As a child you might have been used to seeing most
classrooms having a chalkboard at the front of the room for the teacher to
write on. However the discovery that the dust that chalk created was
particularly bad for computers resulted in a change. As computers made their
way into the classroom, chalkboards were slowly replaced by whiteboards or dry
erase boards.
Whiteboards come with different surfaces that you can choose
between. These include porcelain, high-pressure laminate and melamine. If you
buy a whiteboard with a porcelain surface it is likely to come with some form
of warranty as they are extremely durable and it is often the first choice for
anyone looking for a board for a classroom or the office. You can even fasten
magnets to it as the surface is enamelled sheet metal, which will allow you to
use the board as a noticeboard at the same time. The surface is also non
porous, which means it can stand exposure to stronger types of cleaning
material.
A new addition to the range of whiteboard materials is the
high-pressure laminate. It is created in the same way as the laminate that is
used for kitchen counter tops. Although the boards are durable they are easy to
scratch. This is not as convenient if you are looking to use the board in a
classroom where children are likely to play with it, and the surface is not
made of metal however and you can therefore not fasten magnets to it. However
it is a lot cheaper than a board made out of porcelain.
Lastly there are the boards that are made out of melamine.
This is normally used for smaller boards such as those used next to a desk or
for the children to draw on in their rooms. These boards are not as sturdy as
those above and will require thorough cleaning as ink or similar material is
likely to seep into the pours of the board. This can leave a grey surface or in
worse cases make the board impossible to clean completely.
There are many options available whether you want a large or
smaller sized whiteboard, and you can find one with pretty much any colour
frame that you would like, and that will suit your space. Just make sure that
you ask how to best clean and maintain your whiteboards so that you can enjoy
them in many years to come.
