Gladiator 8' GearWall® Panels (2-Pack)

My wife wanted me to 'clean up the garage', and after searching around for shelves, tool hangers, etc. I came across this stuff... and got real carried away. I decided I wanted to do three whole walls with these panels, so I attempted to order a large quantity (I edited my purchase to put down more than 3, but it limited me to three on checkout). I placed the order anyway, then figured I could continue placing orders for three additional sets. But no, Amazon keeps track of your orders, and will only let you order three... EVER. So I looked around online for places to order more, and actually found a better deal elsewhere and tried to cancel my Amazon order, but it was too late - they were already processing the order. So BEWARE, IF YOU NEED MORE THAN THREE OF THESE TWO-PACKS. Anyway, I received my panels from Amazon, and am still waiting for another 21 sets from another source. The paneling looks great (it's just extruded grayish PVC), and I can't wait to hang it when I receive the rest of my panels. It's interesting that the rear of the panels seems smoother than the front, which has some imperfections in the extrusion (like really tiny grooves). From more than a couple feet away it's not really apparent, so it's more of an observational note than a complaint. The product seems extremely sturdy, and the cross-sectional material thickness is over 1/4 inch! I have no qualms about hanging heavy items on this stuff. The accessory hangers I ordered are truly heavy-duty, well-made hangers. This is seriously good stuff (I guess it ought to be for the price). I figure it's a one-time expense for the home I will probably die in, so why not do it right? I guess the only negative comment I can make without having installed it yet is that I think the panels should come with enough color-matched screws to attach them according to specification on 16" centers. Maybe they aren't included because people have commented that they are poor quality and easily stripped. I plan on getting some square-head deck screws to attach my panels anyway, and if I get anal about it I'll paint the heads when I finish the installation :) Update on 1/9/14: I REALLY recommend buying some white HeadCote square drive deck screws to attach these panels. You can order bulk quantities at McFeely's. These are high quality screws, and a BREEZE to use for installation. If I recall correctly, I had to drive about 800 screws for my installation. If you get Phillips, your job will be much more frustrating and take longer. Don't say I didn't warn you...

These are Great panels, well made and easy to install. They're easy to cut to length and the edges finish smoothly with a file or light sanding. You can also finish the installation with the Gladiator edging strips or just by the near matching plastic wood from your lumber or DIY hardware store for finished trim along the edges. It's not cheaper than the Gladiator trim but it's more sturdy. Keep in mind: these things are heavy and if you plan on affixing a single eight-foot-long section of GearWall Panel to the wall you may need two people. I was able to install a piece of plastic wood trim level at the bottom first to act as a shelf and then rested a section of panel on top, allowing me to hold a near four foot section in place with one hand whilst driving in the screws with the other. For smaller lengths (under three feet) I was able to install it by myself using a line I scribed on the wall with my level. For longer pieces, I screwed up a couple of shims and used them to affix the first middle panel in a run of three, screwed it to the wall, removed the shims and then added the remaining panels below to cover the holes. I'm not a fan of Gladiator' optional color-matched screws for reasons you'll find on the item's page on Amazon - they're not well made and they don't hold up to drilling with a bit. But I found an alternative: the ITW Brands 23410 Backer-On Cement Board Screws work great with Gladiator GarageWorks GearWall Panels, much better than the screws made by Gladiator. To aid the screws, I started a hole with a nail head, and the screw drives right in. I found them easy to use and very sturdy, easy to self-tap into the hard board. The screws drive flush just enough with the appropriate power drill to be painted out - they're close to the same colour as the GearWall but not the same. I had my local hardware store paint match a small can of latex to my GearWall. I also appreciate that the company included the appropriate square drive bit in the package - I leave it in with the rest of the screws for future projects, one less bit to worry about losing!

I’ve owned gladiator garage storage racks for several years. They cost a bit more compared to the competition but the cost is totally worth it for the build quality, durability, and the flexibility of their lineup of storage accessories. All of their hook products attach firmly with no slop or wiggle, but can also be rearranged easily when the need arises. I finally upgraded from the a handful of single tracks to full wall coverage with the gear wall system and I could not be happier. It is easy to cut the pieces to shape or make cut outs for electrical boxes etc if you have a basic woodworking tools.

Great product and easy to install. Very sturdy. This is the second garage I have done with these and they look great. Very versatile with a large assortment of hooks and hangers

I bought these panels from Amazon in May 2011, and I was very happy with their service. One package was damaged in transit which in turn, caused damage to a panel but returning the package and receiving a replacement set was not bothersome. Amazon's step-by-step computer instructions on returns was very simple to comprehend. The panels are not light and installing the first panel is really a two person job to get them lined up straight. Ideally, three persons--two to hold either end for balance and a third person to drive in the initial screws. After the initial base panel is installed (ideally the very bottom panel that you intend to install), you can lift subsequent panels into the groove on the base set and letting gravity do the work, gently hold the panel against the wall to screw it in. Handling a single panel by oneself requires moderate strength. Note: if you are covering a wall, I suggest screwing the base panel in "snugly" at both ends and in the middle and then start stacking the second set. If you screw the entire base panel in tightly, it might cause you problems correctly seating the second panel on top of the grove of the base panel. After the panels are stacked, you can go back and finish tightly screwing them into the studs. A challenge I found is that when you hit a light switch or electrical outlet, you must be very careful to correctly measure the hole you have to cut. Cutting the panel is fairly easy (I used a jigsaw and cordless circular saw depending on the location of the cut). If you are precise with your cuts, you can skip the finishing trim that Gladiator offers as an accessory. Believe me, the trim it is an absolute royal pain to correctly cut to get it to look good around a light switch/electrical outlet. If your cuts are precise, the panel will look good around the switch/outlet without the trim. However, I still recommend buying the trim to attach to the end of the panel stack, which adds a nice finishing touch). Finally, DO NOT use the screws that gladiator offers. They strip too easy and are not durable.

The Gladiator Wall panels provide a very useful set of tools to organize your garage space. The panels with the associated hooks, shelves, etc are extremely flexible and a great asset for organizing any garage space. However, the price for these wall panels fluctuates drastically. In the past four months amazon has sold the panels for as low as $77 and now as high as $160. The cause of this one can only speculate. Suggest you wait for a reasonable price before purchasing or look to other web sites for better deals.

I debated on my rating for awhile for the following reason: The box that the panels come in (shipped in manufacturer's packaging) is thin and easily rips sometime between when it leaves the manufacturer and amazon and finally my front door. I ordered appx. 6 boxes and each and every one of them had box damage which exposed the panels. There is an extremely thin piece of foam inside the box which I assume is meant to prevent scratches from rubbing between the 2 panels themselves as well as the box but is obviously not enough to help prevent the types of gouges and tears I saw. Most of the boxes had at least 1 panel damaged, but thankfully all the damage I found was on the back of the panel or in the notches/groves that weren't noticeable. I even had problems with other panels I bought that were shipped directly to a big box store, but not to the same extent as the ones from Amazon. he issue really is with the packaging of the panels as they aren't properly packaged for distribution through Fedex/USPS. I ended up having to get a replacement for 1 package because 1 panel was at least 1/4 inch shorter than the rest so before you start installing the panels I would recommend measuring all the panels. I know 1/4 inch doesn't sound like much, but it makes a difference when you are trying to get all ends to be flush. The above issues almost made me rate the product poorly so people were aware, but ultimately I think its a good product just with poor packaging. I was able to install the panels myself and I like the clean look after everything was installed. Its definitely not a cheap product and probably overpriced, but unfortunately there aren't too many alternatives that are similar and that offer the options that Gladiator does. I know took the advice of other reviewers and skipped the Gladiator screws and went with some self tapping stainless steel ones that worked pretty well. Also, Gladiator suggests cutting out a hole for outlets that is size of the outlet wall plate and then installing trim around the cutout. After looking at another site I went with getting an outlet extender and installing new gray nylon outlets with black wall plates to mimic the look of the gladiator cabinets which turned out really nice.

Very effective and flexible wall organizer capable of supporting heavy items like bikes