How much weight can slatwall panels hold before getting breakout?

Using Slatwall is one of the best and most versatile options for displaying items in your store. With slatwall, you can quickly and easily change your merchandise mix and placement with just a few additional brackets or fixtures. It’s easier to show off a large variety of products from apparel to sporting goods, firearms to footwear and much more. The options are almost endless.

Slatwall does have some downsides though. One is the strength. The question asked most frequently is “How much weight can my panels hold before getting "breakout"? This is where the top of your groove breaks and requires a careful fix or most often a new board.

Many factors determine how much weight slatwall will hold, here are some general rule of thumb guidelines:

1. How much weight will slatwall support?  Here we will discuss wood MDF slatwall that is the most popular and lowest cost board. Un-reinforced slatwall is a MDF panel that does not have a metal inserted in the slat. Reinforced slatwall is the same MDF board with an aluminum metal insert in the slat designed to increase the strength and holding capacity. Un-reinforced slatwall will hold about 12 pounds per bracket 12" from the wall. Reinforced slatwall will hold about 50 pounds per bracket also 12” from the wall.
2. Can I add metal inserts to slatwall I already have? Yes, no and maybe. The best and most versatile metal inserts are installed at the time of manufacturing, a deeper cut is made into the board to accommodate the insert. There are aftermarket metal inserts for standard slatwall but be careful if you go that route and ask for a sample. The shape and size of the groove will vary between slatwall manufacturers, so this means it may not fit in your slatwall. These "aftermarket" metal inserts can be tricky to install once the slatwall is on the wall. Also, fewer slatwall fixtures will fit in these aftermarket inserts as the groove will be smaller. Keep in mind this type of insert is not as durable as the factory installed metal inserts.
3. How much weight can a shelf hold and how many brackets per shelf do I need if I am using un-reinforced slatwall? Do to leverage the further from the wall more stress will be put on the groove. An item on a shelf that is 12" deep will have a load center 6" out from the wall. Your shelf should be no deeper than 12" and spaced no more than 12" apart. Example a four-foot shelf should a total of four brackets.
4. I plan on using waterfall brackets and hang rails, what slatwall should I buy? Unreinforced slatwall is not suitable for most hang rails and waterfall applications, regardless of the weight on the hang rail or waterfall. That said we do have a few Clients who use hang rail and waterfalls with unreinforced slatwall. If you plan on using waterfalls or hang rail with un-reinforced slatwall be EXTRA CAREFUL NOT TO OVERLOAD YOUR FIXTURES.
5. How much more will the slatwall hold if I add a plastic insert?  Adding a plastic insert to slatwall will not increase the strength at all, a plastic insert while is for looks only. Adding the plastic channel may keep your slatwall looking new longer by reducing the small number chips that tend to happen if you change out your displays often.
6. Which is a stronger panel, a low-pressure laminate (lpl) or high-pressure laminate (hpl)? Neither, the covering on your slatwall will not affect the strength of the slatwall.
7. Metal inserts add to the cost, is there anything I can do to reduce the cost? One option would be to use a combination of un-reinforced slatwall and concealed standards. Or find areas that do not require additional strength and use the unreinforced panels there while saving the high traffic/high stress areas for reinforced boards.
8. My slatwall is breaking out, what can I do?  The weakest parts of every panel are the top and bottom edges of the board and where the two pieces of the slatwall meet. Spread the weight out among more brackets, reduce the load on any single groove, try not to load the groove where the two panels come together or at the end of the run. If your breakout is on your shelves, then lighten the load or consider using an extra shelf bracket it will help distribute the load.

Breakouts is a fact of life with slatwall, sometimes it just happens. If you use these guidelines, you will minimize your breakout and get the most of your slatwall for years to come. If you have any questions or if your question is not addressed here please call one of our helpful sales associates at 1-800-428-5708. We can help you choice the right product and layout for your store’s slatwall.