How to Make a Chalkboard Wall with Paint
Chalkboard paint allows you to turn any wall into message center, calendar or art space. Offices are the perfect place to add a large calendar. A mudroom makes a great communication board for the family. Kitchen cabinets can now be labeled and organized. Even your pantry can become your running shopping list. Plus, your kids are going to love having a wall they can write on!
Materials Needed:
- Spackling Paste
- Fine grit sand paper
- Thin Nap Roller
- Painter’s Tape
- Chalkboard Paint
Steps:
- Using your spackling paste, go ahead and fill in any holes or imperfections in the wall.
- Now you must the sand the wall smooth. I recommend a fine grit sand paper if you already have paint on the wall. It will give a much nicer appearance to your chalkboard.
- Tape off all parts of the nearby wall you would NOT like paint on
- Using your thin nap roller (smooth paint roller), begin to apply chalkboard paint. I recommend the thin nap roller because it lends itself to a smoother finish (less stipple if you’re more technical). The paint won’t spread as far with this kind of roller so be sure to go over thin spots to ensure even coverage. Allow to dry completely.
- Consider sanding again to smooth wall!
What’s the Difference Between Chalkboard Paint and Chalk Paint?
If you read through 50% of this and thought to yourself, “Aren’t chalk paint and chalkboard paint the same?” Don’t worry, you’re not alone. In my other article about Updating Your Bathroom Vanity with Chalk Paint, I discuss the nature and perks of chalk paint. It is a thicker paint so it often requires little prep work and sometimes only one coat of paint! It leaves furniture with a matte finish or it can easily be distressed with a little sanding. It does not however allow you to write on it with chalk.
ChalkBOARD paint is another thing altogether. You can write on this paint as if it were a chalkboard. Sherwin Williams sells this paint for less than $12 a quart.
Additional Tips
- Some chalkboard paint manufacturers recommend “priming” the dried and newly-painted wall with a layer of chalk before use. You then erase the chalk with a damp sponge and you are good to go.
- Remember chalkboards and how messy they were when you were in school? That still holds true so be sure your chalkboard wall has about a foot of clearance from the bottom because anything beneath it will surely be covered in chalk.
If we can be of help with your painting project near Breckenridge, Frisco, Keystone, Vail or just about anywhere nearby, give us a call at 970 418-5368 cell or 970-547-9778 office.
Sources: Classy Clutter and Martha Stewart Online