I decided to go with a $60 pair – and I was more than happy with them. The flight home was a movie buff’s nirvana – great flicks, great sound, great feeling!

I could hear all of the dialogue perfectly and felt very comfortable with the savings I made by not buying the top of the range set I had considered. Yes, there might have been a slight increase in sound quality – but I didn’t think that increase was worth $240!

Fast forward to 2019. Earlier this year, I bought a new premises for my start up business and the building needed a fit out – new office partitions, new furniture and… new whiteboards.

With regard to the whiteboards, I had a decision to make. What kind should I buy? Should I go with the cheapest type – melamine? The most expensive, which is glass? Or the middle of the road porcelain?

I decided to do some research on the subject, as I had never purchased whiteboards before. And basically straight away, I ruled out buying melamine whiteboards.

Melamine is just a laminate coating and it wears down much faster than the other two options. And the wearing down that occurs due to frequent use leads to ghosting of the markers. I knew that my whiteboards would be used frequently – so melamine was not a viable option.

Whiteboards made of glass are the ‘Rolls Royce’ of whiteboards. They’re extremely durable and they will never streak or ghost.

They come in a wide range of colours, including clear. You can also use a variety of markers – liquid chalk, dry erase and wet erase markers. The down side of course was the price – considerably more than the other options.

Yes, the glass whiteboards looked super impressive. But was I going to get enough bang for my buck?

So, finally I looked at the midrange option – porcelain whiteboards. The white ceramic is very durable and is much more resistant to stains, dents and scratches than melamine.

I liked the fact they have a substantial lifespan – they come with a 25 year warranty –and I also liked them being magnetic, due to the steel backing.

Decision time. Melamine didn’t impress me at all, and while glass was undoubtedly high quality, I couldn’t justify the price, especially considering the other costs involved with fitting out my premises.

So, I went back to my general buying philosophy – target the midrange product.

My story doesn’t end there. While I do go for midrange products, I always try to find high end service. And I can assure you that the ‘Rolls Royce’ standard in whiteboard service is JustBoards.

They came highly recommended – and from the first phone call to the final installation process, their reputation for excellence was proven to be totally justified. I wouldn’t even think of buying a whiteboard from anyone other than JustBoards.

Why choose a JustBoards whiteboard?

JustBoards will help you find the best solutions. We offer Australia wide delivery to your door. Contact us today on 1800 654 917 or at info@justboards.com.au 

Another story of the invention of the whiteboard credits a fellow called Albert Stallion. While working at a company that produced enamelled steel for architectural cladding, Stallion noted its potential as a writing surface. He developed this idea into an invention and formed his own whiteboard production company called MagiBoards.

Whoever you believe, whiteboards were introduced to the world in the 1960s. Interestingly, early whiteboards were actually still wet erase boards. They needed to be wiped with a damp cloth and the markers often left stains even after erasure. This meant slow adoption of the technology for around 25 years until another inventor stepped up to solve the pen problem.

Jerry Wolf patented the first whiteboard pen in 1975 – a new type of marker that could be erased with a dry cloth and that left minimal ghosting after use. The secret to Wolf’s marker’s success was the ink – a non-toxic, powdery liquid that could adhere to a glossy surface without being absorbed.

On the back of Wolf’s invention, whiteboards roared into the mainstream. Just over a decade later, the whiteboard had largely replaced blackboards in the business world. Classrooms were the next to start mass use of the technology, for two reasons:

●  Concerns over health problems in children with dust allergies

●  The potential for chalk dust to damage computers, which were simultaneously appearing more frequently in classrooms

By the early 2000s, most schools in the wesern world had converted from blackboards to dry erase whiteboards. The rest, as they say, is history.

Types of dry erase boards

As mentioned, dry erase boards are whiteboards, but did you know that not all whiteboards are created equal? Here’s a quick rundown of the different types of whiteboard on the market today.

Melamine boards

Melamine whiteboards are made up of a substrate (typically particle board or MDF) which is coated with a dry erase layer made of resin-infused paper. The quality of these boards varies depending on:

●  The quality of the substrate layer

●  The type of substrate used

●  The amount of resin infused into the paper.

Melamine boards are the cheapest whiteboards on the market and, in this case, you get what you pay for. Yes, they work fine at first but they don’t stand up to heavy use. Even those boards more resistant to staining will eventually wear out as the surface layer erodes.

Steel or aluminium boards (Commercial)

Steel or aluminium whiteboards are made up of a metal sheet coated with a multi-layer base colour followed by a clear “performance layer”. It’s this performance layer that makes up the dry erase component of the board. Similar to melamine boards, the quality of these boards varies. Commercial-grade materials will result in a better product, but even the best-quality metal whiteboard is susceptible to denting or scratching.

Porcelain boards

Porcelain whiteboards are typically made up of a steel board that has a ceramic layer fired directly onto its surface. This result is one of the more durable kinds of whiteboard on the market today. Porcelain boards are highly scratch resistant, leading to their use in industrial and other heavy-use settings. Most even come with a lifetime warranty. That said, even the most well cared for porcelain board can stain over time because the surface is nearly, but not perfectly, non-porous.

Glass dry erase boards

Glass dry erase boards are the cream of the crop when it comes to whiteboards. They’re high performance, aesthetically superior and built for heavy use. Made from tempered safety glass, glass dry erase boards are the easiest whiteboards to maintain. Even with heavy use, glass whiteboards don’t stain because - the surface is totally impermeable.

Types of markers for use on glass dry erase boards

What marker you choose for your dry erase board will depend heavily on your use and context. Here’s a quick run down of the different types of marker on the market right now.

Dry erase marker

Dry erase markers contain an ink made up of colour pigments, a chemical solvent and a polymer. This polymer is also known as a release agent and its what gives dry erase markers their dry erase properties.

The polymer in dry erase markers is an oily silicone substance that facilitates easy removal. (For context, permanent markers use an acrylic polymer that helps the pigment stick to the writing or drawing surface). Silicone polymer works to make dry erase marker ink more slippery, preventing the coloured pigment of the marker from coming into direct contact with the writing surface.

The solvent used in dry erase markers is what gives them the ability to stick impermanently to a surface. This solvent (usually an alcohol) works to dry the ink quickly, adhering it to whatever surface it’s been used on. It’s also why dry ink is the easiest to clean on whiteboards – the ink is dry and not liable to spread or smear when wiped off.

Wet erase marker

One of the best parts of dry erase boards is their ability to … well, dry erase. However, there are some contexts where a wet erase marker is more ideal, for example:

●  Outdoor signage

●  Menu boards

●  Semi-permanent notices

●  High-traffic areas.

While dry erase markers use alcohol as their solvent, wet erase markers use a quick-drying liquid paste. This paste is what makes the marker semi-permanent as it can’t be simply wiped away with a whiteboard eraser.

Liquid chalk

Liquid chalk is a special type of wet erase marker that’s designed to write not just on dry erase surfaces, but also on chalkboards. Liquid chalk is made up of chalk powder and a solvent that gives the liquid consistency until it dries.

Glass dry erase boards are leading the way

Dry erase technology has been around for a long time and has seen wide adoption in every industry from education to finance. Glass dry erase boards are the best on the market today, proving durable, easy to use and a dream to clean.

Get in touch today! Great service, great prices and Australia-wide delivery to your door. Call us today on 1800 654 917 or send an email to info@justboards.com.au