Brick Walls Archives - Storage King

Posted on June 24, 2023June 24, 2023 by Arthur K

Solid Red Brick Walls

Our latest installation in the suburb of Toorak (Melbourne) was in an old garage made from solid red brick walls.

The garage had a couple of really old StorEase panels and some accessories. They were screwed straight into the wall. We removed these. The owner of this house was in the middle of undertaking some renovations and we were asked to install StoreWALL on both sides of the garage.

The first wall area measured 4m in length and 2.1m in height. On the opposite side, we installed a smaller section of 2m x 2.1m.

Wall 1 – 4m Solid Red Brick Walls

For Wall 1, we used 1 x 2.4m panel plus a second 1.5m panel. This gave us our 4m. We also used the smaller off-cuts in the wall in order to reduce waste. To reach the 2.1m height we used 7 x Standard Duty Slatwall Panels.

I have installed lots of brick wall garages. Old and new. Many older homes have sold red brick walls. These are tough bricks to drill into. The other challenging feature of these garage walls was just how irregular they were. To cover this up they had semi-rendered the walls and painted them so they looked smooth (kind of).

You can also see that above the wall at about 2.1m we also had a bracket which held the garage door.

We started the installation about 245mm from the garage floor. The drilling was tough and we had to pack behind some of the installstrips in order to keep them flat. To fasten the installstrips we used Nail Anchors which we sell on our website but so do all hardware stores. We used 5mm anchors and a 5mm 4-cut drill bit. To be fair, I used several drill bits on this job as the walls chewed them up.

Each installstrip has 12 holes for anchoring to the wall. I hammered a minimum of 9 anchors for each one.

In order to hang the 7 rows of Standard Duty Slatwall Panels, we used 2 rows of installstrips and then a 3rd row of just a single installstrip section. Our installstrips were spaced about 600mm apart and we positioned them so that they sat behind any joins. Having two joining panels share an installstrip delivers a nicer, smoother join. This took a little measuring.

Tips

I am always learning with these installations as no walls are alike and brick walls, specifically Sold Red Brick Walls are the most challenging.

In order to save the customer on waste, we used the smaller offcuts on the wall. It meant more joins. If I was to do this wall again, I would have just used two panels along the wall. 1 x 2438mm + 1562mm. It would have saved a lot of effort in positioning the installstrips in the right location for the joins. The result is more waste.

My second tip relates to the 3rd row of installstrips for the 7th row of panels. Rather than using a single section of the installstrip for this top row, it can be easier to use two sections. In this case, you add the lower section on row 6 and the top section on row 7. This makes it easier when trying to align the installstrips for that top row.

Garage Door Bracket

I had to cut around the bracket in order to fit the 7th row. It was fiddly work as the bracket covered two panels. I used a jigsaw for the cut. The 6th panel was cut at the top, the 7th panel was cut from the bottom.

Wall 2 – 2m x 2.1m Solid Red Brick Walls

The second wall was covered with 1 panel cut to 2m. As per wall one, we had 2 rows of 3 section installstrips to support the first 6 panels. The top row used just one section of the installstrip.

As there were no joins on this wall, it was must quicker to panel. The biggest challenge we had were the bricks. A section of wall 700mm x 700mm was made from much harder bricks and so the drilling took longer.

Conclusion

The red bricks were hard work. This job took 1.5 people (junior support) about 7hrs to complete. I drilled over 120 holes. The outcome is a garage storage solution that will last for years and allow the owner to hang almost anything they store in their garage.

Posted on June 25, 2022June 10, 2023 by Arthur K

Brick Wall Hooks

Earlier this month (June 2022), I received a call from a local Ashburton resident who was looking for some help with turning his impossible garage brick wall into useful garage storage area. Tim was keen on purchasing a road bike that he wanted to hang with brick wall hooks as well as clean up the gardening tools and ladder that were sitting on the garage floor.

There is something about drilling into walls that scares the hell out of people. Tim’s garage is large enough for 2 vehicles and is split between brick and some plastered areas. The left wall which was brick was where he wanted to install brick wall hooks, shelving and baskets. This wall area was split into 4 sections separated by pillars (see photo below).

Each section was about 1100mm wide and the height was about 1800mm. The middle (second) section had the garage door bracket at the top end of it.

Impossbile Brick Wall

The challenge for most people installing brick wall hooks is choosing the correct fasteners to secure them with and having the right tools to actually create drill holes into the brickwork. Then you have the complexity of placing hooks in places that down the track need to be moved. For most people, these walls are generally left bare or covered with a set of standalone shelves.

Tim was caught in this trap but had watched one of the recent block series where a garage makeover was completed by one of the couples and was inspired to see if slatwalls could solve his problem.

I’ll admit we were not the first company he contacted for a price. However, we were the last.

Wall Panel Colours

Tim was keen on the Rustic Cedar colour for these walls but we were, unfortunately, a little low in stock. He and his wife settled for the Whitewood which in the end they were quite happy with.

StoreWALL’s range of PVC Garage Slatwall Panel colours is extensive. From your Whites to your Greys, Blacks, and Wood-like finishes, I don’t think there is a supplier anywhere in the world which can match us. Unfortunately, however, we do run out of stock from time to time as some colours like the whites are super popular.

Each section took 6 panels stacked one of the other. We used 3 installstrips across each section (as you can see in the first photo above). In total, we used 12 x 2438mm panels and about 24 installstrips. The garage door bracket required us to cut out a section from two panels so that we could fit it in. I did it with a jigsaw. StoreWALL panels are pretty easy to work with when it comes to cutouts.

Brick Wall Hooks

Tim purchased several accessories which are not shown in the pictures. He chose a:

Ledge Shelf for his car care kit.
Rotating Bike Hook for the bike he was looking to add.
Heavy Duty Utility Hook for his ladder.
Heavy Duty Universal Hook for his foldable chairs.
Heavy Duty Tool Hook for his gardening tools.
Several smaller hooks.
Heavy Duty Deep Basket.
Vertical Tool Hook for his garden blower.

Tim can now use all of his impossible brick wall. He can add and remove his accessories as often as he needs to. No more drilling holes nor worrying about where to place them.

Posted on October 16, 2021February 14, 2024 by Arthur K

Brick Wall Shelving Solution

Most garages in Australian suburban homes will have their main wall built with brick. If you are lucky enough to have a double brick wall it will be a flat continuous wall. If not, you will have piers along the length of the wall. Finding a suitable brick wall shelving solution to make the most of this walled area can be challenging. Many may also turn out to be rather inflexible as a long term storage option.

Brick Wall Shelving Solutions — Garage brick wall with piers

Garage Shelving Solutions

Visit your local Bunnings or Mitre10 Hardware store and you will find lots of different types of brackets which you can install on your brick wall in order to fit it with shelving.

Brackets can be spaced within each of the piered sections of your brick wall allowing for taller and smaller items to be stored on the shelves.

This particular bracket is from FlexiStorage and is sold at Bunnings for under A$15. Specifications say that two of these can hold 60kgs. Bunnings also sells floating shelving made from MDF which can be used with these brackets.

Sounds like the perfect solution. So what’s wrong with it? Nothing really. However, once these brackets are drilled to your wall, your storage options are limited to shelving. Try hanging Rakes and Blowers on a shelf.

What happens if 3 years down the track you need more wall space for storing bikes? These brackets will need to be removed. Your storage needs are fluid, ie they change and sometimes rather quickly.

Brackets solve the shelving problem. Fixing them to your wall also makes them kind of permanent and not very flexible when you have limited garage wall space.

Another option is a separate standalone shelving unit that is not fixed to the wall. This will work as long as you can find the width suitable to the space between your piers. A separate unit is also easy to move around the garage.

Shelving is necessary in every garage but it isn’t the only storage solution you will need.

Brick Wall Shelving Solutions

The picture of the brick wall above is from a customer in Melbourne who recently installed StoreWALL in his garage. His main garage wall was made from brick, with Piers separating 4 sections of the wall. The distance between each Pier is between 1200mm and 1500mm.

This customer had the following list of items to store on his wall:

Lawn edger with drive head unit
Blower
Handheld Hedger
Brush Cutter Attachment
Hedger Extension
Pole saw
Extension Pole
Charger & Batteries
Electric Pump
Ladder
Rope/Extension Lead
Broom
Sports Balls

To help him better understand which accessories would suit his items, I invited him to visit us in Mount Waverley and to bring a few of these items with him. We tested them out using StoreWALL’s accessories and this helped him select what he needed.

StoreWALL Brick Wall Shelving Solutions

The customer decided to use StoreWALL Panels for two of these brick wall sections. We cut up 3 cartons of Barnwood Grey 2438mm panels. Four 2438mm panels were cut in half to 1219mm giving him 8 panels at 1219mm. A further 7 panels were cut to 1420mm. He used most of the panels on the two outer sections of the wall. The remainder was used in a separate shed.

The picture shows just how much he was able to fit on these two wall sections. The left section holds some 14 items. The section on the right holds some 13 items. Much of what he had to store was not suited to shelving. However, I am told he is looking to add two cupboards in the middle sections for items that can be stored on shelves.

You can learn more about installing StoreWALL on a brick wall by watching our video.

Wall to Wall Shelving

StoreWALL’s Wall Panels can also be used for shelving. See the picture below of an installation also completed in Melbourne. The requirement was shelving across the length of both walls. One was brick, the other plaster.

In the example above, we installed a Standard Duty Wall Panel across the length of the wall and then hung 254mm brackets and MDF floating shelves. StoreWALL’s brackets come with our exclusive CamLok locking mechanism which allows them to be fixed to our wall panels but also moved as and when needed. Moving them does not involve any messy damage to your wall.

The customer in the picture above was looking to use the shelving for household food and cleaning items. The wall panel area below the shelf could then also be used to hang all sorts of gardening and items that would normally be found leaning in the corner, or even lying on the floor.

Whilst the picture above had only part of the wall paneled, you could also achieve a brick wall shelving solution with a setup like the one below.

Flexible floating shelves — StoreWALL Shelving

In the case above, StoreWALL brackets are coupled with StoreWALL floating shelves and lined vertically on the wall. Our brackets come in two depths, 254mm, and 381mm. Each bracket is fitted with StoreWALL’s exclusive CamLok locking mechanism.

StoreWALL sells a range of PVC and metal floating shelves to suit your needs which can be fixed to the brackets. You can also create your own floating shelves.

Deep Metal Shelves

StoreWALL’s 600mm deep metals shelves can also be used with most modern slatwall wall panels. The wired metal shelves are 600mm deep and 900mm in length. They offer a great option for storing those large tubs and plastic bins that everyone has in their garage. Best of all, they are super cheap and under $80 each. Combined with StoreWALL’s wall panels, these shelves are one of StoreWALL’s many brick wall shelving solutions.

Posted on December 6, 2020June 10, 2023 by Arthur K

Rendered Brick Garage Wall

A few months ago, I received the below email from Andrew who lives in Sydney “Looking at the StoreWALL system, and am wondering if you’ve come across a Sydney based installer who can install on a rendered brick garage wall? It looks more complex than a standard install, so would rather go to someone who has previously done this”. Shortly after I received a call from him as well and we chatted in more detail about his project.

New Home New Garage

Andrew had done quite a bit of work to his home and he had now turned his attention to his garage. His garage was quite big in terms of height. Both side walls where made from brick and rendered. He also had pillars between sections. Andrew wanted a garage storage system which allowed him to make use of his new garage walls.

After researching storage wall panels, he came across StoreWALL and discussed the installation process with his carpenter. His carpenter recommended installing battens to the walls first and then installing the StoreWALL InstallStrips to these battens. There was a fear that some screws may not hit mortar and not brick and so the installation would not be as secure as it could be.

His Carpenter had a valid point, however StoreWALL’s InstallStrips (one 900mm pieces with 3 sections) have 12 screw holes each. Therefore, it was unlikely that if they used all 12 screw holes that they would not secure the wall well enough.

Rendered Brick Garage Wall

Following our phone call, I sent Andrew an email with some photos of a previous installation we had done which was also on a rendered brick garage wall. To assist him I also provided Andrew with contact details of a carpenter I knew in the Sydney area who had installed StoreWALL in the past.

“Thanks for the chat Andrew. This is a picture of what the Installstrips look like on a brick wall. I know this carpenter has done installations on brick walls before, however I am not sure on his rates.
As I explained I don’t think you need the battens.
Please send through your measurements and I can quote the materials for you.”

InstallStrips on a rendered brick garage wall

Andrew replied with detailed pictures of how he envisaged his wall looking and the size of panels he would require.

“I have a couple of rows of large shelves going up above (600mm deep), therefore I’m going to use a height of 1830 for StoreWALL which I based on 6 panels.
I’m thinking if I get the 2.4m panels, I can fit some of the leftover cuts in the smaller space under the window that you can see.”

Rendered Brick Garage Wall Sydney — Sydney Brick Wall Installation

Brick walls are challenging for most home owners. This is because screwing into the walls seems harder and most people think that a brick wall gives them less storage options. To be perfectly clear, brackets with shelving is what most people focus on.

My recommendation to Andrew was the following:

Garage Storage Solution Design

Garage Wall 1

6 pieces cut to 1680mm (comes in 10mm on each side)
This will leave you with 6 x 758mm left over. (These can be used under the window).
In terms of Installstrips I would have 4 columns (each 2 installstrips high). Total of 8 Installstrips.
Panels cut to size. No charge.

Garage Wall 2

6 pieces cut to 1730mm (comes in 10mm on each side).
In terms of Installstrips I would have 4 columns (each 2 installstrips high). Total of 8 Installstrips.
You will need to also cut around the power outlet on the left. This needs to be done on site.
You will have 6 x 708mm pieces left over. These can be used elsewhere in your garage.
Panels cut to size. No charge.

Garage Wall 3 (under window)

You can use 4 x 758mm leftovers for this. 4 Panels will give you a height of 1219mm.
You will need 1 column of InstallStrips on either side (4 sections high). Total of 3 InstallStrips.

StoreWALL Required Materials

In total you need 12 x 2438 pieces (3 cartons). You also need a minimum of 19 Installstrips. You will still have left over panels and depending on what you do with these you may require additional InstallStrips.

It turns out that Andrew had an additional wall area which could also be covered with the remaining off-cut panels. In the end there was no waste at all and Andrew had covered as much of his wall as was possible.

Once the order was received I got started cutting the panels and packaging them all up for Andrew. They were couriered to Sydney within a few days along with a small accessories list.

If you check out the end result, you will see he also had the shelving installed above the panels which enabled his to make great use of the height of the garage wall. I don’t have the exact measurements, but Andrew’s garage is super tall.

Garage Storage Accessories

In terms of accessories, Andrew started with a small quantity to manage some key items in his garage and once this was ready would re-evaluate.

He had some foldout chairs he wanted hung, some bikes and a ladder. To start with the accessories list looked like this:

4 x HD Universal Hook
4 x Rotating Bike Hook Mountain Set
1 x 190mm Single hook
2 x 300mm Universal Hook
1 x Large Tote Bag

StoreWALL on a Rendered Brick Garage Wall

Posted on February 20, 2020June 10, 2023 by Arthur K

Waterproof Garage Wall Panels

If you are as old as I am you will remember a Castrol GTX Oil advertisement from the 80s where the main tag line was “Oils ain’t Oils”. Well “Slatwalls” also “ain’t Slatwalls” either. Today we are talking about Waterproof garage wall panels and why you should consider these over other types of panels.

Waterproof Garage Wall Panels

The real test is in the longevity of the panels and the fact that customers will return to StoreWALL for garage storage solutions for the 2nd and even 3rd home. We have had several customers in 2019 comes to us with a story of installing StoreWALL several years ago in their home, then selling their home and wanting it for their next home.

There are lots of reasons why StoreWALL customers remain loyal. The durability of the panels is a key reason. StoreWALL’s panels are made from a hardened composite plastic. I have listed the product specifications below for you:

Physical properties PVC StoreWALL

Density – Average 16 / cu ft
Decorative surface thickness .687″ (11/16′)
Modulus of rupture 27 mpa
Modulus of Elasticity – Average 29 mpa
Internal bond 100 psi
Water absorption – 0%
Linear expansion 0%
Thickness swell 0%
Moisture content – as shipped 0%
Groove dimensions
Groove .20″
Lip .25″
Back .25″
Opening .375″
Formaldehyde emission 0.00 ppm
Flame spread 45
Fire classification IIB
100% Recyclable – Class 3 recyclable

Waterproof Garage Wall Panels

Note the water absorption is 0%. It stays this way forever. This means your StoreWALL wall can be washed down with a hose if necessary. So if you are likely to be giving your garage a regular wash down to clean the floor, your StoreWALL wall can be cleaned with it.

Even if water gets to the back of the wall and touches your InstallStrips you will not have any issues. Our InstallStrips are made from rolled steel plated with 18 gauge Zinc for rust resistance. I have had two InstallStrips screwed to a wall outside for the past 12mths. They are exposed to the weather 24/7 and have not changed shape nor rusted. StoreWALL offers 100% Waterproof Garage Wall Panels.

What about the Accessories?

All StoreWALL accessories are made from steel. They are then powder coated to prevent them from rusting. Some elements of each accessory are also covered by a rubber coating for better grip and additional protection. This means that some water that is dried away will not affect your panels nor accessories.

The powder coated finish is grade STW 10 Powder Coat Finish. The extra heavy coating is there to resist dings and protect against rust. The steel we use is industrial grade, engineered strong to hold your most valuable equipment.

Slatwalls Ain’t Slatwalls

Take a look at the image below which shows the relative weight capacity in pounds (2.2 pounds = 1KG) of StoreWALL’s panels to that of an MDF based wall panel.

Our Standard Duty Wall Panels offer double the weight capacity of a standard MDF panel which is simply screwed to the wall.

However its not just being PVC which makes StoreWALL standout. There are other PVC solutions on the market. Most of them require that you install directly onto the wall with screws. StoreWALL also offers the Basic Duty Panel which has this feature.

When it comes to the Panels what distinguishes StoreWALL is the hook system which secures the panel to the InstallStrip. With the InstallStrip secure to your wall, your panels are then secured to the InstallStrips by the moulded hooks on the back. See image below.

Posted on July 27, 2019June 10, 2023 by Arthur K

Shelves for a small garage

Most new homes are designed with a standard garage of 6m x 6m which might look big when its empty but add two cars, a medium ladder, some sports gear and storage containers and all of a sudden the lower area of your garage has become rather cramped. How do you make better usage of your garage walls by using more of the wall? StoreWALL is a wall storage solution which in addition to many other accessories also has a large range of shelves for a small garage.

Shelves for a small garage

Shelving is the first thing most people look to when adding storage to their garage. There are lots of rack style shelving options available on the market. The biggest challenge with shelves for a small garage is finding shelving that can be placed high enough on your wall so that it doesn’t interfere with the vehicle parked next to it.

Your standard rack shelving will in “most” (not all) cases be far too deep for a 6x6m garage with two cars parked in it. Most rack shelving is 600mm deep. If you consider that your vehicle is about 1.8m in width. Then approx 4.5m of your garage will be taken up by two vehicles (leaving some space in between the vehicles). Which leaves you about 750mm – 1m on either side of each car. It’s tight.

Shelving options

Yes there are rack shelving options which are narrower in depth than 600mm. Bunnings sells a Pinnacle 2090 x 1200 x 460mm 6 Tier Adjustable Shelving Unit.

Other options include shelving you install directly to your wall with brackets. This style of shelving will be guided by your size of bracket. The one key limitation is that once the brackets are mounted to your wall, they will need to remain there, there is no way to move the brackets without adding more holes to your wall.

What you need to consider is how to make better use of the wall itself for storage, not just adding additional furniture to the room. Whilst some rack shelving would be practical, there are other options like wall mounted garage storage which can give you access to the entire wall upon which to hang and secure your items.

StoreWALL Shelves

StoreWALL has a great range of shelves for a small garage. Best of all, StoreWALL Storage solutions are designed specifically for making better use of the your wall area, not for eating into the depth of your garage.

StoreWALL garage solutions are built around our range of garage wall panels. Our wall panels are made from a hardened plastic and are water and damp proof so they can be used inside the home and in the garage or shed.

They can be screwed directly to your wall or installed with our InstallStrips which gives them extra support and the ability to hold a lot more weight. Panels come in a range of colours and in two main sizes, 1.2m and 2.4m. The height of each panel is about 30cm.

Once your panels are installed then the range of accessories you can add to your wall is almost endless. We have over 20 hooks and a great range of shelves.

StoreWALL Metal Shelves

StoreWALL offers a solid steel shelf which is easily attached to your wall panels. The Steel Shelf comes in 2 lengths (762mm and 1212mm) and is 393mm in depth.

This is a super durable shelf that can be used for holding any large and bulky items including power tools. It is secured to your wall panels with our Camlok locking mechanism. This shelf can also double as a bench area.

StoreWALL Wire Shelves

StoreWALL also offers toughened wire shelves. The Small and Large Shelves are flat in design and have a depth of 355mm. There is also the Angle shelf which has a depth of 381mm. These shelves also sport the CamLok system.

StoreWALL Plastic Shelves

StoreWALL also have a great range of shelves made from hardened plastic which are either installed with brackets or installed directly onto the wall panel.

The StoreWALL Shelf is 254mm in depth and 812mm in length. It is installed with StoreWALL brackets (254mm) which are locked to the wall panel with the CamLok locking mechanism. This Shelf also comes in a 1.2m version for those that needs some extra length.

Want a deeper shelf? Try our 381mm brackets combined with our 820mm x 400mm floating metal shelf.

The final shelf option is the new Metal Ledge Shelf. This shelf is made from 2mm powder coated steel and is 812mm in length and 200mm in depth. This style of shelf doesn’t need brackets as it has a small lip which hooks itself in the wall panels and stays secure.

Small Garage Shelving Options

If you want to build your own shelves but want the ability to move them around then also consider our range of brackets. They come in 254mm and 381mm sizes. They come with a predrilled hole to secure your own shelf as well as Camlok for securing them to the wall. In addition to the great range of shelves for a small garage, StoreWALL’s system allows you to move your accessories around as often as you need to without impacting the wall in any way.

All StoreWALL accessories come with the CamLok mechanism which secure the hook, basket or shelf to the wall. When its time to move the accessory, CamLok allows you to unlock it and move it to the new location. There is no uninstalling of brackets and leaving holes in walls.

Whether you have a single, double or even 4 car garage, StoreWALL has a great solution to help you make the most out of your garage walls. The StoreWALL system is versatile and a great way to store all of your belongings.

Posted on May 25, 2019June 10, 2023 by Arthur K

StoreWALL on a Brick Wall

We recently completed the make-over of a garage wall in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. Whilst we have been selling StoreWALL for just on a year now, we don’t typically do installs. Rather we refer clients to carpenters or garage organisers to complete the installation. However given the size of project, the opportunity to install StoreWALL on a brick wall of 9m was very appealing.

The home is in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs and the client was keen to cover 2 of the 3 walls with StoreWALL Brite White panels. The length of the main wall is 9.45m, with a 2.4m height.

The result as you can see below was a huge transformation of a boring brick wall which didn’t offer any storage capability. It has now become a very functional storage area which can cater for all tools, electrical accessories, gardening utensils, ladders and clothing.

StoreWALL on a Brick Wall

It took two of us a full day to complete the installation of the Brite White panels. In total the whole area was some 22 square metres. The total number of panels used was approx 32.

Installing StoreWALL on a brick was is a much harder task compared to your typical plasterboard wall.

Firstly the drilling took much longer as each hole needed to be drilled using a Hammer drill.
Secondly the wall was not straight vertically, ie some bricks pocked out whilst others were indented. This meant we had to put extra effort into the placement and levelling of our InstallStrips to ensure they connected properly to each panel.
Thirdly, the installation was end to end both across the wall and from top to bottom, so we had to cut panels both vertically and horizontally.

Tools to Install StoreWALL on a Brick Wall

Detailed below are the tools we used for the project.

Hammer Drill – definitely need this for a brick wall.
5mm x 150mm (length) Masonry Drill Bits.
Hammer
Brick Nylon Anchors. The size you will need is 5mm X 40mm.
Packers or pieces of cardboard to help level the InstallStrips installed on the wall.
Spirit level
Ladder depending on the height you are working towards
Second person to help you

InstallStrip Claws

Whilst the size of the wall was challenging, the hardest part of this project was actually the brickwork itself. The wall was not level and so we had to pay extra attention to how we placed each InstallStrip so that the claws grabbed the panels and created a sturdy fit.

It meant checking each Installstrip one at a time to ensure the claws grabbed the panel. In all it would have taken 2x as long as a plasterboard wall.

The below photo shows the final panels being added. In this case we had to cut panels both vertically but also horizontally (ie along the length of the panel).

The final piece of panel as about 195mm (just over half of the panel).