Vertical Slat Wall With Shelves

Looking to upgrade your retail or home decor style? You might want to consider the latest trend in wall design – slat walls! Slat walls are versatile walls that can be built or purchased ready-made, and come in various materials such as wood, metal, or plastic. They are popularly used for retail displays, but can also enhance the aesthetic of your living spaces, both indoors and outdoors.

Slat Wall Types

Wood, metal, and plastic are the most common materials used to make slat walls. Each material has its unique features and strengths. Here are some of the types of slat walls you can choose from:

1. Wooden Slat Walls

Wooden slat walls are made of wood and offer a more rustic and natural look to your space. They are great for creating an industrial feel and work for different settings such as homes, offices, and retail spaces. Wooden slat walls are easy to install and allow you to showcase your products in multiple configurations using shelves and hooks.

What is a Wooden Slat Wall?

A wooden slat wall consists of vertical wooden slats which are attached to a horizontal support. The vertical slats are spaced evenly apart, creating gaps or slots in between that can be used to hang accessories such as shelves, hooks, and baskets.

Why Choose a Wooden Slat Wall?

A wooden slat wall has a natural texture that can add warmth and a rustic feel to your store, home or office. They are easy to maintain, and you can change the look by re-arranging shelves and hooks. They are also eco-friendly, adding to your brand’s sustainability appeal if using them for a retail store.

Different Types of Wooden Slat Walls:

There are various types of wooden slat walls to choose from, including:

• Standard Wooden Slat Walls: These are the most commonly used slat walls and can be found in different sizes and widths.
• Reclaimed Wooden Slat Walls: These are made by upcycling old wood panels, creating a unique and vintage look.
• Painted Wooden Slat Walls: These are wooden slat walls that have been painted or treated with different shades, textures, patterns and colors to fit different themes.

The Benefits of Wooden Slat Walls:

Choosing a wooden slat wall comes with various benefits:

• Flexibility: Wooden slat walls are easy to configure to fit your products and space needs. You can move shelves and hooks around to create any configuration you can imagine.
• Durability: Wooden slat walls are made of sturdy and high-quality wood materials, making them durable and long-lasting. You won’t have to replace them frequently, saving you money in the long run.
• Spacing: The slots between each slat on a wooden slat wall allow you to create your preferred spacing and size for your product display or storage.
• Elegant: Wooden slat walls have an aesthetic texture that can either be simple or creative, suitable for different retail displays, homes, or offices.

The Advantages of Wooden Slat Walls:

Some of the advantages of wooden slat walls include:

• Easy to Install: Wooden slat walls are easy to install, meaning you can get it up in a short time. You won’t need to hire professional installation services, cutting down on installation costs.
• Heavy Item Support: Wooden slat walls can support heavy weight items such as books, office storage materials, and other industrial materials.
• Strength: Wooden slat walls are sturdy and can withstand wear and tear from different office and retail applications.
• Versatile: They work in a wide range of environments, from industrial stores to zen-inspired homes. They come in different wood finishes too, allowing for creative versatility in creating different looks.

How to Install a Wooden Slat Wall:

1. Choose the wood panel you want to use for your slat wall.
2. Use a stud finder to locate the studs on the wall where you want to mount the slat wall. Mark the stud centers using a pencil to guide where the brackets will sit.
3. Install any brackets or tracks that came with your slat wall kit, using the markings you made in step 2.
4. Hang the wood slats onto your brackets or tracks on the wall. If required, fasten the slats using screws
5. Finally, mount shelves, hooks and any design elements that you wish to have on the wooden slat wall using the slots and gaps between the slats.

Tips:

• If you want a more decorative wooden slat wall, choose a variant with different smooth angles and slat spacing. This can also create more geometric and artistic designs on your wall.
• Before drilling into a wall, ensure you have permission and are following safety guidelines. Look out for electric wires, gas lines, and water pipes in the wall to avoid any accidents.

2. Metal Slat Walls

Metal slat walls are also commonly used for different retail displays, and provide a sleek, professional look. They are made of lightweight materials such as aluminum, steel or much stronger metals to fit different applications needs. Metal slat walls are popularly used in fashion and clothing stores, and can make an excellent garage storage solution.

What is a Metal Slat Wall?

A metal slat wall is made of horizontal and vertical metal slats that you can insert shelves and hooks for different products. The slats are spaced evenly apart, allowing you to re-arrange them according to your preferences.

Why Choose a Metal Slat Wall?

A metal slat wall is versatile and durable, creating an industrial look that can match different product types. They are easy to clean and maintain and can withstand heavy product loads. Additionally, metal slat walls are light, preventing any damage to the wall surface when mounting.

Different Types of Metal Slat Walls:

Some of the metal slat wall types available are:

• Steel Slat Walls: Steel slat walls have a glossy finish and give a modern look.
• Aluminum Slat Walls: Aluminum slat walls are lightweight, making them easy to install and re-arrange.
• Specialty Metal Slat Walls: These are made of stronger metals such as copper and bronze, creating extra durability for heavy-duty applications.

The Benefits of a Metal Slat Wall:

Here are some of the benefits of using a metal slat wall:

• Durability: Metal slat walls are sturdy and can withstand different weight loads, making them long-lasting.
• Hygiene: Metal slat walls are easy to clean and sanitize, which is beneficial for environments such as food storage and processing areas to avoid contamination.
• Flexibility: You can easily rearrange and reposition hooks and shelves, making them flexible and versatile for retail spaces and storage solutions.

The Advantages of a Metal Slat Wall:

Some of the advantages of a metal slat wall include:

• Wall protection: Metal slat walls protect the walls from wear and tear, scuffs, and stains caused by items rested directly against it. They are easy to remove as well, making repairs and painting a breeze.
• Organization: Metal slat walls help with organization, especially in garage spaces where tools and other equipment require secure storage.

How to Install a Metal Slat Wall:

1. Mark the slat wall location on your wall surface using a pencil or chalk.
2. Use a stud finder to locate the wall studs on the wall surface and mark their locations using a different color chalk or pencil.
3. Fix the slat wall mounting brackets to the wall studs using screws that came with the kit.
4. Install horizontal rails onto the brackets, ensuring they sit above the brackets.
5. Hang the metal slats onto the rails, inserting hooks and shelves where desired.

Tips:

• You can purchase combo packs that have both hooks and shelves for different applications. This makes planning and designing more manageable and saves you time shoping for accessories.
• When installing, avoid overtightening the screws as you risk cracking or damaging the wall surface.

3. Plastic Slat Walls

Plastic slat walls are the most affordable option available. They come in various colors and designs, making them suitable for kid’s rooms or other playful environments. Plastic slat walls are also popularly used for trade shows, exhibitions and events.

What is a Plastic Slat Wall?

A plastic slat wall consists of interlocking plastic panels that can create a grid pattern. The small plastic squares create the slots for hooks, shelving, and other accessories to be inserted.

Why Choose a Plastic Slat Wall?

A plastic slat wall is the most affordable and lightweight option, making them easy to install and move around. They come in different colors, creating versatility for different themes and moods.

Different Types of Plastic Slat Walls:

Plastic slat walls have limited types, but they are available in different colors and patterns to suit different applications.

• Plastic Slat Wall Panels: These are the most common type, and come in sizes of 4 ft by 8 ft or 4 ft by 4 ft.
• Gridwall Plastic Slat Wall: These are plastic slat walls with a grid-like design, creating more hanging opportunities for lighter products.
• Tradeshow and Exhibition Plastic Slat Wall: These are lightweight and portable, making them suitable for events, exhibitions and tradeshows.

The Benefits of a Plastic Slat Wall:

• Affordability: Plastic slat walls are the most affordable option among the types of slat walls.
• Lightweight: They are very lightweight, making them easy to install and use in different setups.
• Wide Range of Colors: There are many colors, patterns, and textures of plastic slat walls that can fit almost all themes and designs.

The Advantages of a Plastic Slat Wall:

Some of the advantages of a plastic slat wall include:

• Easy to Clean: Plastic slat walls are easy to clean, requiring little maintenance due to their resistance to stains and dirt.
• Water Resistance: Plastic slat walls resist moisture and water, preventing mould and mildew formation, ideal for areas prone to excess water.

How to Install a Plastic Slat Wall:

1. Mark the spots where you will install the brackets on the wall.
2. Install the brackets using screws, ensuring they are aligned with each other and are levelled on the wall surface.
3. Attach the plastic slat panels onto the brackets, starting from the top and working downwards.
4. Attach different hooks and accessories in the slots of the plastic slat panels, ensuring they are secure.

Tips:

• Plastic slat walls are not suitable for heavy loads, choose wooden or metallic slat walls if you plan to display more massive items.
• Use color-coded hooks and accessories to complement the plastic slat wall color and create more aesthetic appeal.

Conclusion:

Using a slat wall as a design feature can transform your living space or retail space. There are various types of slat walls available to suit different applications and requirements, depending on the durability, weight support, and wall-like texture you want. Whether you choose wooden, metal, or plastic slat walls, they are an aesthetically pleasing and functional way to display or store your products while maintaining the wall’s integrity. Install yours today and transform your space!