Just don't keep rare earth magnets in the house if you have kids.

It works INCREDIBLY. I have my back door painted with it and things stick just as well as they would to the fridge. There is also magnetic primer than you can use if you wanted to paint a favorite Benjamin Moore color or what have you.

it works, I just don't think it's super healthy.

The magnetic paint that I used does work, but it had a definite texture to it--no longer a smooth wall. Has anyone else had this problem?

I was wondering about magnetic paint/primer (also chalkboard paint/primer) and VOCs & off-gassing.

Cat,

Why shouldn't you have rare earth magnets around kids? Not a mom, but plan to become one soon.

Hey,

Could you mix magnetic primer with blackboard paint? That could be cool...

Oh - answered my own question, yoya's got blackboard/chalkboard paint in stock:

http://www.yoyashop.com/ys_product.asp?cat_id=41&prd_id=97

neat.

Note that you need a ton of it though. I spread it out too thinly when I had it up in my last apartment and the magnets did not stick very well :-(.

We have it at work and it holds really well. It did take three coats, and there's a definite texture to the wall now, but it is worth it. I'm using some tiny steel magnets and usually use a few to hold heavier things.

Funny, I've got my magnetic paint ready and am planning to finally get it up on my kitchen walls this weekend. Now I want chalkboard paint too! I hadn't yet decided on a color to top the magnetic paint, and the chalkboard look is appealing.

One question though -- Does anyone know how well chalkboard cleans? Will I be stuck with smeared chalk, or can I wet and wipe it down?

Why shouldn't you have rare earth magnets around kids? Not a mom, but plan to become one soon.

Two or more magnets can connect inside the gut if swallowed and obstruct or perforate the intestine. I had magnets in my mouth all the time as a kid. It's a wonder I lived.

Does anyone know if magnetic paint would interfere with a wireless internet connection? (And forgive me if that's a silly question - I have a pretty tenuous grasp on science sometimes)

Great thread . . . I, too, am considering the chalkboard/magnetic paint for a wall in my new kitchen.

Re the texture . . . how bad is it? Is it objectionable? Does it look like a bad paint job? I will have a professional painter doing the installation, though I don't know if he has done this before. Any tips to give him?

I am also curious regarding how well the chalkboard cleans. Anyone with any experience?

Thanks.

Take a look at the original hyperlink Maxwell wrote "Check this out". It connects you to an old post which talks all about the magnet paint a year ago. It talks about how to remove the textured finish, tips on how to use the paint if you're in a rental etc. Very helpful, it's where I found the link to the magent/chalkboard paint.

Hope that's helpful, I'm totally buying this paint this weekend...

Oh and I meant to say that Yoya has magentic/ chalkboard paint above, not blackboard/chalkboard sorry!

Chalkboard paint is cleaned easily with a damp cloth. I have it on my backdoor and it's super easy to take care of.

I also worry about the safety of having a large painted magnet area. Magnets do affect the human body, don't they?

I used magnetic paint this summer to create magnetized blackout panels for my bedroom. I wanted the room to have a very clean look with no window coverings so I removed the blinds, frosted the windows for privacy, and painted the outer edges of the window frames with magnetic paint and then overpainted the magnetic paint with regular paint. It took 3 to 4 coats to have enough magnetic hold to create a seal around the blackout panels but it definitely works. The texture builds up with each coat so I sanded the texture down before applying the regular paint. Even when sanded, its not as smooth as regular paint, but in my case, the area painted is so small that you really can't tell until you are a foot or so away. The texture is also accentuated by the semigloss paint I used. A flat paint would hide the texture better I think.

Opinionated-

The paint isn't magnetic -- it's just metallic. No more dangerous than the door of your fridge or the body of your car. The magnets -stick- to the metal-imbued paint. :)

-Peter

Don't you hate it when people say things like "Don't keep it around the house if you have kids", and then not explain why?

Guy, Thanks for explaining the rare earth magnets & kids warning.

I'm worried enough about the lead paint that is no doubt layered under the walls of our house... So it does make me wonder about the safety of metal-imbued paint, particularly in a bedroom with the increased exposure.

That said I always clip inspiration photos with the magnetic and chalkboard paint. Sigh.

Sorry guys! I meant to pop right back and post links about the safety issues, but something unexpected pulled me away for a few hours.

Here is why rare earth magnets are really dangerous for lttle kids:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/264853_magnet30.html
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_42306.html
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2004-10/rson-smm101904.php
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07039.html
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/95/103531.htm

I have the chalkboard paint in my kitchen. it looks great when you first apply it, but once you write on it, it doesn't clean very well. Even with a damp cloth, there are always chalk streaks. I ended up repainting the wall and not writing on it. Also-it doesn't clean up well, so make sure you have a drop cloth down when you apply it.

I remember a couple of years back, Canadian House & Home magazine tested different brands of chalkboard paint, and there were real differences in performance, so it all depends on the brand you use. Unfortunately, I don't remember which one performed best, and can't find the magazine. Maybe someone else has done similar tests, and the results are on the net. Worth checking out.

We have a magnetic, chalkboard wall in our kitchen and really love it. Rustoleum products were used for both the magnetic paint and chalkboard paint (black). We picked them up at Janovic but I think Home Depot carries them as well. We put about 4 layers of magnetic paint on, sanding in between each layer to keep the texture as smooth as possible. Make sure you cover everything in tarps and wear proper protective gear. We then rolled on a final layer of chalkboard paint on top. Looks awesome and I haven't experienced not being able to wipe the chalk off - it wipes down like new. This may be because of the smoother texture we aimed for. Our neighbor toddler upstairs comes down and loves to draw on the chalkboard and we love to tack up postcards and write our grocery lists down. It also gets drawn on during parties. We should get stronger magnets to tack more than one or two layers of paper - our kitchen timer stays up fine. Plus, it's really cool to have a dark wall in the house!
Have fun, guys!!

What are "rare earth magnets"?

I used both rustoleum products in my office too, and they look/work great. I've never had a problem with cleaning up the chalk marks, but then again, I kinda like a little wear-and-tear look of chalkboards.

Incidentally, does anyone know where you can get those magnetic holders for chalk and chalkboard erasers? I know they exist, but I haven't been able to find them. Every time I google I get chalk supplies for billiards.

I use the STRIPA wall shelf from IKEA. $6.99

A friend of mine did her sons room with a wall of magnetic chalk board paint and it looks amazing. I really apreciate all of this info, because I didnt know that the magnetic aspect was seperate from the chalkboard aspect and that you could make a magnetic wall in any color. And I probably wouldn't have thought to ask.Thanks!

I know that for new chalkboards, you're supposed to "season" them by rubbing a thin layer of chalk all over before writing words (or whatever) so that you don't see those lines forever. Then you can just wipe that layer off, and be on your way.

Also, to remove chalk streaks, add a touch of white vinegar to the water. Learned that as a TA :)

If you are thinking about using magnetic paint, you might want to check out my web site at www.lyt.com . I have a magnetic paint additive powder that you mix with any paint to make magnetically attractive. Just roll it on a wall like ordinary paint and magnets stick.

It is true that the best kind of magnets to use on any magnetic paint are rare earth magnets or sheet magnets. Rare earth magnets can be dangerous for children as they can snap together very quickly with great force and can pinch small fingers. That is why I invented my Safety Cap Rare Earth Magnets. They are "pole balanced" and cannot snap together face to face like all the other rare earth magnets can. The safety caps also act as conveinient handles to move the magnets easily.

David, is there anywhere in New York that one could buy that magnetic paint additive? or do I have to order it?

thanks

Mickey, My Magically Magnetic Paint Additive is available in only a few stores for now. One in NY is Broadway Hardware at 2748 Broadway, NY, NY, 10025. You can check availability with them at 212 866 6624. If they are out or you want to order on line,you can always get it quick and easy at my web site at www.lyt.com . It gets to you in three days by Priority Mail.

Thanks for asking

Is there a "white board" paint (as opposed to chalk board? I am allergic to chalk. Thanks, very informative discussion!

Anyone have any insight on the most effective way to remove magnetic paint?

I would like to know what works better, using magnetic paint first then blackboard paint, or using the blackboard paint/magnetic paint (all in one).

heya,
im doing a project for dt and need paint which will turn some plastic letters ive cut out into MAGNETS. would this paint do the trick?

thankyou

Lots of great cvomments and info as I begin the process of painting my teen's room. Are there multiple brands of magnetic paint and does anyone feel there is one that is better than another?

I was wondering how well the magnetic paint would work on slightly textured walls. I have a "drop and drag" type texture on my wall.

David Lytle:

I saw your website and I'm interested in your additive. It is cheaper and I can just add it to whatever paint I want to use. I like that idea. Does it work as well as the already mixed paint? It should right? What is your opinion on the slightly textured walls mentioned in my above post?

Ezra -
Don't know if you've found the answer but yes there is a whiteboard paint available. It is sold by Rustolem, and called "Dry Erase". I have not used it but you can check out the info on their website:
http://www.rustoleum.com/product.asp?frm_product_id=758&SBL=1

Best of luck! I would love to know how it turns out.

If you're looking for a FREE earth magnet,

look in your hard drive. if you've got a dead computer hard drive that you're no longer using, dissect it...you'll find one in there....it's great for

finding studs behind walls!

Someone mentioned painting this over stripable wallpaper. Do you think the paint would adhere to contact paper? Or would the subsequent weight of primer and paint pull it down?

another question...

i'm considering using "magnetic" paint and applying a large, adhesive backed, world map atlas on the paint. anyone know if this would work well? would a layer of an adhesive backed map be too solid as to allow magnets to work? I'm assuming I'd need to coat several layers of the paint to build up as many metals in the surface as possible. Thanks for any insight!

Hello all.

Has anyone used put this set-up near a computer? I want to paint a portion of my office (roughly 3'w x 6'h) but my laptop is right next to it and I'm worried about wiping out my drive with all the magnets I'd use in that painted area.

I know it takes a super-strong magnet to have any adverse effect on a computer but you can never be too careful. Better safe than sorry, I guess.

If anyone has any experience/knowledge, please please please share! And my condolences if you did lose your drive.

Thank you.

Awesome thread, just what I was looking for.

I'm looking at the Melissa and Doug Deluxe Easel for my little one, and it's awesome, except for that neither side is magnetic. Bummer!

My question is, can I take the chalkboard panel that comes shipped with the easel, paint coats of magnetic paint on it, and then paint over that with blackboard paint?

In other words, is a chalkboard an OK surface to start with when working with magnetic paint?

And to repeat some comments before, what's better - individual layers ( magnetic paint first, blackboard paint second), or just go straight for the blended magnetic blackboard paint.

TIA

TIA,

I think this would work great! I have a magnetic/chalkboard wall in my playroom. One thing about the magnetic paint that nobody mentions, you have to really mix it up. The metallic component settles at the bottom. I just had the paint store shake it up for me. It takes multiple coats (3 - 5). The chalkboard paint should go on last - it takes multiple coats of that too. I've never used the combination magnetic/chalkboard paint. I've actually never even seen it. Good luck!

We just closed on a house yesterday! hurrah! we've inherited a big fridge with a wood overlay that matches the cabinets. I'm a fridge magnet person so don't like the wood, but magnetic paint sounds like a cheap, ideal fix.

I agree that this thread is really helpful-- My question is that it looks like rust-oleum primer is supposed to be used with latex paint, and I assume that the fridge panel, like normal kitchen cabinets, would be covered with an oil-based paint (or whatever it's called these days). any experience? any reason why an oil paint would affect the magnetic primer underneath? Thanks!

I found out about David B. Lytle's "Magically Magnetic Paint Additive" through this blog thread and it seemed perfect. I mixed it with regular latex semi-gloss paint (he claims in this thread and on Bob Vila's site that it can be mixed with "any paint") and painted two walls with three coats of it. Both walls completely rusted and it has been nothing short of a nightmare ever since. The additive is just powdered iron and the paint guy at my hardware store said that it was the water present in the latex paint that caused it to rust. After some research, I found out that the pre-mixed magnetic paints (rustoleum, etc.) contain rust inhibitors that prevent this from happening. The additive contains no such protection and will rust if it comes into contact with even a small amount of water. When I contacted Mr. Lytle about this problem he was super rude and insisted that the additive was for use with primer only, not regular latex paint. Fair enough, but as he stated on this blog as well as on others that it could be mixed with "any paint" I don't think it was crazy of me to think that regular latex would be okay, especially when he describes on his website mixing it with remainder paint that he got on sale. In response, he sent me the following:

"There are countless companies making many different brands of paint. There are oil based paints and latex based paints. That is only in this country. Every other country in the world has makers of paints and they don't even come close to the same formulations as the ones made here. There is no way in the world that we could have ever tested our additive with every paint available world wide for use with our additive. It is true that you can mix our additive with any paint. That in no way is saying that you will be happy with the results." Then he copy and pasted the definition of "paint" from wikipedia.

Whoa dude, what?! I would stick to the pre-mixed magnetic paints that contain rust inhibitors and far away from the possibility of a crazy rusty wall and condescending and insulting customer service. I wish I had.

I was wondering if you could put wallpaper over the magnetic paint and it would still work?

My name is David B. Lytle and I am the creator of Magically Magnetic Paint Additive. The additive is not magic as the name might imply. It is made from very fine metallic particles that when mixed with ordinary paint and painted on a non-metallic surface such as wood or a plaster wall, will make that surface attractive to magnets. Not all magnets will stick as well to a wall painted with magnetic paint as they may to your solid steel kitchen fridge door. Our magnetic additive and your paint only add a very thin layer of magnetically receptive particles to the surface. The particles don't dissolve in the paint, they only mix with the paint and the paint acts to hold the particles on the wall. When the paint dries, the paint shrinks and the particles don't. Therefore, the particles impart a slight texture to the surface that was not there before. We advise the use of a foam roller to apply the magnetic paint to the wall. This will give the smoothest results. We also advise using oil based white primer sealer paint to mix with our additive. Oil based paints are the best and strongest paints on the market. If you have painted with latex paints, you may have noticed that they take a very long time to dry completely before they become hard and impervious to scratching. Some states do not allow oil based paints to be sold and only latex paints are available now. Our additive is formulated to be used in both latex as well as oil based paints. We do advise not mixing any water into paint containing our additive as the water can have an adverse reaction with some paints mixed with our additive. Our directions advise that if you are using a paint other than that called for in our directions that you try a little in some out of the way spot where it can be covered if your results are less than anticipated. Reading all the directions is always important.

We have been asked many questions about our magnetic paint and how it can be used. We make all of these questions available on our site hoping they will save you time and money. One such question was asking if our additive could be mixed with latex paints. At the time, we were still advising that only oil based primer sealer paints be used. We had done some experimenting with a few latex paints and had very good results. We told people that they could mix our additive with what ever paints they wished to use but to also try it in some out of the way spot. Marci W. above was one customer that moved ahead without either reading the entire answer or thought she would be safe. She painted her entire wall using expensive finish paint instead of the primer called for in the can's directions in order to save time and money and what she thought would be unnecessary steps using primer. She may have also added water to the paint accidentally by washing up her brushes and rollers and then using them again. She was unhappy with the results, whether it was the slight texture, the color or the strength of attraction. Adding our additive to white primer does not change the color of the primer. The additive is a light gray color and adding it to a special colored finish paint could make the color change to a shade darker. That is one of the reasons we advise against using expensive finish paint to mix with the additive. Another is that finish paint is much more expensive than primer paint. If you are going to do multiple coats of magnetic paint, mix the additive with primer paint and save money. It takes at least two coats of the magnetic paint, some prefer three and others four. If she would have painted over the magnetic paint with a final coat of her finish paint only, without the additive, her finish coat would have been the color she had intended. Again, not wishing to be bothered with more expense or work or additional paint, she called me to insist her mistakes were somehow my fault and insisted that I refund her money. I pointed out her problem and the solution but she would hear nothing about it. She wanted her money back. She then threatened to write a derogatory comment here about me and my product. Check out my site for your self and see if I don't make every effort to make your using my magnetic paint additive as easy and sucessful as possible.

In closing, when you try a new product that will have a permanent effect on your life, please read all the directions.

To Debbiedoll,

Yes, you can put wall paper over magnetic paint. It needs to be a thick enough layer of the magnetic paint, perhaps three or four coats. The thicker the magnetic paint, the stronger the magnetic attraction. Finally, after the magnetic paint is completely dry, sand it lightly with 000 sand paper. That is a very fine sand paper. Use it to take off any tiny tips of texture in the magnetic paint. You aren't trying to get smooth here, just take away any high spots of texture. Now you are ready to apply the wall paper. Strong magnets like our Safety Cap Rare Earth Magnets will work best since you are adding an extra layer of paper between the magnet and the magnetic paint.

Works really well for me; but you have to apply 3x coats onto wall & use the K&J magnets.

Yes, Yes, Yes, finally. I've had troubles with the paint not sticking and went to a website of oneyounglove.com. Beautifully decorated. She did her walls in magnet flowers magnets. They painted the walls 2 times as well but she had better success using stronger magnets. All those member are using magnets from magnetletters.com. She wall papered over her magnet paint then used magnet flowers for a pretty wall. My daughters loved this project and the youngest plays almost every day.

found a great store in downtown Toronto for this kind of thing...

http://www.primetimepaint.ca

in case there's any interest - my company (http://www.iolabsinc.com/) can custom print on thin magnetic material (film). It has a white surface that can be printed full color and also be clear coated for additional durability.
I'll check on the thickness we carry.
It's very easily cut into shapes as well.
It's not listed on our site by you can email inquiries to contact@iolabsinc.com
thanks.

Check out this comment posted on www.decorologist.com. Sorry, it's a bit long but VERY useful and packed full of information. He provides a link to his website, testimonials and pictures of his product in work :0) Also, I apologize if this was mentioned in a previous comment but there were so many to read them all!

David B. Lytle (www.lyte.com) wrote:
I came across your site and read with interest your “truth about magnetic paint”. Much of what you say is correct, but there is a lot more to know about magnetic paint than paint it on your wall and magnets will stick. First there are different brands of magnetic paint. Some are pre-mixed with primer paint and are difficult to stir up. They go on black or a very dark gray color. I invented a dry magnetic paint additive that mixes with white primer. It mixes up easily in seconds and is fresh every time you use it. It goes on white and stays white on your wall. Because it stays white, it covers easily with one coat of any color finish paint. Two coats of any magnetic paint is required to get any magnets to stick. Many people prefer three or even four coats for maximum magnetic attraction.

Not all magnets will stick well to magnetic paint on a wall. Cheap magnets and heavy magnets may actually fall right off. I had some plastic letters once that were made in china. They had small plastic magnets in the center of each letter. They were so weak that they would not even stick to the steel door on my fridge. They didn’t have a chance of sticking to magnetic paint. Magnetic paint only attracts magnets because it has millions of microscopic metal particles in the paint. It is these particles that attract magnets, not the paint. The paint only holds the particles on the wall. The more coats of the magnetic paint you get on the wall, the stronger the magnetic attraction of the wall. That is, unless you didn’t get the magnetic p[aint mixed up well enough. In the pre-mixed brand, the metal particles are heavier than the paint and settle to the bottom of the can and sit there for months on the store shelf. When you have the paint store man mix it on his mechanical mixer, it won’t mix. The metal particles just stick to the bottom of the can in a thick packed mud. You need to scrape it off the can bottom with a screw driver and beat it into submission with a paint stick. My Magically Magnetic Paint Additive mixes up instantly and easily in seconds every time.

If you want a strong magnetic area to stick the magnets on you fridge door, the ones you have collected over the years on trips and in cereal boxes, get the steel panel like the article says and adhere it to your wall. Nothing attracts magnets like solid steel. But if you want to have a beautiful magnetic all to display photos, the kid’s art or a million other things magnetically, magnetic paint will do the trick beautifully. You just need to know what you can and can’t expect from the materials. Magnetic paint is made to attract sheet magnets and rare earth magnets. Sheet magnets are the kind of magnets used to make magnetic business cards and magnetic signs for car doors. They stick well because the also have millions of tiny metal particles in them that have been magnetized. Their strength is weak compared to a strong rare earth magnet but they are much larger and very light so they stick well to magnetic paint. Sheet magnet is what is used for the magnetic poetry in the article. Sheet magnet comes in 15 mil, 20 mil, 30 mil and 60 mil thick. The thicker the magnet, the stronger the attraction.

In summary, mix the magnetic paint well before you paint. Before every coat, mix it up again to keep the metallic particles in suspension in the paint. Particles left in the paint can or the paint tray don’t do your wall any good. Use a 1/4 inch foam paint roller to apply the magnetic paint. A regular fiber roller can allow the particles to get trapped in the spaces between the fibers. Again, what gets caught in the roller doesn’t end up on the wall. A foam roller is closed cell meaning there is nowhere for particles to get caught. It will also allow you to get the smoothest magnetic wall. All magnetic paint will have a slight texture since the particles don’t dissolve in the paint. When the paint dries, the particles will show as a light texture. Tape around the area you want to be magnetic and paint the magnetic paint inside this taped off area. That will produce a nice clean straight edge around the magnetic area. Finish with a coat of your choice of any color finish paint on the entire wall. This will make a nice looking finished job and the light texture of the magnetic material will be less obvious. The finish coat of paint also helps to protect the magnetic particles. If you want to make a magnetic chalkboard wall, don’t use a mixture of magnetic paint and chalkboard paint. Paint the magnetic paint first and when its dry, sand it lightly with 000 sandpaper to get rid of any high tips of excess texture. You aren’t trying to make the wall completely smooth. Then paint the chalkboard paint as your finish coat.

Visit my web site for more information on using magnetic paint and all kinds of magnetic picture frames and magnets to use on your wall. Magnetic paint is a wonderful product and works very well if you know how to use it. I hope I have added to your knowledge on the subject. Check out my site and if you have particular questions you are invited to call and speak to me. Look at our testimonials pages and see how my customers have successfully used my Magically Magnetic Paint on their walls. http://www.lyt.com

Reply
David B. Lytle says:
March 6, 2012 at 3:32 pm
After writing the above, I thought it might be good to show your readers this picture of one of my customer’s walls with a collection of their family photos, all in heavy wooden frames, hanging nicely by magnetism, on a wall painted with our Magically Magnetic Paint. Here is the link to the photo. http://www.lyt.com/images/InitialSet/wiley02.jpg

Here is another link to our Testimonials page with many more photos of magnetic walls and letters from our customers showing how they used our Magically Magnetic paint. http://www.lyt.com/servlet/the-file/testimonial.html/Page

I just painted the upper panel of my kitchen door with chalkboard paint. It took 3-4 coats and the texture is not super smooth. However, it is nice to have under my calendar and it erases well with a damp cloth.