Marker board from white wall panel

[Stephen Tashiro]

There are various YouTube videos that show people making dry-erase marker boards from the building material called (by Lowes) "Smooth White Hardboard Wall Panel".

I want to try it, so I'm interested in any tricks or refinements to the process.

From the comments on the Lowes site ( http://www.lowes.com/pd/DPI-47-75-in...-Panel/3015239 ):

1) To use as a marker board, its suggested that the panel be waxed.

2) There can be a problem of stain bleeding through from the back of the panel to the white surface.

I want to make a marker board that can be hung up and taken down easily, so I don't want to screw the whole panel into a wall.

My plan is to seal the back of the board with vanish or wood sealer. I plan to glue pieces of wall panel on both sides of a sheet of rigid foam insulation and build a simple wooden frame where the tray that holds the markers can be unscrewed and put on the other side of the assembly. That way when one face of the marker board wears out, I can flip it over and use the other side.

Is that a reasonable plan ?

[david scheidt]

I've only ever used them just screwed to a wall (use large washers, to keep the holes from breaking.). They don't work nearly as well as a proper whiteboard, but they're much cheaper. The big issues we had with them was that marks became hard to wipe off after only a week or so, and they get scratched up, which makes them harder to use. I'd bet wax would help with both of those.

[Dave Cav]

I took a little different tack; I got a piece of cheap Plexiglas and painted one side white then screwed it to the wall with the painted side inside/unpainted side out. It works fine. If I leave the marks on too long they are hard to erase but a rag dampened with iso alcohol takes it right off.

[Wayne Lomman]

Dave Cav is on the right track. The only difference is I used glass so no trouble wiping clean. I never thought of plexi. Cheers

[Belinda Barfield]

We did all of the upper sections of walls in our "war room" at our office with the Lowe's product and framed it out in molding. It's great when you have multiple peopled problem solving. There is a cleaner we use that will clean up any residue. We have even used either acetone or DNA to clean - I'll check tomorrow.

[Todd Mason-Darnell]

There is a white board contact paper that works very well (found it at Home Depot or Wallmart).

[Stephen Tashiro]

There is a white board contact paper that works very well (found it at Home Depot or Wallmart).

What's the brand name for it ? Is it the same kind of contact paper that is used to protect cabinet shelves ? - or something designed specifically for marker boards ?

I cut several test squares of Lowes "White Hardboard Wall Panel" and tried coating it with various things. The most surprising result came from putting water based acrylic varnish over the board. It makes marking show up very clear and bright, but it is impossible to erase with a cloth. It turns dry erase marking into permanent marking!

I tested car wax, clear contact paper, and wood sealer as coatings. On all of them, erasing marking that has been left for a week with a cloth still leaves smudges.

[Steve Peterson]

I put up 2 of the 32" by 48" whiteboard panels from Lowes at my old house for the kids to use. I made a simple frame around them and a tray below to hold the markers. We always used Expo brand markers and they lasted several years without getting hard to erase. I think the kids would often use a small spray bottle with water in it when erasing.

Steve

[Lee Schierer]

On all of them, erasing marking that has been left for a week with a cloth still leaves smudges.

Marks left on expensive dry erase boards for long periods of time are also hard to remove. They make a cleaner that works really well that would probably work on the white panels from Lowes.