Forget little dry erase boards, if you have large ideas you need a large whiteboard. With a can of whiteboard paint and about one hour you can have an entire Dry Erase Wall. Which is much cooler.
4 years ago I turned an entire wall in my office into a very large whiteboard calendar. And it still looks great. It hasn't made my ideas any better but at least all of my bad ideas are in one place.
My name is Karen and I like to write things down with pen and paper. I do a lot of this in my office to keep track of blog posts. I realize this puts me on par with someone who washes their clothes against a rock or still uses a DVD player, but I don't care. Even though I like technology and use FIVE Google home assistants in my house - I love a good hand written list or calendar. I like it even better on a wall.
I've tried using my iPhone for taking notes but it just isn't as convenient or effective. Whenever you watch a tv show that involves detective work or research, you don't see everyone writing their evolving notes and research on a tablet. They do it on a big wall so everything is easy to see.
At least that's the way it goes on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries.
I painted an entire wall in my office with dry erase paint and haven't regretted it once. When my DIY dry erase wall is - erased - you can't even tell it's different than a regular wall.
I did this on a whim because I wanted to consolidate all of my lists and notes so that I could see ALL of them easily and quickly at a glance. I didn't want to flip through 4 notebooks and 2 wall calendars, plus whatever receipts, napkins or matchbook covers I've written stuff down on.
Beside my office desk I have a completely blank wall. So my first notion was to run to Walmart or Home Depot to buy a Dry Erase board. But ... that wasn't going to be big enough for all of my big ideas.
I did some searching and discovered that dry erase paint exists (it's also called whiteboard paint). It's the same idea as chalkboard paint but Dry Erase. A couple of companies make it but I went with Rustoleum Dry Erase for no particular reason. This isn't a sponsored post!
It's not a new invention, but it was new to me and that's all that matters. It was exciting enough for me to run out and get everything I needed to make an entire whiteboard wall in my office at that very moment.
Which sadly meant I had to leave my laundry only partially pounded on the rock, before running out the door.
My local hardware store had everything I needed and by that night I had an entire whiteboard wall for writing notes.
Table of Contents
What will it cost?
A dry erase wall is going to cost you about $25 if you're in the United States, and about $50-60 if you're in Canada. I can't explain the price discrepancy for those of us in the North but I can tell you even at $60 it's worth it.
Materials Needed
- Dry Erase paint (comes with 1 can of clear paint, 1 can activator)
- Paint brush
- Paint roller (foam or microfibre)
- Paint tray
- Stir stick
- Blank wall
Instructions
You need a smooth wall, so make sure you have that. Sand off any huge bumps and patch any holes.
- Mix the can of activator with a stir stick. It's the smaller can. Then pour the activator into the can of clear dry erase paint.
- Stir them together until they're completely mixed and emulsified.
- Pour your mixed can of paint into a tray. It will look white but once it dries it is completely CLEAR.
Because the dry erase paint is clear you can paint over any wall and still see your original wall colour under the clear Dry Erase coating.
(just make sure you buy the "clear" dry erase paint, it also comes in white)
- Cut in near the ceiling and edges. My office ceiling is VERY low so I knew I'd be able to write on the wall all the way up to the ceiling. If your ceilings are high you don't need to go that far up *but* there will a noticeable difference in the wall's finish because Dry Erase walls have a semi-gloss look.
- Carefully roll on the Dry Erase mixture making sure you cover every inch of the area you intend to use as a Dry Erase board. Make sure you do an even coat. If you're doing just a small portion of a wall, tape out the area you want to paint.
- Let the wall cure for 2-3 days (a week is actually better) and then get busy scribbling. And erasing.
See that black thing over to the left of the photo? That's my DIY walking desk. If you work at a computer a lot all day, you should make one too. Although since I got a dog I don't find I need to be forced to walk in my office anymore.
A microfibre cloth works best for wiping off dry erase marker, but a whiteboard eraser works as well. For ghosting or marker that doesn't wipe off with a cloth you need isopropyl alcohol. Dampen a cloth with 99% isopropyl alcohol and white the board to remove ghosting.
2 days is the absolute minimum you should wait before you use your dry erase board. It needs to cure and the length of time it takes to do that depends on the temperature of the room and the moisture in the air. Waiting a full week will give you the best results.
Using the board too soon (before it's fully cured) will stain it.
1, 473 ml can will cover approximately 30 square feet with 2 coats.
If for whatever reason you want to get rid of the whiteboard wall all you have to do is give it a light sanding (this helps paint adhere), wipe the sanding dust off and then paint it with a coat of primer and then your final paint colour.
If want to do this but you're worried because you feel like it's permanent or will ruin your wall - don't worry about it. Just do it. It doesn't ruin anything and I use mine ALL the time When I'm not pounding laundry on rocks that is.
Nope I can't carry it around with me like an iPhone. But I can't drop it in a toilet either.
→Go follow me on Instagram where I often make a fool of myself←
Waqas Riaz
Hi Karen,
Thanks for sharing awesome stuff. I am confused between the choice of using dry erase paint vs placing a glass for writing on the wall.
How is the smoothness and feel of dry erase as compared to whiteboard or a glass?
Waqas
Karen
Hi Waqas! The point of painting an entire wall is you can use the entire surface as whiteboard. The WHOLE wall. Plus when nothing is written on it, the wall looks exactly the same as a regular wall. No additional bulk or messiness like you'd get from hanging glass or a dry erase board. The smoothness of the surface is dictated by how smooth your walls are. ~ karen!
Ruth
An empty wall. Interesting concept. My/our walls are in competition.
The same wall
Wants to be windowed
Wants to be gallery [have art, possibly mine, hung on it]
Wants to be Library, ie, have book shelves.
A blank, empty wall? None of the above? Or, more to the point something additional for the walls to scrabble over, oh no!
Shanemyday
гидра онион - ссылка на гидру, ссылка на гидру
Beth
Karen, it's been a while since you painted the wall. I was hoping to see an update on how it's holding up. Is it still erasing easily?
Karen
Yes! I just updated this post a week ago and thought I included that information in it. :/ I'll go back and check my writing. ~ karen!
Scout
We use this on a table top. Our backyard projector comes inside in winter and can project maps and other images on the table. Kids use it for school and fun stuff. Dad uses it for D&D games with his buddies.
Beckie
I wouldn't do it on a dry erase painted wall, but on regular (but older) dry erase boards that have shadowing, etc, I use a Mr. Clean sponge and it cleans it to look like new!
Christine Campbell
Hi Karen
Your dry erase wall looks great but please tell us more about your apron! It is awesome and that it would really protect clothes. All of my clothes seem to turn into painting/grouting/gardening clothes over time.
Thanks so much! I am always eagerly awaiting your next post
Christine in BC
Karen
HI Christine! That's my Rough Linen pinafore. Or more specifically, one of my three Rough Linen pinafores, lol. You can get them here. I've talked about them on my site and heralded their quality for years. :) Because of that, they've given me an ad code for my readers. If you use the code "linen4me" you'll get free shipping! Yes. Even in Canada. ~ karen!
Idaho Girl
Loved this how-to, but the idea of a paint apron was the most significant part of the whole thing for me - why I has it never occurred to me to put an apron over my clothes when I'm painting?!?! I'll add this to my list of small changes that are life changing (like changing out my toilet paper holder to one that has the little arm instead of having to always remove the roll holder. I tell you, if you get annoyed always having to be the one to change the TP, this upgrade is something that makes you pat yourself on the back and tell yourself how smart you are every time you change a roll after that).
shoshana leeder
Joanne Brikjit Thanks so much.
Susan
Great idea! Need one for work. By the way, love the haircut!
Korrie
Great article! I bought the paint but got the version that dries white. My kitxhen is my office or hang out place. Given my ADHD ... I need my notes to be staring at me or easy to run into. So I put the paint on the inside of the cabinet doors. I can open them all and get lists of thinking and note space.
Ais
Does it have a visible finish when cured? I've patched and painted my Future Dry Erase wall, but the repainted areas are a slightly lighter color and visible from certain angles. Do you think I can get away with covering it with the dry erase paint (perhaps a shiny finish would hide discrepancies), or should I repaint the whole wall first?
Karen
Hi Ais. The finish has a shine to it. Not super-glossy but a definite shine. And unfortunately, shine tends to make things like uneven walls, bumps or anything odd show up MORE. It highlights and amplifies any imperfections. It's hard to say if the different colours will be more noticeable or not. :/ It'll probably depend on the light in the room etc. ~ karen!
Nadja Burmatoff
"Which sadly meant I had to leave my laundry only partially pounded, before running out the door." ...you kill me
Karen
That's my goal! ;) ~ karen
dana
I didn't know dry erase paint existed. Thats why we love you, Karen! Of course you can't fold it up and carry it with you but you CAN take a pic of your note with your phone. Thats what we do with the grocery list.
Nancy
I love this so much, I had no idea. I detest chalkboard, it feels like horrible, like touching dollar store microfiber cloths, like I have detention with Sister Robert Mary. But whiteboards are the greatest and I love sniffing the markers.
And what about this office? I didn’t know you had An Office?
Karen
LOL. Yes, I have an office. An office in my house. Where I work. :) ~ karen!
sheida yazhary
Oh1 My Goodness!!
This will be just Wonderful!!
I'm Homeschooling my kids and we are forever lugging white boards around (I have the old heavy framed tripods) and then the boards don't erase fully. So a lot of the lesson time can be spent on erasing. So I love both the erasing tip and now a new project!! Our very own White Wall!! It will be great! And as always "Thanks and Way To Go!!"
Barbara
Sometimes it can be hard to erase something that has been on a whiteboard/wall for a while. If you go over the ink with a fresh dry erase marker and wipe it right away, the ink usually comes off. This even works on permanent markers (but I’d never use those on the wall). This is a trick I learned from teaching.
Jody
Is that Buddha flipping you the bird????
Bambi Mayer
What a great idea! But what I really want to know is how does one go about finding a 6.5 ft tall room??!! If I can find one of those I'll bet my husband would visit once or twice then decide that he's tired of bumping his head and would stay out, thus giving me one room where I don't have to pick up after him.
Cindy
Ugh, had to create a new pinterest board for this you know and I know I still don't have an avatar picture. New Year's resolution blown apart, you'd think taking a picture is easy, I like my caricature of a self better. That spiraled quicker than I expected.
Christene Roy
I had a whole bare wall in my kitchen.And I covered that sucker with chalk board paint! Best thing I ever did.All my notes to myself go on it.And whenever people come over they always feel the need to pick up a piece of chalk and write all over it.The best party favor ever!Dry erase boards remind me of high school.