How-To: Planning, Materials, Design
Planning
When planning and designing your wall, it is best to pick a location which has exposed wall studs. Garages and unfinished basements are best. Most newer homes are framed with studs set at 16” on center. Building codes do change from location to location, so it is not uncommon to find studs at 18” or even 24” on center (O.C.), particularly in older homes. First determine how big you want your wall to be. Unless you are building your wall in a barn, most of us have to plan our climbing walls in small areas. How high are the ceilings? How wide is the wall you want to build on? Home climbing walls don't necessarily need to be high, but being able to traverse from side to side is a nice feature.
Once you have established how much wall space you have to work with, decide what types of features you would like your wall to have. Vertical sections, overhangs, aretes, and corners will keep things interesting and fun. Don't try and cram all these features into your design unless you have a large space to work with. Pick a couple features that correlate to what type of climbing you want to do and go from there.
Once you know where you want to put your wall and you have a rough idea of the features you want, sketch out some rough drawings of the wall's design. We find it helpful to design your wall using graph paper since you can draw it somewhat to scale which gives you a better representation of how the finished wall will look. It doesn’t have to be an architecturally perfect drawing, but you don’t want to scribble your design on a cocktail napkin with a crayon either. Just get an idea of what features work within the space you have to build. Once you have a good design base, it’s time to estimate what materials you will need. Remember...planning is everything!
Materials
Most home climbing walls are framed with 2x4’s. If your wall is going to be higher than 15 feet, you might consider framing your wall with 2x6’s for extra support. When picking your framing materials, be sure to select lumber that is as straight and clean as possible. Standard grade pine 2x4’s are the cheapest and most commonly used, but be careful not to select lumber that is twisted, warped, or splintered. You may have to dig around at your local lumber yard or home improvement store to find the best quality lumber. Also, try not to purchase wet lumber. Wet lumber will shrink and warp when it dries which is not good when framing your wall. Standard pine 2x4's will cost ~$2-3 each, depending on the length. If you are building your wall outdoors, select lumber which is pressure treated to resist rotting. Expect to pay more for pressure treated lumber.
The climbing surface itself is typically 3/4" thick plywood sold in 4’x8’ sheets. Expect to pay ~$12-15 per sheet for the cheapest stuff. Just be sure to select plywood which is relatively knot-free, crack-free, and not too bowed. This is often times harder than you might think. You can also purchase "one good side" plywood which costs ~$20 per sheet, and will have a smooth side (the climbing side) and a rough, unfinished side. Pick your lumber wisely!
The recommended hardware for attaching the framing to the existing wall structure is 3/8"-1/2" diameter lag bolts or carriage bolts with washers and nuts. Never use nails. When framing your wall and attaching the plywood to your framing, it is best to use 2 1/2" #8 decking screws. If you are building your wall outdoors, consider buying galvanized bolts and screws to resist rust.
Design
So now you know what you want to build and where...now what? Two of the most important aspects of the wall's design is the framing and anchor system of the wall. Never skimp on framing. A poorly framed wall can be dangerous. The forces exerted by a climber on a wall can be high, and poor framing can lead to serious injury or death if not done properly.
Equally important is the anchor system (what attaches the wall to the existing structure), as you don't want the whole works crashing down. Here is where the consultation of structural engineers and professional builders can be helpful. They will help you assess the load requirements of the wall given the location and design you are planning to build. Also consider how much impact the wall's design will have on the existing structure. Will you have to remove current support beams, ceiling material, or wallboard? You want to build a bomber climbing wall, but not weaken the existing structure in the process. This is why garages and unfinished basements are ideal...half the framing and anchoring system are already in place.
To help you plan your walls construction, we have included some basic framing and anchoring ideas on the following pages.