A VitaReach wall is only as good as how you set it up. Built from the ground up in a real garage, with a real workbench problem. Here's what works — how to zone each board, which accessories suit which spot, and the configuration choices that keep everything accessible. A little planning here saves a lot of reaching later.
If a board sits right at a side wall, the wall blocks the pull and one side becomes unreachable. That's why a board near a wall is mounted 2" off the wall edge to preserve clearance. A front board addition near a wall requires a 12" wide front board: narrow enough to stay out of the way, wide enough to allow comfortable access to the neighboring board. 12" panels are also readily available and cover most common heights when stacked.
See FAQ — What if a board is near a wall? for details.
On a front board addition, the bottom shelf is structural — it anchors the front panel at the base. Without it, the front panel flexes.
Once it's in, it's also usable storage. A small drawer organizer sits on it well.
We recommend small metal pegboards as the bottom shelf.
We include a stability bracket that supports the shelf's back edge horizontally and provide instructions on how to use it on a metal pegboard shelf. It has other uses too, depending on your setup.
A miter saw with a non-ferrous TCG blade is the cleanest option — fast, straight, done. No miter saw? A hacksaw with a fine metal blade — 32 TPI — will do the job. It takes more effort than cutting wood, so clamp it securely, go slow, and let the blade do the work. Alternatively, any local metal shop or makerspace will cut it for you on the spot for a few dollars — worth considering if you have several pieces to cut.
The front board faces the room when the system is stowed — it's the most visible surface, and the one closest to the neighboring board. Treat it differently from the board sides.
Use it for shallow accessories: flat hooks, magnetic strips and trays, marker holders, small labeled tins, frequently-grabbed hand tools. Magnetic accessories are especially good here — they sit flush, look clean, and can be easily removed if access to a neighboring panel is limited.
A panel face isn't uniform real estate. The board comes to you — but you still reach up and down. How you use each zone makes all the difference:
If you use shelves on a front board addition, make sure whatever sits on them won't slide when the board moves. Open architecture has its perks — but also a slight inconvenience: you need to think about what you're doing.
The simplest and cheapest solution: rubber drawer liners. Cut to size, lay them on the shelf, done. Rubber feet on containers work too when all of them sit on the shelf. Example on Amazon →
Note: rubber liners prevent sliding — not falling. Secure anything that could tip over.
Standard round pegboard hooks are designed for static boards. Boards pull out, stop, reverse. That motion is not an ideal condition for standard round pegboard hooks — they will fall off right before your eyes.
Think of your board like a small RV. You don't want to leave an open knife on an RV table. The same principles apply here. There is only one word: secure.
VitaReach was designed for the wall above a workbench, but the system is flexible enough to go wherever you need pull-out storage. A few setups worth considering:
Inside a deep wardrobe or cabinet: mount the frame inside a 22–24" deep cabinet and use the boards as top shelves that pull out toward you. A simple bracket from any hardware store connects the top rail to the ceiling of the cabinet. Everything that usually gets buried in the back is suddenly visible and within reach. Just don't put heavy unsecured items there if you value your head.
Sewing and craft rooms: build a half front board addition — a smaller board as a front face with a bottom shelf for small drawers, and the upper part open for spools and notions. If you work with large spools, a pull-out kit handles them better than any fixed wall system.
