How to Create a Magnetic Wall – A DIY Guide

Writing and magnets holding up paper on Magnetic wall

A magnetic wall opens a space up to a lot of new possibilities. In an office, you can use a magnetic wall to stick important notes, targets, charts, images, and more. In a classroom setting, a magnetic wall can be a place for students to stick their artwork, wall magazines, etc. and teachers can use it to add visual cues to their lectures. There are plenty of use cases for magnetic walls, especially if they are also writable.

In this post, we’ll discuss how you can create fully functional magnetic walls with the help of magnetic paints and plaster. The best part is that you can do it all by yourself without any professional help.

What is magnetic paint and how to create a magnetic wall with it?

Magnetic paint is a surface solution with magnetite content. For instance, the smart magnetic paint by Smarter Surfaces has a high 55% magnetite content. It gives a wall enough magnetic receptibility to hold 4 sheets of A4 paper with a single neodymium magnet. For stronger magnetic receptibility, you can use the super magnetic paint which has a very high 60% magnetite content.

Creating a magnetic wall

You can use magnetic paint to give magnetic receptibility to any smooth surface including walls. Just follow these steps.

Step 1
Check the wall for inconsistencies. If there are holes or cracks, you can use a regular decorator’s filler to fill them up. Sand the wall lightly and apply high-quality primer to it. If your wall is freshly painted, you can skip the priming. If you are not sure if your wall needs a primer before the application of magnetic paint, get in touch with our product advisors. You can show us pictures of your surface and we’ll guide you.

Step 2
Stir the magnetic paint until it gets an even dark grey colour. Pour it into a painting tray and evenly soak a roller into it.

Step 3
Apply the paint generously with an even pressure. Once you have covered the desired area with paint, wait for 2-4 hours allowing the paint to dry. Once dry, sand the wall lightly with 120-grade sandpaper. Get rid of the sand dust using a cloth or brush.

Step 4
Apply two to three more coats. Remember to dry and sand the wall in between coats. You can apply up to 7 coats to increase the magnetic strength of your wall but no more than that.

Pro tip
Use a straight metal edge to skim the final layer of magnetic paint across the surface for a highly smooth finish.

The paint will take 24 hours to be ready for use. You can apply a paint of your choice on top of it or get a digital print. It won’t compromise the magnetic pull of the wall.

Creating a stronger magnetic wall with magnetic plaster

The magnetic and super magnetic paints allow you to stick papers or similar lightweight objects to the wall. If you want your magnetic wall to hold heavier objects like clocks, photo frames, or even television sets, you will need a more powerful product. That is where the smart magnetic plaster comes in.

The smart magnetic plaster is a commercial-grade pre-mixed plaster with a 75% magnetite content. You can apply it like a standard plaster and then paint on it, top it with digital print, or apply a wall covering of your choice.

How to apply the magnetic plaster

  • Prepare the wall by cleaning it and covering objects like switchboards with masking tape.
  • Stir the plaster well (do not mix water).
  • Use a plastering blade to apply the plaster to the surface. Use 1kg of plaster for every square metre of surface area.
  • Wait for a couple of hours for the plaster to be partially dry and then smoothen it using a steel trowel.
  • Once the plaster is completely dry, apply the second coat and repeat step 4.

Note: The magnetic pull of the plaster depends on the quality and surface area of the magnets. The heavier the object, the larger the magnets you would require.

How to create a magnetic whiteboard wall

24 hours after you have created a magnetic wall using magnetic paint or plaster, a lot of new possibilities open up. One of them is creating a magnetic whiteboard wall.

  • Apply a water-based white primer to your magnetic surface and wait for it to dry
  • Apply a coat of smart whiteboard paint and wait for 4 days for the paint to cure

Just like that, you get a high-quality dry-erase whiteboard.

If you want a magnetic whiteboard in a colour of your choice,

  • Apply 2 coats of high-sheen colour on top of the magnetic surface and wait 12 hours for it to dry.
  • Apply a coat of clear whiteboard paint.

You can apply the whiteboard paints on the super magnetic paint and the magnetic plaster as well.

Is it possible to get a magnetic wall without applying paint to it?

Yes, it is.
You can use the smart magnetic whiteboard wallpaper to turn any wall into a magnetic whiteboard. You can even create a projection screen that triples as a magnetic wall and a whiteboard by using the magnetic whiteboard projection wallpaper.

DYI with Smarter Surfaces

Thanks to the full application kit sent with every Smarter Surfaces product, you can Do It Yourself. We send you detailed application guides, and we have a gallery full of application videos that you can refer to at any point.

If you face any issue while choosing the product or applying it to your wall, experts at Smarter Surfaces are always ready to help you through free video consultation.