When considering Chalkboard Paint, you may also want to look into: Faux Finishing and Painting, General Painting Technique, Indoor Painting Projects, Interior and Airless Paint Sprayers, Magnetic Paint, Paint Applicator Overview, Paint Contractors, Painting Kitchen Cabinets, Painting Various Surfaces, Prepping Interior Surfaces, Stenciling, Texturizing, Wall Murals and Zero VOC Paint.
If you thought chalkboards were just for schoolrooms, think again. These wipe-off writing surfaces make handy helpers around the home, too. Thanks to paint that dries into a chalkboard finish, your board can be whatever size you desire and placed wherever you like. Store-bought formulas come in traditional green and black. But you can also follow our recipe to mix your own batch in any shade. Cleverly applied chalkboard paint means new places to track appointments, keep lists, and leave messages. Or simply use the surface to draw or doodle, which will appeal to kids and the kid in everyone.
Wall Calendar
A home office is the ideal spot for a family planner. Six weeks' worth of squares in a variety of shades can accommodate several schedules. The entire wall is also coated with chalkboard paint for more memos. Start with a base coat of store-bought black chalkboard paint, and then mix in varying amounts of white chalkboard paint for lighter squares.
Mudroom Mural
The bottom half of a mudroom wall just the right height for pint-size Picassos -- coated with store-bought green chalkboard paint. When inspiration strikes again, the canvas can be wiped clean with a damp sponge. Corkboard, available at home centers, covers the wall above the chair rail, providing an area for art displays. The cork was colored with latex paint to match the room.
Message Center
Write-on paint needn't be applied only to walls. We coated three framed panels and leaned them on an entryway shelf, where they function as miniature chalkboards. To create a similar effect, measure and cut pieces of sanded plywood, and slip them into picture frames. Cover each panel, frame and all, with primer and chalkboard paint; our topcoat coordinates with the aqua-blue walls.
Pantry Reminder
Covered with chalkboard paint, a pantry door serves as the perfect place to keep a running shopping list. In this case, only the inside panels were coated, but we custom-colored the paint so that it blends seamlessly with the rest of the door. This concept also works on children's closet doors. Always tape off those areas that you don't want to paint, such as knobs and hardware.
Custom Colors How-To
Start with flat-finish latex paint in any shade. For small areas, such as a door panel, mix 1 cup at a time.
- Pour 1 cup of paint into a container. Add 2 tablespoons of unsanded tile grout. Mix with a paint stirrer, carefully breaking up clumps.
- Apply paint with a roller or a sponge paintbrush to a primed or painted surface. Work in small sections, going over the same spot several times to ensure full, even coverage. Let dry.
- Smooth area with 150-grit sandpaper, and wipe off dust.
- To condition: Rub the side of a piece of chalk over entire surface. Wipe away residue with a barely damp sponge.
The right home improvement products, techniques, and services:
Contractors, home improvement stores, and specialty shops in your area may not yet have a complete familiarity with the ‘green’ opportunities, products, system integration, and overall savings potential. So, you may get some resistance, since people in general are typically more comfortable recommending something that they are already familiar with rather than something new. To help break the inertia, use the information across this website like our Return on Investment Master ROI Table. Also feel free to post a question in our forum on the message board about a particular need for your home relative to your area. Our team has spent multiple years aggregating research from public and private sector performance reports and from manufacturers and homeowners across the country in order to provide you with the perspective you may need to see the initial payback and long term advantages. Environmental enthusiasts and leading institutions like the American Institute of Architects and the National Association of Realtors, see the value and link into our resources to support their members.
The Green Home:
For your overall home improvement, you can save money, improve your family’s health, and save the planet. Find out for free how much it will cost to do different types of home improvement in your home from a qualified and member approved contractor in your area. Get a FREE Quote . Plus, regardless of the size and scope of your home improvement project, save money and keep your home clean with the top rated chemical free and concentrated Green Home Cleaning Products.
Home Improvement Basics:
When it comes to home improvement basics, look for interior home improvements like creating a clean, safe, and healthy home through sustainable ‘green’ furniture, home décor, zero VOC and Interior Paint, plus ENERGY STAR Appliances and Electronics. For energy and utility savings you can focus on insulation and air sealing, windows, doors, lighting and skylights, water saving plumbing opportunities, and high efficiency heating and air conditioning systems. On the outside of your house, look for exterior home improvement opportunities through landscape design and gardening plus solar energy, wind and other power sources. If you are undertaking a major home renovation, an additions, or building a new home, then take the lead to ‘go green’ in as many ways as possible to save money and the environment.
