your things and keep clutter away from the floor. This will allow you to use your garage safely for what it was intended for, parking your car, and other places of your home and garden that you haven’t been able to use due to clutter.
There are many options that will get the job done, but two are more popular than the others. These two popular choices are pegboard and French cleat organization systems.
These two garage systems have their advantages and their disadvantages to using them. Let’s go through these more in-depth to better understand the benefits and drawbacks of both organization systems, which will help you choose which one is best for you.
Advantages Of Using Pegboard
Pegboard is also referred to as perforated hardboard. This is a board of wood that has holes evenly spaced throughout it. These holes are drilled beforehand, so no extra assembly tools are required.
Pegboards are an excellent option for an organizational system that has been around for decades. Pegboard is often easy to find and use. It can easily help you organize your garage or tool shed, making it look exactly how you have always wanted it to look.
Pegboards are also easy to install and do not require much effort on your side to get the organization system up and running and ready to use. Pegboards come in different materials, as you can buy metal pegboards as well.
However, the most common pegboards are made from wood. Wood pegboards are generally very cost-effective, and you can use them in many different areas of your home, not just your garage or shed.
Disadvantages Of Using Pegboard
Even though pegboards are one of the most common organizational systems for houses, garages, and sheds today, they have a few disadvantages that you should be aware of before deciding that the pegboard system is the one for you.
Pegboards are not incredibly strong. They can begin to sag from their mounting point or even break if you hang too many items on them or if the items you hang on them are pretty heavy.
The appearance of pegboards is a lot more outdated than those of the newer, sleeker options on the market. So, if you want a modern look to your home, pegboards won’t fit in.
Even though pegboards are used to organize tools and other equipment, they can look very disorganized and cluttered if you hang too many items on them at once.
This does mean that if you have a lot of tools and equipment to hang, you will need multiple pegboards in your garage or shed to ensure everything still looks organized.
When you use pegboard as your organizational system, you will be limited to what you can hang on it without damaging or breaking the pegboard. For example, you can hang your tools up perfectly fine, but the pegboard is not the option for you if you need to hang a bicycle on the wall.
Advantages Of Using French Cleat
Now that we have gone through the benefits and drawbacks of using pegboards, we can now see how pegboards compare to the benefits and drawbacks of a French cleat organizational system.
The French cleat organizational system is made from interlocking metal or wooden wedges that can then hold many different objects to the wall of your home, garage, or shed securely.
French cleat systems allow you to safely and easily attach and dismount your tools and equipment to the wall with minimal effort. French cleats tend to be surprisingly strong and can hold a good amount of weight on them.
This means you can easily hang your heavier tools up without the system sagging or breaking. In fact, with French cleats, the heavier the item is that you hang on it, the stronger the cleat’s grip seems to be on the item. This ensures it will stay in place until you take it off.
French cleat systems are generally affordable, and they have a more modern and sleeker look. The French cleat system is quick and easy to use, ensuring that you can access your tools and equipment with ease.
Disadvantages Of Using French Cleat
French cleat systems have some great benefits, but they also have some drawbacks that you should be aware of. French cleat systems require more effort to install than pegboard systems, and they can take a while to set up before they are ready to be used.
Even though they are still relatively affordable, French cleat systems are more expensive than pegboard systems. So, if you have a reduced budget, then French cleats may not be for you.
The strength of the French cleats will depend on a few factors, including the type of wood they are made from, the length of the cleats, and the type of fasteners you use to install the French cleats to your wall.
These aspects will depend on your budget, so if you have a lower budget, your French cleats may not be as strong as you were expecting.
Which Organizational Wall System Is Better For You?
Determining which system out of these two choices is the best for you will depend on several factors. These include how much you need to hang up on the system, what appearance you want when the system is on your walls, and your budget.
If you don’t care about the system’s appearance and don’t have much to hang up on, you can go for the pegboard option. If you care about appearances and have a lot to hang, then the French cleat system may be better for you.
If you have a low budget and don’t have much to hang up, you can opt for the pegboard. If you are working with more financial resources and want lots of space to hang things up, then the French cleat option is good for you.
However, in the end, the best choice of organizational system for you will be up to your personal preference and your wallet.
Conclusion
The pegboard and the French cleat systems are great for organizational purposes in your home, garage, and shed. Both have their benefits and drawbacks to using them. Still, deciding which one is best for your requirements will depend on your personal preference and what you need to hang up. Good luck deciding on your organizational system!
References
https://www.aclosetgallery.com/slatwall-vs-pegboard-which-is-better-for-your-garage
https://woodnewsonline.com/DTEW/1110oct/downtoearthwoodworker2.html