So you’re thinking about buying a gun wall display, or you’ve just bought one and need to set it up: Here’s what you can expect when installing a Hold Up Display gun wall.
Gun Wall Building Tools You’ll Need
There are a few tools that will help you assemble your Hold Up Display’s Gun Wall. These include:
-
Cordless Drill
-
4ft. Level
-
Pencil
-
Stud finder
-
Measuring tape
-
Wrench
Gun Wall Pieces You’ll Receive
Your exact parts will depend on what pre designed or custom bundle you purchase. Generally, our gun wall bundles will come with the following pieces:
-
Panels
-
Long Gun Racks
-
Handgun Racks
-
Accessories
-
2" Self-Drilling Screws
-
Screw Guide
-
Phillips Extension Bit
-
Screw Cover Strips
-
Slatwall Clips
-
Endcaps & Adhesive Squares
Once you receive your package, you’ll want to unbox the components of your gun wall bundle and separate the individual items.
Next, you’ll start installing!
Mounting Slatwall Panels
Let’s start with the slatwall. These rails are the foundation of your gun wall. Made with extruded aluminum and finished with a durable powder coating, our panels are designed to handle the weight of any firearm or a large collection. Choose from a variety of colored slatwall panels including walnut, black, camo, American flag, hardwood, and more.
When you’re installing the panels, there are a few things to keep in mind:
The top of your panel has a groove that fits into the lip of the bottom. Keep the top and bottom of your slatwall in mind while mounting — You don’t want to install your panels upside down.
Here’s where your stud finder comes in handy. You want to be sure to hit wall studs when you mount your rail. We include the attachment hardware for normal wood stud wall applications.
What if you’re looking to install your display on a concrete/block wall? Go for it, but take the following information into account before you do so: You’ll need to supply your own hardware to get the job done. It also takes more time, as you need to pre-drill the rails and concrete, and clean up the concrete dust. We generally recommend attaching studs to the concrete wall so you can use our traditional install method. We do have 1.5" self-drilling screws that can be shipped in place of the 2" screws if you mount the studs flat to the wall.
Finding Your Placement
The first big step is finding your wall placement. Before you get into the installation process, think about where on your wall you want your display to sit. You want your firearms to be within reach, but you also want to avoid any longer rifles hitting the ceiling. Each panel is 6.25” tall, but the stacking tab is absorbed each time a rail is added. Take note that the height of all your panels will add up to 6" for each panel, plus .25" for the stacking tab. For example, a wall that is 6 panels tall will be 36.25" tall once installed.
Once you know where you will be mounting your panels, take the bottom panel and hold it against the wall in its mounting location. Check to make sure it is level and draw a line along the top of the panel. Using your stud finder, find and mark the location of each stud along this line, and then draw vertical lines along each stud, extending them to the full height of the display. Double check that your vertical lines are aligned with the studs. If your wall is more than one panel wide, repeat this process for the entire length of the display.
Mounting the Panels to the Wall
When mounting your panels, begin with the bottom panel. Place it back on the wall, making sure it is level, and drive screws at each stud location in both the top and bottom channels. We provide self-drilling screws, so you do not have to pre-drill any holes. To make installation easier, we also provide a screw guide. Just place the screw into the screw guide, place the screw guide into the channel at the stud location, and drive the screw through the channel and into the stud.
Your rails will be able to stack on top of each other as the bottom lip of the top rail slides into the groove of the bottom rail. Slide the top panel in, secure it with the screws, and repeat the process until you’ve screwed in all your rails.
Once all your panels are mounted on the wall, insert the screw cover strips from the end of the channels, if accessible. Otherwise, press them into the channels with a pen or marker.