So, as I mentioned in the previous post, I moved schools and with the move comes adjusting to a new classroom. This is both exciting and frustrating as I had a gloriously huge room before. When I got to my new space, I noticed a big problem. See if you can spot it:
OK, I guess the title of the post is a slight giveaway. Yep, No white board on the front wall. I do have one on the side wall, so I could make the class go lengthwise, but now I have no screen on the front wall. I really need to have both available. So what to do?
I thought about asking for one to be installed, and I probably will eventually, but since I am new, I didn't think that was the best first option. Even if they were agreeable, doubtful I would be able to get it before school started.
I looked into buying a white board, but HOLY COW! Those things are expensive! A 5' by 4' board will cost you at least $200. A good size one can go over a thousand!
I looked into using chalkboard paint, but wasn't sure that was allowed and also didn't see anything immediately on the quality of it. I might still pursue that on the other side of the TV. Eventually.
Looking at chalkboard paint made me start looking at making a white board. I knew there was white board paint out there, but when I started looking at that, I found that both Home Depot and Lowes sell 8' by 4' white board panels for $20.
But how good could they be? Well, a quick look at the comments told me that people were VERY happy with the quality of the project. In fact, the big complaint was that they splintered if you cut them to size, but as I wasn't cutting them, I was fine with it. By the way, if you do cut one, just put a strip of tape front and back over the area to be cut and it helps to prevent splintering - or, even better, just ask the good people at Home Depot to cut it for you. They usually cut the first two cuts for free, but even if you have to pay, it is not much per cut).
My biggest concern was over ghosting. If I erased material on the board, I expect it to erase. In order to prevent ghosting, I waxed the board with ordinary car wax (Turtle Wax, to be exact, mainly because that is what I remember my dad using to wax his car). I went with the paste because it seemed like a better way to go. I waxed the board twice. I read that this really does wonders to make the board erase better. The guy who wrote it said that at some point after six months, he noticed the board was getting a little harder to erase, so he waxed it again and it lasted another six months.
So, how to mount it? Well, I read varying methods. My biggest problem was that I didn't know anything about the construction on the wall I was going to put it on. It was some sort of drywall, though it seemed thicker and a harder than the drywall in my house. I didn't know what was behind it and when I tried to use a stud finder, that was giving off all sorts of odd readings.
I went with two methods to keep up the board. The first was double-sided mounting tape. I found some at Walmart rated to hold up to 30 pounds. The board itself only weighs 18. So I bought a couple of rolls of that. I put it on the back of the board and let it sit overnight to bond.
Then I bought some mirror mounting clips (you, know, the small clear plastic things that hold a mirror to the wall?). I drew a line three feet up from the floor and screwed in about four of those clips along it using the white plastic dry-wall anchors that come with the clips.
Do I need the clips? Probably not, but between the clips and the mounting tape, I don't see this going anywhere anytime soon.
I recruited my son to help me take off the cover of the backside mounting tape and slide the board into the mirror clips. Then we pressed the board against the wall to make the mounting tape do its job.
Now came the truth time - does it write and erase? See for yourself!
Do you have to be DIY savvy to pull this off? I don't think so. The only tools I used was a drill and a level. The drill I used was nothing more than a glorified electric screwdriver. You do want use of a truck, though. That 8' x 4' panel is not going to fit in the back of your Honda Accord.
So, how much did it cost?
8' x 4' White Board Panel - $20
Some rolls of mounting tape - $24
Turtle Wax - $4
Mirror clips - $3
Total - $51
Is it is worth spending $51 to get a white board where I want it? It is to me. Make it cheaper by screwing the board directly into the wall to avoid the extra expense of mounting tape. I just didn't want to see the screws in the board and was a bit paranoid about what I would be drilling into.
The only drawback is that it is not magnetic and I do not have a marker tray (though I am seriously considering building one this weekend).
If, after some time, I notice that the board is not worth it, I'll be glad to edit this post as a fail. If you are finding this well after the post was written and there are no updates, write a comment or shoot me an email at extremeenglishteacher@gmail.com and I'll be glad to tell you to go for it or not!
UPDATE
Important to know - use Expo markers on this board. They will erase, but the knock off marker I used had to be scrubbed off.
Also, I gave in and added a wooden tray. The tray cost me more than I thought it would because the thin piece of lattice that I used as the "guard rail" to keep the markers from rolling off was $1.28 per foot, not for the board itself. Still, I do like this look better than the mirror clips at the bottom.
