How it connects
Continuous longitudinal tongue inserts into the matching recessed bottom groove of an adjoining panel for horizontal alignment and vertical seam concealment, fastened to wall studs with screws.
Male and female halves
Male tongue on the upper long edge mates by insertion into the female groove on the lower long edge of the panel stacked above.
Usually connects to
Common sizes
- Continuous 4 ft (48 in) or 8 ft (96 in) length along 12 in high composite/PVC panels; nominal ~3 mm tongue thickness and ~6 mm engagement depth.
Where it is used
garage wall organizationmodular workshop storageslatwall wall cladding
Variations
- GearWall 4-foot panel tongue
- GearWall 8-foot panel tongue
How to recognise it
A continuous thin upward-projecting lip or tongue running the full 4 ft or 8 ft top edge of a Gladiator GearWall panel, designed to slide into the recessed receiving channel on the bottom edge of another panel.
Often confused with
| Confused with | How to tell them apart |
|---|---|
| Standard T-channel slatwall groove | The panel edge tongue is for panel-to-panel stacking/interlock along the panel border, not the face-mounted T-slots designed to accept accessory hooks and brackets. |
| GearTrack channel edge | GearTrack channels are individual 6-inch strips mounted with gaps or standalone, whereas GearWall panels are 12-inch panels designed with full edge-to-edge interlocking tongue-and-groove joints. |
Also called
GearWall tongue and groove interlockGearWall panel interlock tongueGladiator slatwall tongue
Good to know
Manufacturer instructions specify panels must be installed tongue-side up, groove-side down. Fastener screws are driven through the designated screw track into wall studs to secure each panel once seated.
Related connections
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