Perforated hardboard
Encyclopedia
Perforated hardboard is tempered hardboard
which is pre-drilled with evenly spaced holes. The holes are used to accept pegs or hooks to support various items, such as tools in a workshop. Pegboard is a brand name of this product that is often used as a generic term
for perforated storage boards made of hardboard, wood
, metal
, or other material. It is commonly used in retail settings along with steel rods sticking out to hold peggable products such as bagged potato chips, printer ink, and action figures.
Standard perforated hardboard is made of wood fibers, usually with the addition of resin
, and tempered by coating with a thin layer of linseed oil
and baking at a high temperature to polymerize the oil. This provides more water and impact resistance, hardness, rigidity and tensile strength. Hardboard will bend and warp with age and in the presence of moisture, and will sag under heavy weight (the exact weight is based on the dimensions and quality of the hardboard) unless secured to even weight distribution among several mounting points.
Perforated wood is more labor intensive to manufacture and will warp and splinter under heavy loads, but is sometimes selected for aesthetic reasons. An inexpensive wood such as pine
is often used, and it may be chemically treated for strength and fire retardant
characteristics or turned into plywood
first. Perforated wood may be mounted as a thin strip instead of the more square shape of perforated hardboard.
Metal pegboard systems are usually made out of steel
. Metal pegboards are usually mounted in strips, as it would be comparatively costly, cumbersome and inefficient to sell in larger sheets. Sufficiently thick metal pegboards will not sag between mounting points. Instead, the system's mounting on surfaces such as wood
beams or sheetrock will usually fail under a heavy weight before the metal pegboard does. Manufacturers advise customers to hang tools and other gear based on the estimated strength of the mounting points. High quality metal pegboard systems use extruded
holes, while other systems have the holes drilled after casting
.
hooks. These are usually mounted by hand and support themselves with gravity alone, though some systems use screws instead. These screws can be supported by additional straps to prevent the metal from bending under a significant load. The hooks in turn act as storage for a variety of objects such as tools and keys
. Heavy duty metal systems can support the heaviest objects, such as push lawnmowers and vertically stored bicycles.
These storage systems are usually mounted in utility areas of a household such as a garage
, storage shed
or workshop
. They may also be used in professional environments such as factories, but are rarely seen in more white collar
areas of a workplace.
Hardboard
Hardboard, also called high-density fiberboard , not to be confused with 'hardwood', is a type of fiberboard, which is an engineered wood product....
which is pre-drilled with evenly spaced holes. The holes are used to accept pegs or hooks to support various items, such as tools in a workshop. Pegboard is a brand name of this product that is often used as a generic term
Genericized trademark
A genericized trademark is a trademark or brand name that has become the colloquial or generic description for, or synonymous with, a general class of product or service, rather than as an indicator of source or affiliation as intended by the trademark's holder...
for perforated storage boards made of hardboard, wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
, metal
Metal
A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...
, or other material. It is commonly used in retail settings along with steel rods sticking out to hold peggable products such as bagged potato chips, printer ink, and action figures.
Materials
Perforated hardboard and similar systems are made of a variety of materials, each of which has different characteristics that affect the range of possible uses.Standard perforated hardboard is made of wood fibers, usually with the addition of resin
Resin
Resin in the most specific use of the term is a hydrocarbon secretion of many plants, particularly coniferous trees. Resins are valued for their chemical properties and associated uses, such as the production of varnishes, adhesives, and food glazing agents; as an important source of raw materials...
, and tempered by coating with a thin layer of linseed oil
Linseed oil
Linseed oil, also known as flaxseed oil, is a clear to yellowish oil obtained from the dried ripe seeds of the flax plant . The oil is obtained by cold pressing, sometimes followed by solvent extraction...
and baking at a high temperature to polymerize the oil. This provides more water and impact resistance, hardness, rigidity and tensile strength. Hardboard will bend and warp with age and in the presence of moisture, and will sag under heavy weight (the exact weight is based on the dimensions and quality of the hardboard) unless secured to even weight distribution among several mounting points.
Perforated wood is more labor intensive to manufacture and will warp and splinter under heavy loads, but is sometimes selected for aesthetic reasons. An inexpensive wood such as pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
is often used, and it may be chemically treated for strength and fire retardant
Fire retardant
A fire retardant is a substance other than water that reduces flammability of fuels or delays their combustion. This typically refers to chemical retardants but may also include substances that work by physical action, such as cooling the fuels; examples of these include fire-fighting foams and...
characteristics or turned into plywood
Plywood
Plywood is a type of manufactured timber made from thin sheets of wood veneer. It is one of the most widely used wood products. It is flexible, inexpensive, workable, re-usable, and can usually be locally manufactured...
first. Perforated wood may be mounted as a thin strip instead of the more square shape of perforated hardboard.
Metal pegboard systems are usually made out of steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
. Metal pegboards are usually mounted in strips, as it would be comparatively costly, cumbersome and inefficient to sell in larger sheets. Sufficiently thick metal pegboards will not sag between mounting points. Instead, the system's mounting on surfaces such as wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
beams or sheetrock will usually fail under a heavy weight before the metal pegboard does. Manufacturers advise customers to hang tools and other gear based on the estimated strength of the mounting points. High quality metal pegboard systems use extruded
Extrusion
Extrusion is a process used to create objects of a fixed cross-sectional profile. A material is pushed or drawn through a die of the desired cross-section...
holes, while other systems have the holes drilled after casting
Casting
In metalworking, casting involves pouring liquid metal into a mold, which contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then allowing it to cool and solidify. The solidified part is also known as a casting, which is ejected or broken out of the mold to complete the process...
.
Typical functions
Perforated hardboard and similar systems are designed to support pegPEG
PEG or Peg may refer to:Devices* Clothes peg* Tent peg* Tuning peg, on a musical instrument* Piton, in climbing* Part of a flatland BMX bicycleScience, medicince and computing...
hooks. These are usually mounted by hand and support themselves with gravity alone, though some systems use screws instead. These screws can be supported by additional straps to prevent the metal from bending under a significant load. The hooks in turn act as storage for a variety of objects such as tools and keys
Key (lock)
A key is an instrument that is used to operate a lock. A typical key consists of two parts: the blade, which slides into the keyway of the lock and distinguishes between different keys, and the bow, which is left protruding so that torque can be applied by the user. The blade is usually intended to...
. Heavy duty metal systems can support the heaviest objects, such as push lawnmowers and vertically stored bicycles.
These storage systems are usually mounted in utility areas of a household such as a garage
Garage (house)
A residential garage is part of a home, or an associated building, designed or used for storing a vehicle or vehicles. In some places the term is used synonymously with "carport", though that term normally describes a structure that is not completely enclosed.- British residential garages:Those...
, storage shed
Shed
A shed is typically a simple, single-storey structure in a back garden or on an allotment that is used for storage, hobbies, or as a workshop....
or workshop
Workshop
A workshop is a room or building which provides both the area and tools that may be required for the manufacture or repair of manufactured goods...
. They may also be used in professional environments such as factories, but are rarely seen in more white collar
White-collar worker
The term white-collar worker refers to a person who performs professional, managerial, or administrative work, in contrast with a blue-collar worker, whose job requires manual labor...
areas of a workplace.
Typical dimensions and layout
These dimensions apply to standardized hardboard systems. Other systems may use their own spacing.| Type | Spacing | Thickness | Hole dia. |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1" | 1/8" | 3/16" |
| B | 1" | 1/4" | 1/4" |
External links
- Pegboard and Custom Color Pegboard: http://www.askthebuilder.com/571_Pegboard_and_Custom_Color_Pegboard.shtml
- Ironsides Storage Solutions (Metal Pegboards, Hooks and Strappers): http://www.holeyrail.com/