Four Chalkboards

Over the past couple of days I built four chalkboards. Well, I built three new ones and refurbished one from a garage sale.

My wife said it would be nice for our 2.9 year old to have a chalkboard out in his playhouse. I said "Thy will be done" and got to work.

I didn't just want to buy a chalkboard because typically they are not all-weather and probably would fall apart after a few months due to heat, humidity, rain, insects, etc. I had some rescued cedar from the initial playhouse build and its later refurbishment which I thought would be good for the frame. I also had a largish, warped sheet of cedar plyboard that I kept from the original playhouse packaging (I guess they used it to stiffen a cardboard shipping box) that I could use as a writing surface. Sweet.

I went to Lowes and got a quart of black Valspar Chalkboard paint (203261). I had never used it before so I decided to make a couple of practice chalkboards first to see how things went before making one for the playhouse.

After cutting the plyboard to size I used a leftover piece from the old playhouse climbing wall to make the frames, remembering to incorporate a ledge on the bottom big enough for chalk and an eraser. The thick ledge would also help force out any residual warpage once it was glued and screwed down.

I lightly sanded the dirt and some of the old stain off the frame pieces to clean them and give them an "aged" look. After sealing them with a clear satin sealant it was time to paint the plyboard.

The chalkboard paint is thick and goes on easily with a chip brush (chip brush = cheap, throwaway, bottom-shelf brush). I suppose I could have used a roller, but I didn't want to waste one of my disposable paint pans. I did not treat the plyboard with primer first because the surface was actually pretty smooth which jived nicely with my natural laziness.

After letting everything dry overnight my son helped me apply glue to the frame pieces and ledge and clamp them in place. After a few hours we drilled some pilot holes and secured the rails with screws. BTW, he really enjoys being in charge of the drill/cordless screwdriver.

Here's what they look like mounted to my storage cabinet in my garage. They write nicely and seem to erase well with a dry rag. I have not washed them or been too rough with them yet but the chalkboard paint looks like it would work out ok for the playset.

After more of the same work as above I had the 18" x 18" chalkboard you see here on the left. I used leftover Red Oak stain and a clear outdoor sealant to color and waterproof it. I went with thicker frame pieces to make it a little less prone to warpage because it would probably be mounted differently than the garage boards - I'm not sure where yet, but probably not flat against a wall like I was able to do with the indoor versions.

Since I had the can of paint out I figured I would resurface the garage sale chalkboard my wife brought home one day. The size is great for the playroom but the surface is way too slick to write on with chalk. Nothing for it but to redo it.

The can says that a smooth surface makes the best chalkboard but that's probably not 100% true. You need a little bit of roughness for the paint to adhere well to the surface if you don't plan on priming it first. I learned this after I tried to remove the painter's tape and some of the chalkboard paint peeled up with it.

I will touch up those areas and let it dry for another 24 hours before putting it though its paces. I suspect I will need to sand it off, roughen up the surface, then reapply the paint, though. Meh, easy enough to do - live and learn.

Including the cost of the chip brushes, paint, and garage sale board I spent $18 or so on this project and burned only three hours. Not bad. I have used about one-eighth of the can, so, assuming the shelf life of this stuff is fairly long and the garage boards hold up ok I will be making a lot of chalkboards for the house and maybe some as gifts around Christmastime.