Important Tips When Applying Dry Erase Board Paint

Dry erase board paint is currently the most used board paint in professional offices and sometimes, even at home for personal use. The reason is simple; it is much efficient and practically cheaper when you consider how much useful it is. If you do not use dry erase board paint yet but planning to, here are some tips if you decide to install it and go do-it-yourself way. 

Open the room 

 

Since you are basically doing a paint job on your wall, make sure to have the room properly ventilated. That means opening all the windows and doors as much as possible. Although the paint that will be used is low-odor and environment-friendly, it is still best to keep the airflow properly moving in and out.

Use the tools included or disposable tools 

 

Sometimes when purchasing a dry-erase board paint kit, there are already tools that are included. If that is the case, you can use those instead of buying separate tools to do the job. But if no tools come with the kit such as microfiber roller, make sure to use disposable ones. They are usually cheaper and you do not have to clean them yourself and get yourself contaminated with the chemicals in the paint. 

Prepare the wall 

 

Before you start with your paint job, make sure to properly clean the wall's surface first. If it is dirty, wash it off and let it completely dry. If the surface is not smooth enough to your liking, use a sandpaper to even out rough areas. Finish with wiping the wall with a lint-free cloth or vacuum the dust from the wall. 

 

In case there is an old paint on the wall, there is a chance that that paint contains lead. Lead is dangerous to health so it is best to wear proper protective equipment or government approved respirator to prevent exposure to lead. 

 

After the cleaning part, use a pencil to mark the area that you are going to paint. Avoid using a ballpoint pen, pentel pen or any pen with ink as it could bleed out through the paint itself. 

Cover adjacent surfaces 

 

Like any other paint job, you must first prepare the area that you are going to do it. After the cleaning task, make sure to cover or mask the adjacent part of the wall that will not be painted with the dry-paint. That includes the floor and the ceiling. 

 

 

This is important because as you paint near those areas, there is a big chance that the paint would contaminate them. Drips, splash, or specks could easily ruin the adjacent side of the wall if you do not do this. 

Properly saturate the roller 

 

If you are not an expert on how paint job works, you could end up with dry erase board paint with bubbles all over it. And with all your efforts to smooth out the wall's surface, it could be a waste. 

 

So when applying the paint, make sure to properly saturate the paint on the roller. The best way is not to rush the application. Roll the roller back and forth until the air is properly worked out from the tray and repeat the same thing when doing it on the wall. Avoid overloading the roller with paint. Just make it properly saturated with the right amount of paint on it. 

Apply a minimum of two multiple coats 

 

For best results, apply the paint with a minimum of two coats. One coat usually comes up transparent showing an opaque or blurry image of the wall. 

 

To determine the right amount of coats to be used, follow this simple tip: If the wall is light-colored, you can use two to three coats. But if it is dark, you will need at least four or five. Remember that there is an interval of times between re-coats. It is not good to apply another coat right after you are done with the previous one. Let the paint dry a little for the recoat to be effective. 

Clean up and wait 

 

When done with painting, make sure to clean up. Throw away non-recyclable items and make sure to properly dispose of them. You don't want children and pets to reach them. 

 

Wait for at least two days for the paint to properly dry and harden. For thicker recoats, make it three to four days to be sure that it is writeable. 

 

Use lint-free cloth or microfibers when erasing ink marks on the surface. For instances that the marker ink is not easily erased through a cloth, you can use a damp cloth or some household cleaners. Try not to use abrasive pads or cleaners as it could damage the smoothness of the surface.