How To Choose a Whiteboard Writing Surface
Melamine, resin coated steel, ceramic coated steel and tempered glass write about the same on day one and very differently three years later. This guide sets out what separates them.
The Four Surfaces We Build On
Senko builds boards on four writing surfaces: melamine MDF writing sheet, resin coated writing steel, ceramic coated writing steel and 4mm tempered glass. Melamine is the lowest cost and is not magnetic. Resin coated steel is the general purpose magnetic surface. Ceramic coated steel is harder and is specified for rooms written on all day. Tempered glass does not absorb marker ink at all.
Magnetic or Not
Magnetism comes from the steel, not from the paint. Any board built on coated writing steel holds magnets; melamine and glass do not. If printed handouts, job cards or magnetic letters ever go on the board, that decision is made for you.
Ghosting and Service Life
Ghosting is marker ink held in the surface after erasing. Painted surfaces hold more of it the older and softer they get, which is why heavy use rooms end up with grey boards. Ceramic coated steel resists it far longer than resin coated, and glass does not ghost because there is nothing porous for ink to enter.
Matching Surface To Room
A practical split across a building: melamine in general rooms, resin coated steel where magnets are used, ceramic coated steel in classrooms taught in all day, glass in client facing rooms. All four can ship in the same container with matching aluminium frames.
What The Guide Refers To
Who This Matters To
Questions On This Topic
Which surface lasts longest?
Tempered glass, because marker ink cannot enter it. Ceramic coated steel is the longest lasting of the painted surfaces.
Is ceramic coated steel worth the difference?
In a room written on for six hours a day, yes. In a meeting room used twice a week, resin coated is enough.
Can I put magnets on a glass board?
No. Glass is not magnetic.
Apply This To Your Own Order
Send the room, the wall or the coil specification and we will tell you what we would build.