Joseph P. Dalton // Denver, CO
When did you build your wall?
Early March, 2020
How long did it take you to build?
4 days
Not including holds and padding, how much did it cost you to build?
$850
Did anything in particular inspire your wall design?
Mostly just the space where the wall is, that being the inside of a 1950’s single-car garage with exposed rafters. It just so happened that going from the side wall to the roof peak created a 35-degree wall that is 11 feet tall, so pretty perfect for me. Then we stained the wall with a whitewash to make the space brighter and make the holds pop a little more.
What was the most difficult aspect of the design and build?
Luckily it all went pretty smooth with no surprises, but probably just drilling all the holes for the t-nuts, followed by hammering them all in, was the most tedious.
What would you do differently?
As of right now, nothing. The angle, kicker height, and hole density (4″ grid) are all perfect
What is your favorite aspect?
Just the whole space. The wall, with our nice, home-made pad, and the updated lighting, combined with some benches, some training equipment, and other small details make the wall just a centerpiece of a dream-come-true home gym
Any words of wisdom to aspiring homewallers?
Just make sure your wall is structurally sound. I’m lucky enough to have some framing and construction experience, and my Dad is a construction engineer, but I’ve seen a few walls that I wouldn’t want to do a dyno on. At least look at the sheer and pull-out strength of the fasteners that are holding up the wall, and make sure they add up to at least a few times what the load of the wall will be.
Do you have any connection to climbing brands or gyms?
No, none. Just the awesome Denver climbing community in general.
