Project by Kaizen DIY
Introduction
What’s up, everyone? I am Kyle from Kaizen DIY Gym. In this video, I’ll show you how I upgraded the storage in my gym and my workshop using Wall Control.
Ok, so technically, this is not a DIY storage solution, but it is an easy way to organize things in the gym; I have one aspect of this tutorial that requires some woodworking, but we’ll get to that later.
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First, I am going to start in my garage. Before getting all these Wall Control panels, I used traditional pegboard. They work, but they’re kind of a pain to install and can’t handle much weight.
I remove the tools, then the pegs, then the pegboards.
Traditional pegboard is flat, so when installing, you need thin strips of wood around the border to offset it from the wall. Otherwise, you can’t get the pegs in. Not only does this add to cost and installation time, but it also makes the perimeter of the pegboard unusable.
Wall Control panels are much easier to install. You can screw them directly onto the wall, either into studs or with the included drywall anchors.
They go up quickly. I use a level to make sure they’re straight and just sort of eyeball it to ensure they’re all even with each other.
After replacing my pegboards, I attach this smaller panel near the door.
Now this project is done. It’s got a nice clean look to it. Swapping everything over was pretty quick.
The next project is something I’ve wanted to do for a while. Before I start, I will say it is somewhat of a gray area regarding legality. I am going to cover my breaker box with two Wall Control panels.
It is an eyesore, albeit very necessary, in my home, but a couple of months back, I saw a post by Man Who Parks in Gym where he covered his breaker box with a couple of Wall Control panels, which sparked a fire in me.
With space being one of the most significant limiting factors in the home gym, the more stuff you can hang up and get off the floor, the better.
Covering your breaker box is technically against the code and may prevent you from passing a home inspection. “The circuit breaker box must be accessible without moving or lifting any objects. A three-foot clearance should be maintained around the box.”
That said, YouTube is chock full of videos showing creative ways to hide a breaker box. So don’t get mad at me, bro; I’m not the first to do this. Use caution and proceed at your own risk.
To cover my breaker box, I need to build a wood frame around it to attach the Wall Control panels to.
My gym is located in my unfinished basement. The previous owners attempted to finish the basement DIY style but only got as far as putting up 2x4s and adding some drywall. As with many DIYs, the work’s quality isn’t excellent, and many of the 2x4s are crooked.
The wood frame will have to compensate for those inaccuracies.
I create a frame that is the width and height of my two Wall Control panels. I leave the top of the frame open due to the electrical wires coming out of the box.
The Wall Control panels will be on hinges so they can open like French doors allowing quick access to the box.
I cut up some pieces of plywood to mount the panels to. You might recognize this plywood. In my previous life, it was my deadlift platform.
Once everything is cut to size, I apply some ebony wood stain to compliment the color of the black panels.
I attached the panels to the plywood with 1-inch screws and added two door hinges to each panel.
Fortunately, all of my measurements were correct, and the frame fits perfectly around the box.
I attach the panels to the frame, simultaneously holding the panel, putting in screws, and ensuring everything is even.
In retrospect, it would have been nice to have help for this part.
I pop in some magnets to help keep it closed without using a latch. They’re not perfect, but they work well enough.
In my opinion, hanging everything up is the fun part. It’s like playing Tetris with gym accessories.
Once that is done, I have two smaller panels to hang up.
Because my basement is unfinished, I need to make another frame to attach these panels.
This is easier because I don’t need the panels to open up. I make a rectangle with 2x4s and attach it to the studs. Once that is secure, the Wall Control panels go up quickly.
The last thing I want to mention before I go is a hook strategy. I went into this blind and ordered a bunch of random hooks, not knowing which ones or how many I needed. There is plenty of info on the Wall Control website about which themes are suitable for which tools, so I am only going to focus on home gym stuff.
There are really just five hooks I’d buy if doing it all over again.
Standard slotted hook – these are great for small items or single items with a low profile – lat handles and stuff
Medium slotted hook – these are longer, and I used them for my carabiners, some hitch pins, and my leg rollers.
Long reach slotted hook – longer still; these were great for hitch pins and lower weight bars.
Paint brush hook storage pegs – I used these quite a lot too.
And lastly, extended reach hook – great for longer and heavier items.
Wall Control panels also accept regular peg board hooks, which I used a bit in my garage, but they are lose fitting and can be annoying if they fall off when grabbing something.
And that’s it; this installation is done. It makes a huge difference in my gym. Not only does it look so much better, but it gets a lot of stuff off the floor and makes the gym feel more spacious.
What do you think? Do you use Wall Control? Is it worth the price? Let me know in the comment section below.