Sure, you want to organize the garage (basement, utility room). And Slide-Lok’s Slat-Wall will help with that. But the reason to buy one is absolutely its phenomenal working beauty. Made of tough plastic resin, the Slat-Wall looks just like wooden siding, complete with a “natural” wood grain. But its grooves firmly hold steel baskets and hooks that neatly provide a place for everything. Color-matched screws do not detract from the overall appearance, even if you use a lot of them.

Preparation

The Slat-Wall pieces come precut, in four one-by-eight-foot planks. If the space where you want to install it doesn’t accommodate this size, you can do the cutting yourself or take the planks to the lumber department at your local home improvement store. Call ahead — some stores do not offer this service unless you purchased the product from them. In my case, the power saw operator waived the fifty-cent-per-cut fee, made quick work of the resizing and sent me happily on my way.

 

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Tools you will need at home are a drill with a square recess bit (for driving the screws), a level and a stud finder. The manufacturer also recommends safety glasses.

Installation

The instructions claim you can set up your Slat-Wall by yourself. But possessing only average strength and coordination, I found I could not hold the Slat-Wall piece against my carefully leveled pencil line and at the same time drive a screw through it. I’d recommend keeping a partner at hand — at least for the first couple of weight-bearing screws.

Installation is otherwise quick and straightforward. You can mark off your intended spot and start hanging items on your precut Slat-Wall within 30 minutes. Pre-drilling is not necessary — the drywall screws are notched, to drill the hole while you drive.

Molding is available to hide the edges. You’ll probably want some — the edges reveal that the Slat-Wall is most definitely not wood. You do have to buy it separately, however, so think ahead.

Use

I stacked 76 pounds of tools into the 12-by-18-inch basket, which bowed slightly at the attachments but showed no signs of breaking. A range of other hooks (hang your bicycles out of the way of the car!) and steel baskets fit easily and securely into the grooves. You are free to arrange them in any configuration that seems most useful at the moment, or screw them in for added load capacity and to prevent bumping them out of their grooves. The Slat-Wall will take just about anything you throw at it — if you noticeably nick it, just sand it out. It’s fully waterproof and cleans up without difficulty after a splattering.

Availability

You’re not likely to find Slide-Lok’s Slat-Wall at the home improvement store around the corner. But you can easily order it online, and Slide-Lok will ship it to your door. You may also find a local cabinetmaker or other authorized dealer nearby.

Price

At $288 for 32 square feet, you probably won’t use it as floor-to-ceiling “wallpaper,” but the Slide-Lok Slat-Wall compares with slatwalls of similar make in price. Its tasteful good looks and ease of maintenance are so appealing I judge it a good value. The steel accessories, an additional purchase, are likewise competitively priced. Together with the Slat-Wall, they lend a lustrous, finished appearance that will beyond question elevate the average garage to an attractive outdoor room.