Chalkboard paint: colors and top 6 brands of compositions for chalk painting, how to make it yourself

Features of slate paint

Chalkboard paint belongs to the category of graphite paints and varnishes, the base of which is shavings of a natural mineral. Small particles of iron make the texture of graphite compositions special, unlike conventional paints.

Chalkboard paint creates a coating that looks like a chalkboard. The physical properties of the finish depend on the characteristics of the composition.

Reference! Chalkboard paints are used to paint school surfaces.

Composition and properties

The basic component of slate material is latex. Added to it are auxiliary substances that are responsible for density and consistency. The additional substances are:

marble chips;
dolomite;
plastic polystyrene;
acrylic resin;
cement;
pigment.

Most often, the slate composition has a white, black or gray tint. When mixed with colors, different tones or halftones are obtained, which are widely used in the decor of residential premises. In addition, the paint has magnetic slate properties. This means that after the coating has dried, you can attach metal-based magnets, frames, and paper clips to it.

The main effect and advantage of the finish is the ability to write on the surface with chalk or make chalk sketches. Drawings are easily erased from the coating without causing harm.

Scope of application

At first, slate paints were used to cover school boards. Some manufacturers still indicate on packaging that the main type of application is wall decoration in schools, kindergartens or office spaces.

Recently, slate or chalk paints have become actively used for painting apartments, as well as modern coffee shops, pubs or restaurants. On the surfaces obtained after painting, you can freely write or draw with chalk.

Drawing areas fit well into the interior of children's rooms, kitchens, and cafe halls.

Chalkboards are the perfect surface for writing down recipes, homework, or creating creative sketches.

Interior designers love slate compositions. They are prepared independently from scrap materials. With the help of such products, furniture is specially aged, and the facades of kitchen units are repainted.

Usually, when creating a special area for drawing, foam sponges are attached next to the allocated space for erasing notes.

Coating durability

The lead layer can withstand numerous drawing and erasing cycles. Boards or walls can be washed daily using alkaline soap solutions. If applied correctly to the prepared surface, the lead will serve its owners for 5-7 years without loss of quality.

Most often, two-layer application is practiced. If you take your time and let the first coat dry, you can expect to create a hard, durable finish in any shade you choose.

Types of paints and varnishes

This material is sold in cans or cans (then painting is done using a brush or roller).

If the surface is large, it is better to buy a can of paint and tools. Places that are difficult to reach, small products and individual parts of the surface are most often painted with an aerosol.

In addition to the standard slate product, there are other varieties (they differ in the components included in the composition and in the parameters):

Marker substance. You can write on such surfaces with markers, but not with chalk. This is suitable for those who do not like to wipe off chalk dust after playing with such a board.
Magnetic substance. Contains iron particles, therefore has magnetic properties.

Advantages and disadvantages

Graphite-magnetic or chalk compositions have advantages and disadvantages. They are suitable for painting interior spaces, but are sometimes used for exterior decoration.

Advantages	Flaws
Creating a unique creative design using colors	High price
Resistance to moisture and heat	Shortage, difficulty of acquisition, high delivery costs
High finish strength
Environmental friendliness

Experts consider ease of application and ease of maintenance to be obvious advantages. In addition, if there are chips or cracks on the surface, partial correction methods are practiced.

Master class on making a chalk board

Making a chalk board with your own hands if you have the necessary components is very simple, especially if the master has detailed instructions with clear illustrations at his disposal.

Tools and materials

For work you will need the following materials:

glossy acrylic latex paint;
fine granular component (one of those discussed in the previous section);
container and stick for making the mixture;
medium hard brush or roller;
paper tape if you need to protect the edges;
base for painting.

If the work will be carried out in a residential area, it is advisable to protect the workspace from accidental ingress of paint and varnish material. For this you can use oilcloth or old fabric.

Note! The paint color for the chalkboard is selected individually. The choice does not have to be limited to the black option

Chalk will be clearly visible on brown, burgundy, blue, green and any other dark surface.

To make a slate board, use a standard tool kit for painting work.

Main stages of work

You can use any material as a base for the board: plywood, chipboard, fiberboard, MDF, natural wood or plasterboard. It is desirable that the base be smooth, without visible defects. Otherwise, you need to sand the surface using sandpaper. The same procedure (grinding) should be performed if the workpiece has a glossy finish. In order for the paint to have good adhesion to the surface, the gloss must be removed.

For this master class, the base chosen was an ordinary cutting board, which is available to any housewife.

Chalkboard paint can be prepared using any of the methods listed above. Most often, a combination of latex paint with gypsum or tile grout is used for such purposes.

If the surface to be treated has a small area, you can prepare the finish in any available container

The resulting mixture should be applied immediately after preparation, as it dries quickly. To ensure an even coating, brush movements should be fairly smooth.

To completely paint the workpiece, a 2-layer treatment is usually sufficient.

Drying time for chalk paint ranges from 30 to 60 minutes. If everything was done correctly, the surface will soon become matte and velvety.

If there are visible irregularities, light sanding should be done using fine-grained sandpaper.

Once dry, the slate can be tested for functionality by making a small note or sketching a fun design.

The colors of the chalk and board should be contrasting so that the inscription is clearly readable

Color variety

Manufacturers are experimenting with shades. Black, white or transparent coatings are produced on an ongoing basis. Any colors can be added to them to create a blue, red, green or yellow finish. Most often, bright colors are in demand when decorating children's playrooms or bedrooms for young people.

Black lead is a traditional option for painting a blackboard or a menu area in a cafe or pub.

Expert opinion

Zakharova Irina Yurievna

Cleaning professional with 15 years of experience. Our best expert.

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Gray, olive, and brown tones are often used to paint office walls.

Preparing for coloring

To paint a surface, it must be properly prepared. The durability of the created finish, its appearance, as well as the density of adhesion between the layers depends on this.

Preparation includes several stages:

Cleaning the coating from traces of old paint. The surface is cleaned using auxiliary tools. Traces of another coating are removed with a knife, spatula or scraper. After this, the surface is washed with warm soapy water and left until completely dry.
Primer, processing. This stage includes special priming using grout or primer compounds. Walls or boards with an uneven surface, chips, cracks or damage are subjected to this treatment. The primer coat must dry thoroughly before proceeding to the next step.
Anti-corrosion or anti-mold treatment. After cleaning, metal or concrete structures are additionally treated with special substances that improve the overall condition of the surface. Most often, treatment involves spraying special products followed by natural drying after application.

Slate paint works best on concrete, fiberboard, wood, metal, glass, and ceramics. Before painting, you should prepare materials and auxiliary tools:

paint tray;
brushes of different types;
short pile rollers.

The floor inside the room should be protected with film or other covering to protect it from splashes.

What you need for painting

Various substrates can be coated with slate.

Often the products are applied to concrete walls that were previously covered with plaster, primer mixture and putty.

The material also goes well with bases made of glass, plasterboard, wallpaper, wood, chipboard, metal, OSB, ceramics, fiberboard, glass wallpaper.

To ensure a high-quality coating, it is better to paint in a couple of layers.

If the surface will be used as a magnet, then there must be many layers of paint, otherwise the objects may not stick. Also, products with a large weight will not hold up.

Application technology and number of layers

It is recommended to paint the wall using a roller. Use a brush to paint hard-to-reach places that are located behind batteries, pipes, or at the junction of parts.

First, the area is covered with a roller in one layer. Then wait until it dries and provides good adhesion to the surface. This takes from 3 to 5 hours. Then a second layer is applied, which they try to do in the same direction as the first. This method will prevent you from creating strokes that stand out from the general background, which will be difficult to level with the surface without disturbing adhesion.

After the two-layer coating has dried, determine whether another layer needs to be applied. This is necessary if there are visible defects or errors. 3-step coverage is enough to cover common imperfections.

Attention! Experts advise not to do more than 3 applications with a stylus, so as not to create too heavy a finish that can crack under its own weight.

Fast growing trees for your garden

Fast-growing trees include those that produce more than 1 m of growth per year. To be fair, it is worth noting that there are breeds that can grow 2 m or more in a year. But they will not grow in our latitudes, since they are demanding of heat.

Birch and willow trees are suitable for the temperate Russian climate. You can also plant poplars and maples. How many years will it take for shadows from spreading crowns to appear on your site depends on the type of tree and the age at which it was planted.

In the first five years, birch trees grow slowly. After this time, their annual growth averages about 1 m. The same growth is given by willows, under whose crowns you can place a cozy gazebo. Maples grow about 50 cm taller every year. Poplar and aspen are not inferior to them in growth.

Among conifers there are also fast-growing trees. These include Norway spruce, larch and pine. They give no more than 1 m of growth per year.

It turns out that in 3-4 years, single mature trees or a small mixed forest will become the decoration of the garden, you need to plant seedlings approximately 5-6 m high. If you take seedlings whose height does not exceed 1 m, then large trees with spreading crowns will not help you yet. will soon please you.

Drying time

It will take 1 to 1.5 days for the finish to dry completely. 3 days after staining, they begin to write or draw on the lead.

If you do not allow the coating to fully harden and begin to use it for its intended purpose, you can damage the top layer and create the preconditions for the development of cracks throughout the entire thickness of the finish.

The use of special heat construction guns helps speed up the drying process. After painting, they are turned on indoors, directing the thermal shock vector towards the coating.

Interior ideas

A positive feature of using slate paint in the kitchen is its wear resistance and moisture resistance. The material has a high level of functionality in this room. It is better to use slate paint on small decorative elements, for example: decorate part of the wall near the refrigerator to leave grocery lists, write wishes about food to the hostess. A dedicated rectangle at the dining table will look great. Household members will be able to design menus and greetings, and guests will be able to express their gratitude to the hostess. Do not use this composition near the stove - the paint may become discolored by hot fat.

For the hallway you can use both small squares and part of the wall from ceiling to floor. Guests will be pleased to write positive reviews about the gatherings, children will be able to draw, and the owners will be able to admire the masterpieces in the morning. When leaving or returning, you can leave reminders for all family members.

If you count every minute and often work from home, then a calendar made of graphite-colored paint would be a great idea for your home office. A dark gray calendar organizer will allow you to take notes at any convenient time. You can place it on the wall in front of your desk for convenience and clarity.

In the nursery, girls will be delighted with lilac slate paint. By choosing multi-colored crayons, girls will develop their imagination, drawing on a pleasant bright color. At the same time, you will achieve a good effect by allocating an entire wall for painting, thereby separating a place for games and relaxation using zoning.

Board game lovers should consider decorating their living room with chalk paint. On the wall in front of the table it will be convenient to record the game score and sum up the results without being distracted from an interesting activity.

Unused slate paint residue can be used to decorate small items:

Give cups a “second life” and new interesting decor.
Design labels for cans of preserved food or containers with bulk products.
Label boxes for small items and craft materials.

Make mini labels for spice containers.
Decorate the outside of the drawers in the kitchen.

Another option for using a composition with a slate effect is to paint several individual elements. These can be boards, old trays, any things that you want to give a “second wind”. After the paint has dried, they can be placed or hung anywhere in the apartment or collected together to create an overall picture.

Your home is a place that should be cozy and warm, where only good, positive emotions reign. The slate composition will add good feelings. Children will develop thinking and creativity. The student will be interested in studying and will develop zeal. Guests are pleased to leave feedback about past holidays. If you are a creative person and like unconventional approaches, then slate paint is definitely your option. Don't be afraid to experiment.

How to use slate paint, see the video below.

Material consumption per 1 square meter

Graphite compositions are a special category of paint and varnish products. The composition has a unique formula, which assumes the presence of stylus or graphite. The crumb thickens the material, making it dense and poorly soluble.

To calculate how much slate paint will be needed to paint the selected surface, use a formula based on the statement that 0.18 kilograms of slate paint will be needed per 1 square meter. This formula is correct if the coloring requires two coats.

Attention! Experienced repairmen advise purchasing a small supply of paint, which will be needed for more dense application on joints or corners.

How to make your own slate paint

Chalkboard paints from manufacturers specializing in this are expensive. To make simple slate paint with your own hands, you will need an acrylic base and a thickening powder.

The first preparation method with a yield of 300 grams (if necessary, the amount of materials is increased several times):

In a special container, mix 50 grams of dry cement powder, 50 grams of marble chips, 250 grams of acrylic dye.
The kneading is done using a construction mixer or the mixture is thoroughly beaten with a strong stick.
Add a small amount of warm water to the thick mixture and mix again with a construction mixer.

The resulting paint is applied to the prepared surface within 1-2 hours from the moment of preparation.

The second method involves using 75 grams of acrylic tinting composition. The same amount of matte varnish is added to it, as well as 25 grams of putty and warm water. Mix the mixture from the listed ingredients. If it turns out dense and thick, then optionally add warm water.

In addition, slate paints are prepared using chalk, soda or corn starch. Such compositions are traditionally used by designers to decorate pieces of furniture.

Reference! Using chalk paint applied in two layers, an ordinary stool is turned into a vintage chair with deliberate traces of antiquity.

Manufacturers

Tikkurila

This is a Finnish manufacturer that has very high quality products.

This paint is available in black and white. The coating has a matte effect, which is perfect for drawing with chalk.

Separately, it is necessary to highlight Tikkurila Magnetic - this is a white product, apply it twice to the surface, the result is a coating with magnetic properties.

Siberia

This is a dye from a domestic manufacturer. They produce the latest types of materials with magnetic properties, slate compositions and marker products.

The paints contain antiseptics, which increase the level of wear and can be painted in any tone.

Siberia Pro slate mixture comes in black and white.

MagPaint

This is a Dutch manufacturer that has a whole separate line of slate paints. Recently a marker mixture from such a company appeared.

Paints are in demand because they are of good quality.

Magnetico

These paints are from a German manufacturer, which are available in a gray shade. The cost is not high compared to analogues, and the technical parameters are excellent.

Rust-oleum

In the USA, this company is the first to produce these types of coloring agents.

Slate products are sold in white and black tones; there are also compositions with magnetic properties and marker substances.

Benjamin Moore & Co

A company from the USA that produces premium paints and varnishes that can be given different colors.

The dried coating is very strong and is not afraid of various damages.

Craft Premier

These are paints from a domestic manufacturer, they are very environmentally friendly.

Slate compositions are sold in small packaging and only in black and brown tones. The surface withstands 10,000 wipes well.

Such slate mixtures are very easy to apply to the surface, they have a good level of adhesion, and they dry quickly. With such a surface you can get an original interior, which is why designers and clients often buy this paint.