How to Use Whiteboard Paint for Offices and Classrooms

A whiteboard is a versatile tool for writing, drawing, and presenting information. Using whiteboard paint, you can turn entire walls into whiteboards enhancing the collaborative potential of classrooms and offices.

What is whiteboard paint?

Whiteboard paint is a specially designed paint that turns any smooth surface into a dry-erase, writable surface. You can apply it to walls, table tops, doors, and any other flat smooth surface. You can use walls painted with whiteboard paint for writing, and drawing with a dry-erase marker. You can wipe it clean with a microfibre cloth.

How to use whiteboard paint

Whiteboard paints have strong use cases in classrooms, offices, conference rooms, and even at home. Using whiteboard paint is very easy and you can apply it by yourself. In this post, we will discuss the application methods of whiteboard paint on different types of surfaces, and we will also talk about the best ways of maintaining the performance of a whiteboard over a long time.

Applying whiteboard paint on a wall?

You can apply smart whiteboard paint on a wall using a few simple steps

Prepare the wall
If you have a wall that was recently primed or painted, you can lightly sand it to get any minor inconsistency out.

For a wall with holes, cracks, or rough patches

You can fill the holes and cracks with a decorator’s filler.
Sand the surface to get a smooth finish
Apply two coats of high-quality white primer and wait for it to dry out
Sand lightly to ensure the wall is clean

Apply the paint
Smarter Surfaces’ whiteboard paint comes in two parts. Part A comes in small bottles and Part B comes in the tin.

Empty the bottles into the tin and stir it well for at least five minutes. At this point, your whiteboard paint is ready.

Select a small area of the wall and apply the paint with vertical strokes of the roller. Use a fresh roller for the whiteboard paint. Make sure the roller is evenly soaked in paint.

The application kit provided with the paint contains multiple roller sleeves, a roller handle, a pair of gloves, a stirring stick, and sandpaper. That means you get almost everything you need to apply the paint with the paint.

Let it dry
The wall becomes touch dry within 4 hours of applying the whiteboard paint. However, it takes up to 4 days for the dry-erase qualities to kick in. After that, you will have a high-quality dry-erase wall with a 10-year performance guarantee.

Maintaining a whiteboard wall

A whiteboard wall painted with Smarter Surfaces products will perform for years if you follow simple steps.

Use a dry-erase cleaner to clean the board after every session of use so that there’s no ink residue build-up on the surface.
Use microfibre cloths for erasing the dry-erase ink
If you accidentally get permanent marker ink on the whiteboard wall, use permanent marker remover to clean that. Remember, this cleaner is very strong and meant only for occasional use.

Key benefits of using whiteboard paints

The difference between a traditional wall-mounted whiteboard and a whiteboard wall goes deeper than just the size of the writable area (which is surely a huge factor).
Top benefits of a writable wall in an office setting

Creates a collaborative environment
Meetings are more engaging with the visual cues
Maximises the creative potential of the empty wall space
Paint can be applied even on unusual walls, you don’t necessarily need an empty wall.
It becomes a hub of fun activities and idea-sharing

The advantages of using whiteboard paint in classrooms

You get the entire wall to put up information and leave it there for a few days if needed
Inspires students to share their ideas freely
Freedom from chalk dust and ensuing allergies
Encourages active participation

How to create a whiteboard wall in a colour of your choice

You can have a dry-erase wall in any colour of your choice by using Smarter Surfaces’ clear whiteboard paint.

If your wall is freshly painted with a colour of your choice, you can simply apply a coat of clear whiteboard paint to it. It will create a transparent dry-erase layer on the wall. You will be able to write on it with dry-erase markers and wipe it clean with microfibre cloths.

This allows you to create whiteboard walls that complement your brand or match the colour of your school building. It’s also a great solution for creating clear whiteboard walls at home.

If you want to apply clear whiteboard paint on a wooden surface, make sure you apply a couple of coats of clear primer first.

How to create a magnetic whiteboard wall?

Smarter Surfaces has carefully curated product bundles to help you create magnetic whiteboard walls. You get magnetic paint, water-based white primer, and smart whiteboard paint in the bundle along with all the equipment necessary for the application of the paints.

The application process is quite straightforward.

Start by preparing the wall – fill holes, sand off inconsistencies, and create a smooth surface.
Apply 4 to 5 coats of the magnetic paint on the wall sanding the painted surface very lightly after each coat is touch dry.

Add at least two coats of white water-based primer once the magnetic paint is completely dry. Wait for at least 12 hours after applying the final coat of primer. Do not sand this layer. Your wall is now ready for the whiteboard paint and you already know how to apply the whiteboard paint on primer.

Things to keep in mind while buying whiteboard paint for walls

The paint should be certified for fire safety with certified levels of VOC, isocyanates, PFOA and PFOS.
You should receive a performance guarantee for the paint
In the best-case scenario, the paints should come with application kits and guides
It should be easy to apply.

Using whiteboard paint to refurbish old whiteboards and chalkboards

When it comes to refurbishing a chalkboard, you should start with a couple of coats of primer to prepare it for the whiteboard paint. Once the surface is smooth and dry, you can apply the paint to turn an old chalkboard into a brand-new whiteboard.

In the case of a whiteboard, you can simply apply the whiteboard paint or a self-adhesive whiteboard film. The self-adhesive film is the fastest solution for refurbishing old whiteboards or turning furniture like tables and desks into writable surfaces.

Do it yourself with Smarter Surfaces
Smarter Surfaces products are easy to apply and come with step-by-step guidelines and tutorial videos to make them DIY-friendly. That said, our product advisors are always just a click away. Get in touch if you have any questions.

You can also book a free video consultation. Show your space to our experts and they’ll help you find the best product for your needs and suggest you the best course of action.