apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

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.