1) Height and width of the climbing area. Do not build a climbing wall at home taller than 2.5 metres

2) Do the climbing holds need to be screwed directly to the wall or will they be mounted on a board?

3) The type of wall to which the climbing holds / climbing boards are to be mounted:

• Brick
• Concrete
• Wooden wall (important, having access to the back of the wall)
• Drywall (we do not recommend placeding the climbing holds directly on the wall!)

You can make your own climbing boards. You will need 15mm or 21mm plywood sheets, which can be purchased at various hardware stores. The boards are raw and typically measure 125 x 250 cm (about 3 sqm). Additionally, you will need paint and T-nuts (approx. 30 per square metre).

• Cut the boards to fit the wall where they are to be mounted.
• Lay the plate face up and drill holes with a 12 mm drill bit. Calculate 30 holes per square metre. It may be a good idea to create a template so that the pattern of holes becomes uniform.
• Turn the plate over and hammer in the T-nuts from the back of the plate.
• Paint the plate in the desired color. Choose an oil-based, water-resistant and durable floor paint. If you want a rough friction surface, you may want to sprinkle a thin layer of sand on the board directly after the first layer of paint. Apply the second layer of paint when the first layer is completely dry.

Neither MDF nor OSB boards are optimal for climbing walls. They are softer than the plywood we usually recommend for climbing walls, and they are also very vulnerable to moisture. This means that the climbing holds can twist loose after a short period of use.

For children 2-10 years: 8-10 climbing holds per square metres.

Older children and adults: 6-8 climbing grips per square metres.

Climbing holds for children must have rounded edges and good grip. Climbing holds that are especially suitable for children are jugs. Jug climbing holds come in various sizes. The fact that the climbing holds have good grip possibilities is more important than the size of the climbing holds themselves, as long as they are not too small. Mixing medium and large jugs on a climbing wall for children gives a good variety. If you have a large climbing area with over 30 climbing grips, you can increase the difficulty level and supplement with some small climbing holds / footholds.

Climbing facilities in public places must comply with the playground regulations for safety and fall surfaces. It is not required in private homes, but we recommend the following for those who want to build a climbing wall at home.

• Do not build a climbing wall taller than 2.5 metres unless you use safety equipment in the form of climbing harnesses and ropes.
• To ensure quality and safety, we recommend using climbing boards for the climbing wall.
• Safety distance of 2.5 metres from the climbing wall, where there is no radiator or furniture.
• Always have a mattress lying under the climbing wall that the kids can jump down onto and land softly on.

It is possible to mount climbing holds on wood directly from the front, if you do not have the opportunity to get to the back of the wall and put in T-nuts. For this purpose, use a frame fixing screw. In our DIY category you will find a set of hot-dip galvanized 80 mm frame fixing screws.

The distance between the climbing holds can vary depending on who is going to use the wall. We recommend setting 8-10 climbing holds per square metre for children from 3-10 years, and 6-8 climbing holds per  square metres for older children and adults.

There can be different approaches to route setting, and if you are an experienced climber, you probably have your own. Here are two different suggestions on how to set a route when making a building a wall for children:

1. Sort the climbing grips before you start mounting them on the wall. The climbing holds that have best to grip with both hands (jugs) are placed evenly over the wall at a height from the child's shoulder and upwards. It gives the child a good starting point for getting up the wall when the climbing holds with the best grip options are evenly distributed. The last climbing holds are distributed on the remaining part of the climbing wall, these are the footholds and and slightly more challenging holds on the hands.
2. Another approach is to set the routes according to the child's movements. Here the child is an active part of the route setting. You start with a single foothold, let the child stand with his foot on it and then put two handles where it will be natural for the child to grasp with the hands. Now the child stands with one foot on a holds and with both hands on the wall. The next foothold should be placed where the free foot can reach and just slightly higher than the first foothold. Build on from here with alternating holds for hands and feet. If you have built the climbing wall out of climbing board modules with extra holes for climbing holds, the route building is a process that you can return to again and again and make the routes harder and harder as needed.

Bolts for our climbing holds must be purchased separately. The reason, for not including bolts with the climbing holds, is that the length of the bolt needed depends on the wall opon which the climbing holds are to be mounted. For each individual product, we make every effort to state which bolts are to be used for individual wooden walls, brick walls or concrete walls respectively.

The climbing holds are fitted with M10 bolts that are screwed into the T-nuts on the wooden board on which the climbing holds are to be mounted. The T-nuts are turned in from the back of the plate. If you put the climbing holds directly on a wooden wall, it is IMPORTANT that you can reach the wall from the back.

The length of M10 bolts may vary. Our climbing hold products are supplemented with recommendations for bolt lengths for wood, brick and concrete walls, respectively.

Course of action:

1. Drill 12mm holes from the front of the board (we recommend a 15 to 21mm plywood board)
2. Insert the T-nuts on the back of the plate
3. If necessary, screw the battens on the wall where the climbing wall should be.
4. Screw the climbing boards onto the battens or directly to the wall
5. Screw the climbing holds to the climbing wall with an 8 mm allen key

Remember that if the wooden board is to be mounted directly on the wall, it is important that the bolts with which the climbing holds are mounted do NOT protrude on the back of the wooden board. Therefore, be careful when choosing bolts. Know the thickness of the wooden board.

One advantage of making climbing walls made of plywood sheets is that you can make extra holes with T-nuts. It allows you to move around the climbing holds and make new routes after the climbing wall is set up. On the ready-made climbing boards we sell at Gubbies, there are 30 holes per square metre.

Tools and equipment:

• Plywood sheets: 15 mm or 21 mm
• potential battens (4x4 cm) to the back of the climbing plate modules
• T-nuts
• M10 bolts
• Drill with 12 mm drill bit
• Hammer (for installing the T-nuts)
• Allen key size 8 for tightening the climbing holds
• Saw, if you need to cut the boards

The climbing holds are fitted with M10 bolts. These are screwed into concrete anchors on the wall on which the climbing holds are to be mounted.
The length of the M10 bolts may vary. See our different sizes here.
Our climbing holds products are supplemented with recommendations for bolt lengths for wood, brick and concrete walls, respectively.

Course of action:

1. Make sure the surface is level (climbing holds may crack if they are fastned on an uneven surface)
2. Drill holes with a 12 mm brick drill bit
3. Push the concrete anchors into the holes with your finger so the edge is 2-5mm inside
4. Use a mandrel or other blunt object to knock the pile inside the anchor to the bottom (thus expanding the anchor and jamming it)
5. Tighten the climbing grips with an Allen key 8 mm

Tools and equipment:

• Concrete Anchors
• M10 bolts (stainless bolts if climbing will to be installed outside)
• Drill with 12 mm brick drill bit
• Hammer and mandrel to hit the concrete anchors
• Allen key size 8 to fasten the climbing grips

The climbing holds are mounted with 8 x 80mm screws with nylon plugs on the brick wall.

Be aware of unevenness between the joints and bricks before mounting the climbing holds. If possible, hold the climbing holds on the brick wall and check that it will not rock back and forth. If the climbing hold is screwed onto an uneven surface, there is a risk that the climbing hold will crack when tightened. You must also be careful not to screw the holds into a joint, they must be mounted directly in a brick.

Course of action:

1)    First drill a 10mm hole in the wall. max 80mm deep.

2)    The hold is placed over the hole.

3)    The nylon rawlplug is inserted into the climbing hold until the collar of the plug is fully inside the hold.

4)    The screw is inserted and screwed in all the way in until the hold is firmly secured.

Tools and equipment for mounting climbing holds:

• Screw set 8 x 80mm screws with nylon plugs
• 10 mm brick drill
• Torx 40 bit