No matter what type of venue you are working in, either a school, business or entertainment venue, the need for a whiteboard is essential. It can however be difficult to choose which one to use because of the many options available on the market. This is an incredibly versatile tool that many institutions should invest in.
Besides the various materials they come in, there are two main categories of these options, namely the magnetic and non-magnetic types. Below we have included a quick guide into these two to help you decide the one that suits your personal preferences accurately.
Nowadays the majority of the population’s work trend is shifting towards opening a home office or working from home. These boards can be a great addition to this space as your inspiration and doodling space, and you can do tons of different things with them, click here for ideas on that.
Category 1 – Magnetic
Choosing a magnetic board can be an easy choice for many, possibly because of the obvious advantage of it being magnetic. There are a few things you should look into when deciding to invest in these.
Magnetic whiteboards are the ideal solution for many office spaces, especially in using them as a form of communication and collaboration for teams in an office or students in a classroom. It doesn’t just offer you the option of writing on them and explaining things but it also adds another dimension of turning a boring talk into a more interesting one.
The most common of them all is the steel boards, which are painted in any color however the layer beneath is created with steel. Sometimes they are also made out of a vitreous enamel material known as porcelain: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitreous_enamel and both of these can hold up to certain weights of items stuck onto them.
You can stick additional images onto it, while also pinning other items such as graphs, materials and posters onto it via its magnetic properties. Turning any boring lecture, or explanation into a visual simulation of the text.
Many people have photographic memories and they remember images better than text, some other people may also be more inclined to understand pictures and diagrams better, and using bright colored images stuck onto these boards, or detailed diagrams to further elaborate on the concept, can help them understand things more clearly. This is especially helpful in a work and lecture environment. It adds an interesting touch to any typical mundane and boring talk.
It is like the social media platform “Pinterest” coming to life! These boards can be used as a pinboard, in addition to it being used as a dry erase whiteboard as well. It accepts magnets and allows anyone to stick items onto the surface without them falling off. This is usually done through a magnetic strip embedded inside the surface onto which you can stick various items.
Depending on the strength and size of the board, you can stick multiple varieties of things onto it. They also have a long life span, and sometimes up to 10 years, and the material cannot be scratched or damaged easily. You could customize these as well, as there is also the option of purchasing custom magnetic dry-erase boards either by adding logos to them, a calendar, or a sports team layout of the field or court.
If you are a sports coach and want to explain tactics to your team, you can use one of these to keep your players attentive. If you are a teacher and want to keep your students interested in the lecture, these would provide the ideal solution to them. If you are in an office environment and have a presentation due for the seniors, you should use these as they will add an element of interest to your presentation, as opposed to using PowerPoint slides. Ever heard of the phrase “death by PowerPoint”?
Category 2 – Non-Magnetic
The other type of whiteboards is the non-magnetic ones, which are primarily used for writing onto them. These do not have a magnetic strip on them and can be made out of plastic materials that are painted white or any other color of choice.
These are the cheaper cousin of the magnetic ones and come in a variety of shapes and sizes and can be used in almost any environment requiring the need to explain something and communicate to other people via means of writing text onto them.
Trying to turn them into a magnetic board may not work. You do however get a magnetic type of tape which you can stick onto them to turn a section of it into a sticky surface however this does not always work.
While these can be just as useful as its counterpart, they are not as versatile. These also have a tendency or wearing out quickly, especially if used frequently, with the writing and wiping and repeating actions, it can get stained and leave marks on it which may never come off.
They are coated with a material known as MDF or medium-density fiberboard which is a type of engineered wood. This can be economical in the long run, however, it is comparatively weaker than any other material and will not last as long as the steel boards. It can also crack and break under constant stress.
Another disadvantage of using this material in public spaces is the MDF contains another aspect which is, it is VOC or a volatile organic compound that can be harmful to you because it contains urea-formaldehyde, known as a contaminant that can irritate your eyes and lungs, and harmful when breathing in the long run.
This material also absorbs water a lot faster than wood or steel, so when you have those stubborn stains on the board after a few months of using it and want to wipe it with a damp cloth, it may leave watermarks and make things worse.
In conclusion, the decision is ultimately yours, but choosing one that lasts and has more uses, would be the ideal choice.