How are pegboard hooks measured?

If you’re about to make a peg hook purchase to beef up your pegboard organization, you may have noticed that pegboard hooks traditionally come in two sizes:

• ⅛” (0.1 – 0.12 inch)
• ¼” (0.2 – 0.24 inch)

You may wonder ‘what’s the right size for my pegboard?’ ‘How are pegboard hooks measured in the first place?’

We’re here to clear that up for you!

The sizing refers to the diameter of the wire that was used to make the peg hook.

It’s important to note that ⅛” and ¼” usually are an estimate. We found that upon testing, ⅛” peg hooks actually have a diameter of anywhere in between 0.09” – 0.12”.

The ¼” peg hooks usually have a diameter of in between 0.19” – 0.24”. See how they compare in the image below.

Our hooks we recommend here at PegBoarder, for example, have an exact diameter of 0.23”. There’s a reason for this.

Most pegboard has a 9/32 hole diameter. However, some pegboard has holes with an exact  ¼” diameter. In some cases, this pegboard also has a ¼” depth. 

What does this mean? If the diameter of the hook had the same exact diameter as the pegboard hole, and the pegboard has a certain depth, you’re not able to insert the hook into the hole.

Why?

The pegs of the peg hook (the part that goes inside the hole) is curved. As a result, the hook needs some ‘margin of movement’ to properly go through the ¼” hole. 

There might be another size listed on the product page. This hook, for example, shows a 1/2″ size.

This can get confusing.

In this example, the 1/2″ size refers to the depth of the hook. In other words, the spacing between the ‘base’ and the front of the hook.

This is a useful piece of information if you’re planning to hang certain paint brushes from the hook for example. If the brush has a handle that’s 3/4″ thick, this hook won’t be the best option.

For long straight hooks, the sizing usually refers to the metal piece measured from the base. In other words, the length of the hook measured from the pegboard to the tip.

What is a pegboard spacer?

When installing a pegboard, you will have to add ‘furring strips’ (known as pegboard spacers) behind your board to create some spacing to insert hooks. The back ‘prongs’ of the hook that hook into the holes are usually around 2/3″ long. Consider a margin of safety and add a pegboard spacer of furring strip with a 3/4″ depth.

How big are pegboard holes? 

Roughly speaking, there’s two types of pegboard based on the hole size:

• Small holes: ⅛” – 3/16”
• Big holes: ¼” – 9/32”

As we explained earlier, pegboard hooks come in two different sizes. ¼” pegboard hooks can be used in pegboard with big holes, but obviously not in pegboard with small holes.

In theory, you can use the smaller ⅛” pegboard hooks in pegboard with both small and big holes.

It’s not recommended to use small pegboard hooks on pegboard with big holes though. Thin pegboard hooks will have a lot of room to wiggle, and will fall out whenever you take a tool from the board. 

If you’ve heard people complaining about pegboard hooks falling out of the board, then know this: those people are using the wrong (small!) hooks on pegboard with big holes.

The interesting thing is that around 85% of pegboard in the US actually has those big holes. Yet most pegboard hooks you encounter online or in big box stores have a small diameter. It’s a complete mismatch and a big source of frustration.

Just read what reviews have to say of the average ⅛” pegboard hook pack on Amazon:

 

When we look at a ¼” hook set (this is the one by MADD TOOLS) it’s clear that people appreciate the thickness of the hook diameter for their pegboard with big holes, as it makes the hook fit snugly in the board.

How far apart are pegboard holes?

Pegboard hole spacing is standardized. The holes of both pegboard with small holes and big holes have holes spaced 1″ apart. This 1″ is measured from the centre of the hole, not from the edge.

It’s not just size that matters.

Diameter is definitely the most important factor to take into consideration, but there’s another very important aspect.

Cheap pegboard hooks usually don’t have the extra metal support welded to the bottom. Superior peg hooks do. The support hooks into a second pegboard hole underneath the main hole.

Without this support, the hook just wiggles around and has a much bigger chance of falling out of your board.

 

In short, know that there are two different pegboard types that each come with a specific pegboard hook size. It’s important not to mix both up.

If you have a standard pegboard with 1/4″ holes (most likely scenario), then check out these pegboard hooks for a frustration-less pegboard experience.