How to Create a Whiteboard Wall in any Colour with Clear Dry Erase Paint

Clear whiteboard paint in meeting room wall writable table paint

So you want to install a whiteboard wall in your office but don’t want it to be white? We have the perfect solution for you.

You can use clear dry-erase paint to convert any smooth surface including walls, and desktops into a writable surface without altering the original colour. It lets you create collaborative hubs inside your office without compromising the aesthetic appeal of the space. In this post, we’ll discuss the steps you can take to create a dry-erase surface in any colour of your choice.

How does clear dry erase paint work?

Clear dry-erase paint is created by infusing specialist resin with nano-particles. The nanoparticles create a smooth, non-porous surface that the ink from a dry-erase marker can sit on.

The nanoparticles also give the surface a hydrophobic character. This is crucial as the dry-erase marker ink is formed by suspending pigment particles in water. The ink droplets sit on the hydrophobic surface without bonding with the paint.

The paint also allows controlled adhesion between the ink and the paint ensuring that the ink is easy to remove without leaving a stain.

The transparency of the nanoengineered resin in the clear dry-erase paint ensures lets you retain the colour of a wall while turning it into a whiteboard.

Woman writing on clear dry erase Paint blue office wall

The steps to creating a writable wall in any colour

With the right products and detailed guidelines, any nonprofessional can turn a regular wall into a clear writable surface. The steps are pretty simple.

1. Buying the right product
It’s very important to have the right amount of paint for your wall. Too much or too little paint can jeopardize the performance of your whiteboard wall. So first, measure the height and the width of the wall you want to cover with clear dry-erase paint. From that, you can get the area of the wall. Smarter Surfaces has clear whiteboard paint kits for 2 m², 6 m², and 18 m² walls. You can choose the right size for your purpose.

If you have a freshly painted concrete wall, the clear dry-erase paint can go directly on top of it. However, if you wish to turn a wooden wall into a whiteboard, you’ll need to apply a couple of coats of clear primer before applying the clear whiteboard paint. You can add or remove the primer from your cart while purchasing the paint based on your needs. If you’re unsure if your wall needs a primer, contact our product experts. They’ll help you out.

2. Preparing the wall
A smooth, freshly painted wall doesn’t need a lot of preparation. Sand it ever so lightly and tape off the outer edges of the application area as well as any wall-mounted fixture that you might want to paint around.

In case In case your wall is not smooth, has holes and inconsistencies, you’ll have a couple of extra steps.

  • Fill the holes: Use a regular decorator’s filler to fill any holes in the wall. Sand the area off to make it smooth.
  • Colour the wall: Apply the coloured paint of your choice and wait for it to dry completely.

3. Prepare to paint
Fix a roller using the roller sleeve and roller handle provided with the kit. It’s important to use a fresh roller for the job.

The Smarter Surfaces Clear Whiteboard Paint has two parts: Part A and Part B.

Once your wall is ready for application, pour the entirety of Part A into Part B and stir it for at least 5 minutes with the stick provided in the application kit until you achieve a perfect blend.

You should prepare the roller before mixing the paint as you must apply the paint on the wall within an hour of mixing part A with part B.

4. Applying the paint
Apply the clear whiteboard paint in sections and check each section as you go to ensure no missed spots

  • Pour the paint mix into a painting tray and soak the roller in it
  • Make sure the entire roller is covered in paint but it’s not dripping
  • Apply the paint with vertical strokes of the roller starting from the left side.
  • Roll it up and down 10 times with even pressure.
  • Check for missed patches, inconsistencies, or debris from the roller from multiple angles.

The paint becomes touch-dry within 4-5 hours of application. It takes 4 days for the nanoparticles to make the surface performance-ready. Smarters Surfaces’ clear dry-erase paint comes with a 10-year performance guarantee.

How to turn a wooden wall into a clear whiteboard

Being porous, wood soaks in the paint. Before applying the clear whiteboard paint, you need to prime the wooden surface using a clear primer. It closes the pores and gives your whiteboard paint a suitable surface to sit on.

Creating a magnetic whiteboard in any colour

You can follow the detailed DYI guidelines to create a magnetic wall. Once you have a magnetic wall, you can paint it with any colour of your choice. A high-sheen bright colour is more suitable for use as a clear whiteboard. Once the paint dries up, you can apply the clear whiteboard paint. You will have a high-performance magnetic whiteboard wall in 4 days.

Product advisors at Smarter Surfaces are always ready to help you through every step of the purchasing and the application process. Book a free video consultation now.