Misc. DIY Whiteboard: Affordable Alternatives for Your Home Office

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For those seeking affordable alternatives to expensive professional whiteboards, options like acrylic sheets, melamine bathroom siding, and plexiglass are available. A user reports positive experiences with a 5 ft by 2.5 ft acrylic sheet from Home Depot, costing around $40-$50 CAD. While erasing is not as smooth as on traditional whiteboards, certain markers clean off easily, and the acrylic is durable with a usable second side. Comparisons to cheaper options highlight that while some users find inexpensive whiteboards at stores like Staples, others suggest scavenging for usable materials. The discussion emphasizes the affordability of whiteboards, though markers can be costly.
sir_manning
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G'day

If you've ever wanted a large whiteboard for your home but found the professional-quality ones too expensive, there is a relatively cheap alternative. A bit of googling turns up home-built glass, melamine bathroom siding, plastic, and plexiglass as some potential materials.

I can't speak for the effectiveness of the others, but I bought a sheet of acrylic ("Optix" by Plaskolite) and have been using it for about a month now. It's mounted on my wall with some white paper behind it. Erasing is not quite as smooth as on a real whiteboard, but some markers (and colours) come off much easier than others. I was afraid it might scratch, but so far it seems alright. If it does, there is still another side to write on.

I bought a 5 ft by 2.5 ft sheet at the Home Depot for about $40-$50 Canadian (can't remember the exact price). There were quite a few sizes to select from.

-Manning
 
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Hmmm. The one in my office is about 2' X 3'...it cost about $10. Granted, it's cheaply made, but ~$45 seems overpriced to me, even for a large board such as the one you're making.
 
I'd just go to the dump and saw the side out of an abandoned freezer.
 
I saw a piece of white board in the canal near my house, I managed to bring it up to discover a meat (~600gr) full of sheetsts. But the white board is still usable.
 
I did the melmaline version a few years ago. A bit hard to erase (red markers were particularly bad), but it was very usable.

I think it was 8x5 for ~$10.
 
Geeze... I thought I had made a major breakthrough, now I just feel like a hoser for not posting before I bought this! The ones I was looking at were at staples, http://www.staples.ca/ENG/Catalog/cat_skuset.asp?CatIds=3%2C214,216&name=CA%5FSK%5FQUARTET+%2D+Porcelain+On+Steel+Magnetic+Marker+Boards".
 
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sir_manning said:
I just feel like a hoser

I assume, then, that you are a fellow Canuck. :biggrin:
 
White boards are dirt cheap. Its the markers that take a toll on the wallet.
 
  • #10
Danger said:
I assume, then, that you are a fellow Canuck. :biggrin:
Correct! :-p
 
  • #11
Excellent! We are slowly but surely taking over.
 

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