First, you get the pegboard. Next, you get the right hooks to level up the usefulness and functionality of the board.
Typical pegboard accessories include hooks of different sizes, shapes, and styles for hanging various items and solve your storage troubles. Some of the most useful and very common pegboard attachments are J-Hooks and L-Hooks, which you can use for hanging everyday tools and a myriad of items.
If you’ve tried buying pegboard hooks, you’ll know there’s a gazillion of them to choose from. But there’s no need for trial and error when it comes to getting the perfect pegboard hook for your needs. No one should!
This guide will help you discover different pegboard hooks and the different objects and items they can carry.
What Kind of Hooks Do I Need for a Pegboard?
The best thing about organizing using pegboard is it offers tons of versatility. You can arrange hooks any way you want to hang about anything on the board. The rule is – there are no rules when it comes to pegboards.
That being said, some pegboard hooks are more convenient than others, depending on what items or tools you want to hang. Check out the different options of hooks for pegboard you can use.
Types of Hook Material
Generally, you can find pegboard hooks made of two different materials: plastic and metal.
Metal pegboard hooks are the most common, and they offer the best durability and function than their plastic counterpart. Although metal hooks are considerably more expensive, the price is worth spending if you want more versatility in your pegboard organizer.
Plastic pegboard hooks may be the cheaper option, but they won’t have the same weight capacity as the metal ones. You can still use plastic hooks to hang items on the pegboard, but they are ideally limited to smaller and lighter pieces. Otherwise, they will only break apart.
Plastic hooks are suitable for mounting pen holders, jewelry, and other light materials. But if practicality is what you’re after, metal pegboard hooks are ultimately the better choice.
Types of Pegboard Hooks
Pegboard hooks come in various types, each with its specific use. Knowing which types are available allows you to plan your pegboard organizer layout easier.
1. J Hook
As its name suggests, a J hook has a letter “J” shape and is perhaps the most common type of hook for pegboard. It’s also the easiest to use, designed for the simple hanging of tools: saws, box cutters, painting supplies, small ropes, and virtually any items you can hang, including jewelry and keys.
J hooks come in various sizes, but most companies have these in ¼ inch pegboard hooks. If you need a bigger one, you can also find J hooks in as large as 1.5-inches. No matter the size, this type of pegboard hook can typically support up to 10 pounds.
2. Angled L Hook
Like the J hook, the angled L hook is also true to its name and can hold the same items that a J hook can. Their only difference is the shape of the hook. In contrast, the J hook has one end curving upward, the L hook curves straight. The L hooks can also significantly hold more items than a J hook without crowding.
The angled L shape offers more space to hang items. It’s ideal for holding things like several electrical tapes, handsaws, heat guns, and other items you want to hang together.
3. Box Hook
Box hooks look nothing like the previous J and angled L hooks. It is shorter and thicker, shaped like a box, and designed to hold bigger, bulkier items. It adds more flexibility to your pegboard organizer for holding items you can’t hang, like wrenches, hammers, screwdrivers, and pliers.
But unlike J and L hooks, where you can mount several items together, box hooks only cater to a single item.
4. Ring Tool Holder
Like the box hook, ring tool holders are for mounting odds and pieces you can’t hang on J and L hooks. But unlike the square shape of the box hook, this one features a two-ringed prong attached to a u-shape end that sticks to the peg holes.
This type of pegboard hook is best suited for lining up a collection of tools like paintbrushes, files, screwdrivers, and other items cluttered inside the toolbox. A ring tool holder makes it easy and convenient to organize smaller, collective items, so they are always handy whenever you need them. It’s also a cool way to showcase your tool collection.
5. Multi-Tool Holder
Although ring tool holders are fantastic, you probably have other tools that don’t fit in those tiny rings. Good thing that there are also multi-tool holder pegboard hooks available. Instead of the small ring in a ring tool holder, the multi-tool option comes with a larger U shape sticking out. There’s no limit to what tools you can mount on this one, as long as it fits.
Multi-tool holders are wider than most pegboard hooks, but they will still fit snugly, just like other ¼ inch pegboard hooks.
Besides all these types of hooks for pegboards, there are many other accessories to make a pegboard organizer more versatile. Some of what you can find in stores include:
- Pegboard gun hooks
- Can holders for pegboards
- Pegboard shelves, bins, and baskets
- Bicycle hooks
Pegboard Hook Size
So, you have the pegboard installed. Now is the best time to stack up on the pegboard essentials. But before you buy pegboard hooks, do you know the right size to get?
Yes, pegboard hooks come in different sizes, and they should match the pegboard hole size. Typically, pegboard hooks come in a standard size that should fit snugly on any standard pegboard hole, but there is always an exception. Plus, it’s always wise to double-check before you end up with hooks you can’t use.
Here’s a simple guide – pegboard holes come in two sizes: the smaller 3/16 and the larger 9/32-inch holes.
The smaller 3/16-inch hole is for holding 1/8-inch pegboard hooks, while the larger 9/32-inch hole is for accommodating ¼ inch pegboard hooks.
Here’s why choosing the right-sized pegboard hooks is essential. For instance:
- If you have a 9/32-inch holed pegboard and your hook is 1/8-inch, it will still fit. But since the pegs are of smaller diameter, they will tend to fall off, especially when mounting out taking out items from the hooks.
- Meanwhile, if you have the smaller 3/16-inch holed pegboard, the ¼ inch pegboard hooks wouldn’t fit at all.
How Much Weight Can a Pegboard Hook Carry?
Pegboard hooks differ in a lot of things, like style, size, and material. Hence, they will also have different weight capacities, so it’s important to check how much a pegboard hook can support before purchase.
For instance, these coated double utility hooks from Dorman can only handle up to 10 pounds. It’s suitable for mounting smaller power tools and shovels.
But these chrome-plated pegboard hooks from POETISKE are 2-inches long and can hold items up to 20 pounds. They will fit both 9/32-inch and 3/16-inch pegboards and are good for medium-duty use.
How to Secure Pegboard Hooks from Falling Off?
Pegboard hooks have small spikes at the back that lock into the pegboard holes to keep them in place. If you used the correct-sized hooks, it should be snug, but the peg holes can enlarge over time. When it happens, it can be virtually impossible to keep those hooks in place.
You don’t have to replace the entire pegboard just yet. You can buy pegboard hook locks or retainers. These are often made of plastic or wire that clips over the peg hook and fits into the adjacent holes, securing the hook in place. Pegboard hook locks work with most standard ¼ inch pegboard hooks as well as 1/8-inch peg hooks.
The next time you buy additional hooks for pegboard, you might also want to opt for those with a double-peg attachment. The extra peg will make the hook more secure.
FAQs:
How to use pegboard hooks?
Pegboard hooks look like your typical industrial hooks but with one or more barbs or pegs at the back portion. These small barbs will lock onto the holes of the pegboard, keeping them in place. If you used the correct pegboard hooks according to the size of the pegboard hole, then the hook should fit in place without falling off.
Where to buy pegboard hooks?
Pegboard hooks are one of the most common pegboard accessories, so you should be able to find them where you can purchase pegboards. Local hardware stores and supercenters will also have them, as well as online marketplaces like Amazon.
How to keep pegboard hooks from falling off?
If the pegboard hooks keep falling off, there are only two possible reasons for that. Either you purchased pegboard hooks that are a little too small for the pegboard holes, or the holes have expanded. The latter is pretty common for older, worn-out pegboards.
Thankfully, pegboard hook locks can help pegboard hooks from falling off. The locks are easy to use and can secure the hooks and prevent them from pulling out accidentally during usage.
