How To Make A Chalkboard Wall

Want to create your own fun, reusable notepad? You can make a neat and handy way to jot down notes and reminders and maximize space by turning part of your home or office wall into a large notepad.

You can turn virtually any surface in your home or office into a blackboard. You apply it just like any other paint, invest in a box of chalk and an eraser and you have your own reusable, eco-friendly list maker, drawing surface, calendar — you name it!

Hallco Enterprises, located in Clarksburg, MD, has the creative painters in house to do this project for you. If you are interested, call us at: (301) 831-3679. If you’d like to tackle this project on your own:

Follow these simple steps:
1. Purchase some chalkboard paint from Krylon (which can be found at Sherwin Williams or Home Depot) or from Benjamin Moore.
2. Thoroughly clean and dry the surface area you would like to turn into a chalkboard.
3. Make sure the wall surface is smooth, very smooth. If it isn’t, you may need to apply some lightweight spackle. Once it is dry, use 280-300 grit sandpaper to sand the spackle patches. (If Hallco does this for you, we’d typically use drywall mud, which is a little more difficult to work with for most homeowners, as it requires more tools and practice.)
4. Once the walls are prepped and sanded, mark off the space you want to paint with painter’s masking tape. I would suggest the blue-core from 3M.
5. Apply one prime coat of Zinsser Cover Stain or a similar primer (ask your paint store for a good drywall primer).
6. Apply at least 2 coats of chalkboard paint evenly to the whole area. (allowing the proper drying time between coats).
7. Let it dry for two days minimum, then carefully remove the painters tape.

You can also make your chalk board magnetic by using magnetic latex primer (which can be purchased at your local Home Depot).
Insert these steps in-between steps 5 and 6 of the previous directions:
I. Paint 2 to 3 coats of magnetic paint on the desired space. Allow the paint to dry completely in-between coats, and follow the manufacturers directions for drying time.
II. Test the magnetic strength of the wall by placing a few magnets of various sizes onto the surface. If the strength isn’t what you want, then add another coat and repeat the test after the paint is dry.
III. Let the paint dry completely and then pick up at step 6 of the previous set of steps.

Note: We’ve heard reports that sometimes the magnetic paints do not work when used with chalkboard paint. So if you really want to do your own magnetic chalkboard, to ensure successful results, we’d suggest following the suggestions on this blog: Less Than Perfect Life Of Bliss.