Whiteboard & Chalkboard Resurfacing — Guaranteed 10 Years

Yes. Converting old chalkboards into smooth, modern dry-erase surfaces is one of the most popular things we do. It also gets dusty chalk out of the air for healthier classrooms and electronics. Because old chalkboards are very smooth, we recommend a quick wet install.

Almost any board or flat surface you want to write on:

• Old whiteboards — stained, scratched, or ghosted boards that won't erase clean. Resurface them so they write and erase like the day they were installed.
• Chalkboards — turn dusty, retired chalkboards into smooth, modern dry-erase surfaces.
• Magnetic chalkboards — resurface over a magnetic chalkboard and the board keeps its magnetism, so magnets still hold work, charts, and supplies.
• Failed whiteboard paint or wallpaper — painted-on or wallpapered whiteboards that crack, ghost, or never coated evenly. We've resurfaced hundreds of walls like this, including full schools.
• Sliding board systems — don't scrap the whole system; we resurface each panel in place so the slider works like new.
• Tables and desks — group-work tables, kidney tables, library tables, and individual desks become writable surfaces in premium clear or white. There when you need it, invisible when you don't — and it gives students more places to collaborate.

• Turning your whiteboard or chalkboard into a magnetic whiteboard for your classroom or home/dorm room walls.
• Transforming your old, stained whiteboard into a fresh, magnetic dry-erase surface.
• Reviving your spaces while promoting creative thinking and organized planning.
• Avoiding the hassle of drilling new whiteboards over the top of old chalkboards.
• Bypassing the need for whiteboard paint that may fail within 6 months.

We have both options. Our standard resurfacing film is non-magnetic — choose the Magnetic Resurfacing upgrade when you need magnets, and it converts non-magnetic boards into premium magnetic whiteboards.

If we resurface over an already-magnetic surface (like an old magnetic chalkboard), the board stays magnetic — Think Board is thin enough that the original board keeps its magnetic receptivity. We confirm this on your quote.

Pro tip: we often see Showerboard or Melamine boards mounted on top of original chalkboards. If so, there's a chance your original chalkboards are magnetic — we recommend removing those layers and resurfacing the chalkboard for the best performance and aesthetic.

Some competing films are thicker than Think Board, which hurts the board's magnetic receptivity — watch the magnetic receptivity test we filmed at a school, in the video gallery below.

Yes — Think Board works with all dry erase markers and will always be clean. No Expo spray cleaner needed: just water and a cloth.

Permanent markers erase cleanly with rubbing alcohol, and the finish is scratch-resistant and Sharpie-proof. Our resurfacing sheets are also easier to install than the alternatives.

Resurfaced vertical boards are built to last 10+ years with a scratch-resistant, Sharpie-proof finish, backed by free replacements for 10 years. Tables and desks vary by use (typically 1–2 years; kidney and group tables often longer). Every order is backed by a 100-day return policy.

Our Premium Think Boards, Premium XL Think Boards, Resurfacing Think Boards, Magnetic Think Boards, Premium XL Calendars, and Whiteboard Table Covers are all made with our Premium Think Board material. Most come in clear and white.

Regular Think Boards are excellent for moderate use — if you just want a place to jot down ideas here and there, the Think Board Medium or Large is for you. The Premium material erases better, stays clean longer, sticks better, removes better, and is easier to install, with a Sharpie-proof coating and scratch-resistant finish that lasts 10–15 years in high-use settings like classrooms, hospitals, and coworking spaces.

If you'll use your board every day, multiple times per day, or it lives in a public-facing space, go Premium. It only needs the included microfiber cloth for cleaning, plus 70% rubbing alcohol for anything permanent.

This is a whiteboard film that covers your old board. It is not a cleaning solution or spray.

Absolutely. About half of schools self-install in under 20 minutes per board using our step-by-step video (a crew of 2–3 and a wet install work best). Prefer turnkey? Our crews install for you, with teams in nearly every major US and Canadian city plus a UK team for Europe.

Ready to purchase? Request a formal estimate with installation included via the quote form below or purchasing@think-board.com. Outside our regions? Let us know and we'll happily look into expanding so we can work with you.

About 50% of our customers self-install. If anyone on your team has installed wallpaper, wall graphics, window tinting film, or any other large material with a squeegee, they can probably handle this — and installation is quick, easy, and bubble-free, guaranteed.

Just have a crew of 2–3 people, follow our step-by-step install guide, and use more water than you'd think is needed to ensure no bubbles. We also have a longer, more detailed video we can email over to your crew.

Is it like applying a screen protector or window tinting? Sort of — much larger, but a similar idea. We think getting a bubble-free Think Board install is easier than a screen protector: our founder, Hanson, has installed 5,000+ Think Boards but is still nervous installing his screen protector.

Glad you asked :)

1. Watch our install video. You'll be happy you did.
2. Get a group of 2–3 people to help with the install.
3. Clean your chalkboard, whiteboard, or tables as best as you can. Remove table glue, adhesive, or anything else that feels bumpy to the touch.
4. Wet install the product (as seen in the video). Use more water than you'd think — the water will be squeegeed out and will evaporate.
5. Sharpie can be removed with 70% rubbing alcohol.
6. You can deep clean your Think Boards with 70% rubbing alcohol as often as you'd like. It won't damage the board.
7. Think Board is thin enough that the original board will retain its magnetic receptivity if it was already magnetic. So if you have an old magnetic chalkboard, you're about to have a fancy new magnetic whiteboard!
8. Free US shipping & free returns. Try it & love it — and if not, you have 100 days to return it, no questions asked :)

Most whiteboards and chalkboards are about 1–2 inches shy of the stock sizes: a board measuring 46"x94" can be resurfaced with a 48"x96" (4'x8') Think Board. We include an extra couple of inches for wiggle room.

Most kidney tables are about 4'x6', and you can trim any board with scissors or a utility knife if you need to cut it down to size.

We include basic installation tools (cleaning cloth, retractable knife, squeegee) in every order — ordering more than 5 boards? Consider our Premium Resurfacing Kit.

We include a microfiber cloth with every Think Board — you won't need whiteboard cleaner or chemicals, ever. If you leave markings on the board for over 2 weeks, a mist of water will help it return to 100%.

If something is not erasing, it's likely goop or glue stuck to the board — rubbing alcohol takes that right off. If colors aren't cleaning properly, rubbing alcohol handles that too.

To deep clean (monthly or annually), use 70% isopropyl alcohol — it brings the board back to brand new. Be careful not to use it on other whiteboards: our film is specifically designed to clean with rubbing alcohol, while harsh cleaners break down the coating on other boards.

P.S. We often end up resurfacing boards for schools that had been cleaning with glass cleaner, rubbing alcohol, ethanol, or other harsh cleaners. We can resurface those boards for you!

Stress no more! Permanent marker comes off with just a few drops of 70% isopropyl alcohol. This is one of the top reasons schools upgrade to Think Board — it saves so much time and hassle on daily and deep cleaning.

The testing we've done on our resurfacing Think Boards:

• We left dry-erase marker on a Premium Think Board for 6 months and it erased with nothing but a microfiber cloth.
• We successfully erased a small Sharpie marking off a Premium Think Board 3 years after it was marked.
• After every demo board we install for a school, we draw on it with Sharpie to prove that it actually erases.

Long story short, we need another 5–10 years to run the next round of tests.

Below is a quick GIF of us erasing week-old Sharpie from our new “Think Notes,” which are also made with our Premium Material. If that's not enough to convince you, grab a sample and test for yourself!

Yes — the adhesive stays exactly where you want it for as long as you need, and removes cleanly with no adhesive left behind. People usually ask for three reasons:

Adjusting during install: you can position and reposition the Think Board over and over during a wet install — just keep enough water on the original board so it comes on and off easily. If you install the entire board incorrectly, you can still remove it and try again.

What happens after 15 years? The adhesive is designed to remove cleanly, so you can take the Think Board off and apply a new one without hours of scraping residue. Or simply add another layer on top and extend the board's life another 15+ years — a board headed for the landfill can gain 15, 30, or 45 more years. Other competitive products we've seen bubble up over time, peel at the corners, and leave lots of adhesive residue behind.

What about vandalism? Think Boards are trimmed on-site nearly perfectly edge to edge, so most people never notice there's something to peel — and out of all the boards we've resurfaced, we've never seen it happen.

Count the true cost of whiteboard paint: the paint, a professional install, about 7 days of waiting before you can use the wall, and harmful VOCs off-gassing while it cures. When you eventually want it gone, you'll need to sand the wall down and repaint. Not ideal…

Paint is also unforgiving — about 85% of the people we talk to were unable to install their paint properly. We've compared a wall painted 2 years earlier against a Think Board installed right on top of it for 6 months: the Think Board erases much cleaner.

If you have old dry-erase paint, our film sticks right onto it — just scrub the walls heavily before install. We'd be happy to send you our Think Board vs. whiteboard paint case study or put you in touch with schools that have experience with both.

Yes we can! We've covered an entire school that previously painted their chalkboards with whiteboard paint, and we resurfaced a 26-foot Walltalkers whiteboard wall that was no longer erasing well — watch that install in the video gallery below.

As long as the surface is clean and smooth, we can resurface right over it. Scrub it well first and we'll cut to fit — with a small seam, even a floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall whiteboard is easy.

Short answer: yes. We've saved schools hundreds of thousands of dollars in asbestos abatement costs and downtime.

Asbestos was commonly used in the construction of schools between the 1950s and 1980s due to its durability, heat resistance, and insulating properties. It was often used in building materials such as insulation, flooring, ceiling tiles, and roofing.

Asbestos is dangerous because when its fibers are disturbed, they can become airborne and inhaled, leading to serious health problems such as lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis. The risks of asbestos exposure were not widely recognized until the 1970s, and many schools built before that time may still contain asbestos-containing materials that need to be properly managed or removed.

Removing old boards means disturbing what's behind them, which can trigger a costly, time-consuming abatement project. Resurfacing the chalkboards that have asbestos behind them keeps the fibers contained while upgrading you to new premium whiteboards — you keep your sturdy existing infrastructure, skip the demolition entirely, and save time, money, and a whole lot of hassle.

If you want us to install: all we need is a PDF or Excel sheet with the room numbers, sizes, and locations of each board, plus a photo or two of the classrooms so we can scope the install. Round sizes up to the nearest foot — most 4'x8' boards actually measure 47"x95"; just call it a 4'x8'. For installs we normally cut on-site in case of measurement errors or changes to the order.

If you plan to install: send the quantities of each size you need, rounded up to the nearest foot — we'll ship a 4'x8.25' board for a 4'x8' so you have wiggle room.

Send it to orders@think-board.com or fill out the quote form below and we'll get back to you ASAP.

Grab a sample folder! Included is an 8.5"x11" Think Board, our Pricing Guide, 10-Year Warranty info, and 4 case studies covering various projects we've done.

If you would like a bigger sample, please give us a call at 617-657-9616 ext. 1.

Yes and yes. We price per square foot, so if you have funky 15-foot boards, we can work with you — just let us know the sizes you need and we'll send you a quote.

We can also print anything you want: music staff lines for the music room, gridlines for math class, charts, dot patterns, or your logo — printed to your exact spec on our custom Think Boards page. Typically we charge a $50–100 custom fee per printed board.

We have install crews in pretty much every major city in the United States & Canada. As long as you are within a few hours' drive from a big city, we'll be there! We also have an install team in the UK who is happy to service most of Europe.

Outside of this region? Let us know and we'll happily look into expanding into your region so we can work with you and the schools, offices, and hospitals in your area.

Yes. We hold New York State contract PC70372, and schools have purchased through the BuyBoard purchasing cooperative (contract 767-25). If your district uses a different purchasing contract or co-op, ask us — we can usually work within it.

We manufacture this product and are the only company in the world with access to this specific material, so we have a Sole Source letter that clearly spells out all the information needed to ensure your purchase is approved.

Yes, we do! We accept Purchase Orders with terms from schools and hospitals. If you are not a school or hospital, we can still process a PO, but we'll need payment via ACH or credit card before we ship your products.

To order via Purchase Order, email purchasing@think-board.com for a formal estimate and our W9.

Yes, we can! Just send your Tax Exemption Certificate to hello@think-board.com. If you're ordering via PO, the process is simple.

To order tax exempt online, create an account on our site, email us your certificate, and request that we update your account to tax exempt.

We manufacture this product and are the only company in the world with access to this material. Our Sole Source letter clearly spells out all the information needed to ensure that your purchase is approved.

Just email hello@think-board.com and we'll get it over to you!