Less chalkboard, more paint.

June 26, 2009 12:32 AM

Chalkboard paint vs. matte dark latex paint: what's the difference? I know chalkboard paint has fine grit in it but is it necessary? Does the chalk come off easier?
posted by Foam Pants to Home & Garden (6 answers total)

I made a chalkboard from a stretch of wall using regular black (actually very dark green) paint once and it's been fine for.... about six years now. I imagine the "grit" is there to make the chalk "hold" better, not so it comes off more easily.
posted by rokusan at 1:31 AM on June 26, 2009

The grit is there to abrade the chalk, ensuring that enough dust is produced to leave a clear mark (try writing on glass with chalk to see why).

Whether a different paint works for a chalkboard will depend on the texture of the paint as well as that of the underlying surface.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 3:05 AM on June 26, 2009

If you do choose to go the chalkboard paint route, may i suggest the kind you brush on rather than spray. I found better control and easier cleanup going the brush method.
posted by ransom at 4:25 AM on June 26, 2009

What's the surface like? I just used chalkboard paint on a crappy Luaun wood door. The wood alone is probably rough enough that regular flat paint would have been okay. It's been a big hit.
posted by theora55 at 6:47 AM on June 26, 2009

You could make your own. Haven't tried it, but here's Martha's recipe.
posted by piedmont at 7:03 AM on June 26, 2009 [3 favorites]

A lot of acrylic primers have grit in them for tooth. There are some transparent acrylic primers with tooth, so you could customize the color. Acrylic paint and primers with no abrading agents will not accept marks easily and will be pulled away from the substrate under pressure.
posted by effluvia at 7:36 AM on June 26, 2009