You can build a 4 x 8 whiteboard in your office just like the picture with some basic tools and simple woodworking skills for about $50. I’m going to show you how.
Non-magnetic whiteboards are built out of melamine (magnetic ones are ceramic on steel and are pretty spendy), a product that is also used for creating shower walls. Oddly enough, you can buy a 4 x 8 sheet of melamine for whiteboards for about $75, or you can buy a sheet of melamine for showers (called plain tile board) for about $13 at Home Depot. The only difference is the shower melamine is thinner.
The other materials you will need are 25′ of wood trim called wainscot trim, a roll of 48″ foam underlayment for wood floors, some brads, a hammer, a miter saw, and a staple gun. You will also need a level, preferably a laser level.
First draw a level line on your wall where you want the bottom of the whiteboard to be. Then staple about 9′ of the foam underlayment to the wall, aligning it with your line. The underlayment will make the whiteboard feel more solid and help make the assembly the right thickness for the wainscot trim.
Next, cut and nail an 8′ length of wainscot trim to the bottom of the foam underlayment. This will serve as the base you will rest the whiteboard on while you nail it.
Now lift the sheet of melamine onto the ledge created by the wainscot trim. Get one of your buddies to hold it against the wall while you line it lengthwise. Now drive some nails into the wall all around the EDGES of the melamine. The ledge on the wainscot trim will cover these nails if you stay within a half an inch of the edge.
Once the melamine is secure, use a utility knife to remove the excess underlayment. Then cut some more wainscot trim to surround the whiteboard and nail it up. Paint or finish as desired.
Voila! You have built an extremely useful whiteboard for only $50. Sweet.
Note: Melamine will ghost a little bit. You will occasionally need to clean your whiteboard with whiteboard cleaner. Also, if you want a different size whiteboard, you can cut it with a regular circular saw.
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8 responses so far ↓
1 Mouneer Nouri // Mar 2, 2009 at 2:47 pm
dear sir.
how can i fix the metal surface "white metal sheet" with MDF back. what kind of glue shall i use. thickness of metal sheet is 0,3mm and MDF is about 11mm
thnx
2 mutaz // Apr 23, 2009 at 5:02 pm
dear Sir,
first of all i would like to thank you a lot for this great information, iam student at the american university _girne north of cyprus, and i am graduating within 5 months, and i have project about the magnetic interactive whiteboard, if you dont mind Sir supplying me with some information about this project , because i looked hardly to get some informations about the michanism of the IWB but the magentic one i couldnt find anything. Sir kindly iam asking you if you can supply me with any idea of bulding this interactive magnetic whiteboard,or how it works, on this email address (mshannag84@hotmail.com)
yours truely .
thanks a lot
3 Every office needs a whiteboard « Organize 2 Optimize // Jun 5, 2009 at 11:37 am
[...] own huge whiteboard space to create innovative ideas for your business…for less than $50! Click here to find out how and be sure to let me know your [...]
4 melissa // Jun 14, 2009 at 12:28 am
Another way you can make a whiteboard is…
Go to home depot and buy whiteboard paint for 32 dollars. And then go home and put the paint on your wall or surface you want it on and wait for it to dry! easier ad much cheaper!!!
Hope i Helped! Have fun with your new whiteboard!!
5 Dave Ritchie // Jul 20, 2009 at 6:12 pm
If you put Turtle Wax on this prior to writing on it, it will prevent a lot of grime pickup (I got this idea from an article at Bell Labs)…
6 Ellen // Jul 23, 2009 at 6:05 am
we are interactive whiteboard manufacturer and educational lab software developer in China. our web: http://www.frentec.cn
Interactive whiteboard classifications: portable system; front-mount system; wall mounted system; projector mounted system; rear projection system.
Lab software ( for middle school and high middle school) : maths, chemistry, physics.
If any one interested in interactive whiteboard and lab software, please add my MSN: luoxiping2004@hotmail.com, Skype: luoxiping2004
7 Annette A. Penney // Nov 3, 2009 at 6:14 pm
This is a great post! My daughter started her own business (biz student in university) and wanted a whiteboard for Christmas but they're SOOO costly. This way I can make her a HUGE one and she'll be thrilled! Thank you so much for this.
8 How to Build a HUGE Whiteboard for $50 « Jason Smith // Jul 20, 2010 at 7:32 am
[...] How to Build a HUGE Whiteboard for $50 Posted in Uncategorized by jasonsmith on July 20, 2010 How to Build a HUGE Whiteboard for $50. [...]
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