PM - Installation of a traverse wall

Advice on the do-it-yourself method
To construct a climbing wall, two main possibilities exist: you can install the climbing holds directly onto the wall using the existing cinder blocks, or, if you do not have a cinder block wall, you can fix plywood panels against the wall first and then attach the holds onto them. Please note that all the steps outlined here are magnificently illustrated on the Passe Montagne CD-ROM designed for all those who want to build a do-it-yourself climbing wall.

Holds installed directly onto the wall
This installation method is designed to be used only on walls built of cinder blocks. The specific wall here is a traverse climbing wall. If you are building a vertical high wall, the method is the same except for the installation of the belaying beam. To install a belaying beam, you need to consult the engineer or architect for your school district. He is the only one with the ability to determine which method is the most appropriate for installing a belaying beam in your building.

Material for a 8’ x 24’ wall:
1.) 96 climbing holds.
2.) 216 anchors for concrete blocks: 1 3/8" hollow set drop-in (one per concrete block).
3.) GymTex or matte paint to cover the wall.

Tools:
• A percussion drill, a sharp 5/8" cement drill bit, a special installation tool for the hollow sets, a tape measure, a hammer, a step-ladder, a felt marking pen, protective eyeglasses, a grinder, and (if necessary) a roller and paintbrush for paint, or if you are using Gym-Tex, an air gun and a compressor. You should be able to find excellent drills (with the drill bits you need), an air gun and a compressor at any good tool hire shop.

Before installing anchors:

The wall on which the climbing wall is to be installed must have a matte finish or be slightly porous. This is to avoid the problem of the holds turning around by themselves. If you are in doubt, do this test. Place an anchor in a cinder block, install a hold and then put your weight on it. If the hold pivots at all, you can do one of the following:
1) You can lightly grind the wall with the grinder. Then go ahead with the installation of the anchors (see information below). This option is very economical; however, it does not look so good.
2) Grind the wall lightly. Then go ahead and install the anchors (see information below). Finally, apply a coating of paint with a matte finish to the wall. Let your imagination have a free rein (or get your students to help) and create a colorful mural that you can then protect with a couple of coats of matte varnish.
3) Grind the wall lightly. Then install the anchors (see information below). Finally, apply GymTex to the wall. GymTex is a textured acrylic wall covering, specifically designed for climbing walls. Available in 20 colors, it allows your imagination to run wild!

Installing anchors:
• With the felt marking pen, mark all the places on the wall where an anchor will be placed. Count one anchor for each cinder block. The anchors must be installed in the hollow sections of the block: each block has two such hollow sections. The hollow sections are known as "cells."


	Installing anchors

Begin your first row of horizontal marks on the cell nearest the start of your wall; then the second mark will be on the third cell, the third on the fifth and so on to the end of the row. Begin your second row with the second cell from the starting point, the second mark will be on the fourth cell, the third on the sixth and so on until the end of that row. Begin your third row at the same point on the wall as the first row, with the cell closest to the start of the wall, the fourth horizontal row with the second cell and so on. If this is done correctly, you will finish up with a nice series of diagonal lines, which will give you a multitude of possibilities for placing your holds later.

1.) Drill the holes with the percussion drill.
2.) Clean the holes by removing all the dust.
3.) Before installing the anchors in the holes, ensure that its two sections hold together properly by hammering the smaller part of the hollow set firmly into the larger part.
4.) Install the anchor into the hole and hammer it firmly home.
5.) When the anchor is properly installed in the hole, ensure that it is flush with the wall or slightly countersunk; if it is not, hammer it lightly in a bit more and tighten it with the special installation tool.

Climbing wall panels:
Important: before you start, make sure you are able to install the Tapcons® (screws used in cement and bricks) into the wall. Certain types of ceramic bricks are very difficult, if not impossible, to drill. Do a couple of tests with 1/4" x 2–3/4" Tapcons. The specific wall here is a traverse climbing wall. If you are building a vertical high wall, the method is the same except for the installation of the belaying beam. To install a belaying beam, you need to consult the engineer or architect for your school district. He is the only one with the ability to determine which method is the most appropriate for installing a belaying beam in your building.

Material: (for a wall measuring 8’ high x 24’ long)
• 6 plywood panels of 3/4" BC fir, finished one side, first quality;
• 16 x 2" x 4" x 8’ spruce lumber
• 64 T-nuts per panel (384 T-nuts in all);
• 150 flat-headed/square-holed #12 wood screws, 2" long, per panel;
• 150 1/4" x 2-3/4" Tapcons
• Sand paper and wood filler to cover any knots or other faults in the plywood panels;
• Acrylic primer
• Round 1/2" insulation (of the type used around windows)
• GymTex or a matte-finish, acrylic paint to cover the panels.

Tools:
A percussion drill with a 3/16" x 4-1/2" drill bit, another drill with a 1/2" bit (for the T-Nuts), a bit for the wood screws and another for the Tapcons, a router, a circular saw, a tape measure, a hammer, a step-ladder, a pencil, a chalk line, a 4’ level, protective eyeglasses and a router with a 3/4" bit for rounding off edges.

Preparing the panels:
Using the chalk line or a marker, mark horizontal lines at every 6", starting 3" from the bottom. Mark vertical lines at every 6", starting 3" in from the side. On the first horizontal line, mark the first point at which the two lines meet, then the third one, the fifth one, etc. On the second horizontal line, mark the point at which it meets the second vertical line, then the fourth one, the sixth one, etc. Do the third line like the first one, etc. You should end up with 64 marks, indicating where you will drill 1/2" holes (to insert the T-Nuts).


	Preparing the panels

Using the router, round off all the top edges and one left hand side on one panel only, as well as one right hand side on one other panel. These two panels will be installed as the first and last panels of your wall. The edges are rounded off to avoid injuries.

Make sure you cover any faults or knots in the plywood panels and then sand them down, afterwards applying a coat of primer to each panel.

Using a hammer, insert the T-nuts in the panels from the back, not the front (i.e., from the side that will face the wall).

Installing the panels:
Mark the position on the wall where the 2" x 4" will be placed vertically, every two feet, starting with a 2" x 4" at one extremity of the wall.

To fix the 2" x 4" pieces, it is easier to work with two drills at once. Use the percussion drill with the concrete drill bit to make the hole in the 2" x 4" and in the wall, and another drill with the special bit for screwing in the Tapcons.


	Installing the panels

Put a 2" x 4" flat against the wall, along your first mark. While holding the 2" x 4" against the wall, drill a hole through the 2" x 4" and the concrete block. Change drills and screw home a Tapcon. Install one Tapcon every 2’. Install the other 12 pieces of 2" x 4". Warning: the 2" x 4" supports must be level.
On the upper part of your wall, install pieces of 2" x 4" horizontally; these will serve mainly to block the space at the top of the wall. In this way, no objects such as gum or other rubbish will be able to find their way behind the wall.

Install these 2" x 4" pieces so that they are flush with the top of the vertical 2" x 4" already in place. You will therefore have to cut them into smaller pieces first, in order to insert them between the vertical pieces.

Now fix your plywood panels onto the 2" x 4" structure using the wood screws; approximately 20 screws per panel.

Paint the wall or apply GymTex (see Applying GymTex below)

Applying the GymTex

Applying GymTex
Before applying the GymTex, make sure you put a coating of primer on the plywood and that all imperfections in the plywood are either sanded or plugged with wood filler.
Apply the GymTex to your wall according to the instructions on the container. Before you start applying it, it is important to protect your anchors (T-nuts or hollow sets) properly from the GymTex. Block each of the anchors. We suggest you use round 1/2" window insulation. Cut the lengths of insulation into 2" pieces and insert them one at a time into each anchor.
Leave the wall to dry for 1 to 5 days. It must be completely dry before you install the holds; otherwise the holds may cause the finishing to come off.
Take out the pieces of insulation from the T-nuts and install the holds on the panels (see below: Installing holds).

Installing holds:
Installing climbing hold is somewhat like playing with a game of Lego®. There are a thousand and one ways you can do it but there is no single right way: all methods are good. As a rule of thumb, you should install about one hold in every third anchor in plywood and every second anchor in concrete blocks, by simply screwing it in.

Important: if the hold is difficult to screw in, stop the operation, clean the hole, verify the alignment and screw the hold gently in once more. A hold has to be screwed in with care; forcing it may lead to breakage of the anchor, or it may even fall out.

With practice, you will discover your own talents as a route-setter and you will learn to adapt the difficulty of the routes and the complexity of the movements required for the climbing activity according to the level of your clientele and the objectives you wish to attain.

And have lots of fun!

© 2010 PM Climbing Systems
• Member Fédération québécoise de la montagne et de l’escalade
• Member Climbing Wall Industry Group
• Member of Outdoor Industry Association