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Furniture Fast Facts:

Dry Erase Boards

Dry Erase Boards, also known as marker boards or whiteboards, have become the standard writing surface used in most classrooms today. Dry Erase Boards serve many purposes and are made from a variety of materials; here are some simple tips to keep in mind:

MATERIAL: The materials used to construct a dry erase board can greatly affect the durability, versatility and cost of each board. There is a hierarchy of quality in the various writing surfaces made, with the low-end surface considered to be melamine and the high-end surface being porcelain steel.

Melamine dry erase boards are constructed with a melamine, or plastic, writing surface with a clear-coat that is adhered to a ¼" hardboard substrate. These boards are inexpensive and are best used in areas that do not require heavy use, such as a teacher's lounge or cafeteria room. While these boards can last for years with proper cleaning and light use, the melamine surface marker boards usually only have about a 1-5 year warranty.

Magne-Rite marker boards offer a PVC coated steel surface that is bonded to a ¼" MDF backing sheet. With the addition of the steel material, this marker board is magnetic and has added durability while still maintaining a low cost. The Magne-Rite boards smoothly writes and wipes off and comes with a 10-year warranty.

Dura-Rite marker boards have a white high-pressure laminate surface that provides outstanding dry-erase capabilities at an economical price. The backing material is a ¼" MDF board and is non-magnetic. The laminate surface offers exceptional wear-resistance and will erase without leaving a trace or avoids what is known as ghosting. The Dura-Rite boards will handle moderate to heavy usage and comes with a 20-year guarantee.

Porcelain Steel whiteboards have an enameled porcelain surface that has been fused to a steel backing sheet. These marker boards are magnetic and low-gloss to offer greater color contrast and erase easily without ghosting. Porcelain Steel boards are available in ¼" thickness or a ½" thickness that provides superior rigidity when wall mounted. These boards are more expensive, but will perform better in classrooms that require daily use and are backed with a 50-year guarantee.

MOUNT: Most classrooms have marker boards that are mounted directly to a wall and are largely the focal point as means of a useful teaching aid. Wall mounted dry erase boards will come with hanging brackets or L-clips, but depending on a building's construction may require special hardware to mount safely to a wall. Mobile marker boards are also available and are great for rooms that either don't have wall space for mounting or may need to share resources with another classroom. Many mobile marker boards are reversible and can be fitted with a corkboard or chalkboard on the reverse side. Consider a small dry erase easel to highlight only key-points in a meeting or conference room.

MAINTENANCE: To maximize the life of a dry erase board, proper cleaning and usage is required. Use only approved dry erase markers. Do not use a permanent markers and it has been found that low odor markers are hard to erase from all marker board surfaces.

Cleaning requirements for a porcelain steel surface is very little. Depending on usage, a damp cloth can be used to wipe clean any residue built up on the surface of a porcelain steel marker board. Melamine and laminate boards may require more cleaning and are more susceptible to ghosting if the dry erase ink is not cleaned off of the board surface on a regular basis.

If you have any questions regarding the dry erase boards sold on the WorthingtonDirect website, please contact our knowledgeable customer service team at 800-599-6636 or email sales@worthingtondirect.com.