My first garage shop had two 4' x 8' pegboards, 1/4" thick, mounted permanently to the front wall. The result was an ugly brown front wall covered with pegs and clutter.
When I built a new shop, I came up with a different strategy. I used pegboard, but made each section 24" x 30" in size and framed with solid oak frames to make them rigid, more attractive and to give a solid frame on the back of which to mount a French cleat.
I made my French cleat by cutting 4" strips of 3/4" plywood and using the table saw to put a 45° edge on one long side of each piece. These are mounted approximately 6-1/2' off the floor with the 45° edge pointing up and out from the wall.
I used 3"-long screws at each location where the French cleat crossed a vertical stud to securely fasten them to the wall. The screws provide plenty of support for whatever I choose to hang on the French cleat. On the framed pegboards I mounted a matching 3" piece of 3/4" plywood strip with the 45° angle on the edge pointing down and out.
By mounting 4" strips of 3/4" plywood, cut with the French cleat angle, all around the perimeter of my shop, I have a very strong and flexible mounting option for framed pegboard units. In addition to the pegboard units, I can mount cabinets, tools and anything else on the back of which I can mount a French cleat.
By using French cleat, I can easily rearrange the boards any time I need to reconfigure for more space or just want a change to make the shop more efficient. By the way, I used RED pegboard to make the pegboard stand out in a shop that has mostly wood and dark colors with a dark brown floor.
