Specialty Boards

Specialty boards span whiteboards, glass boards, blackboards, magnetic boards, and combination boards such as whiteboard-plus-cork, each matched to a particular use case. Whiteboards suit general meeting and training rooms; glass boards suit modern executive and creative-agency settings; combination boards suit multi-use rooms where both writing and pinning support the daily workflow. Board type should be selected based on how the room will actually be used rather than appearance alone. Facility planners outfitting multiple room types should select board type room by room rather than standardizing on a single format across an entire building.

Whiteboard surfaces come in three tiers: melamine, a value-tier surface with a 1 to 5-year service life suited to occasional use; porcelain-on-steel, a higher-tier surface with a 25-plus-year service life that resists ghosting and accepts magnets; and glass, offering a modern aesthetic, full cleanability, and a service life of 25 years or more. Surface tier should be matched to expected use frequency and the executive aesthetic standard of the space. Facility planners expecting decades of daily use should weigh the higher upfront cost of porcelain-on-steel or glass against melamine's shorter service life. Facility planners weighing upfront cost against decades of service should treat the surface tier decision as a long-term investment rather than a one-time purchase.

Standard commercial sizes run 24 by 36, 36 by 48, 48 by 72, and 48 by 96 inches. A 36-by-48-inch board suits individual offices and small meeting rooms, while a 48-by-96-inch board suits training rooms and main meeting spaces. Size, frame, and surface specification are identified together on the product page for each model, useful when matching board size to room scale and viewing distance. Facility planners should select board size based on viewing distance in the room, since content on an undersized board becomes difficult to read from the back of a large space.

Porcelain-on-steel whiteboards carry a magnetic substrate that accepts standard whiteboard magnets for posting documents directly on the surface. Glass boards offer a magnetic option, with a steel backing layer, as a higher-tier upgrade above the standard glass board. Melamine whiteboards are non-magnetic. Magnetic capability should be matched to the posting workflow expected in the room — project cards, schedules, or reference documents. Facility planners running project-tracking or shift-planning workflows that rely on movable cards should prioritize magnetic capability when specifying a board for that room.

Standard whiteboards accept dry-erase markers, cleaned easily with a dry cloth or whiteboard eraser. Porcelain-on-steel boards accept both dry-erase and wet-erase markers, the latter suited to more permanent annotations removed with water. Glass boards accept both dry-erase and wet-erase markers as well. Marker compatibility for each board type is listed on the product page. Facility planners specifying boards for rooms with more permanent posting needs should favor porcelain-on-steel or glass surfaces over standard dry-erase-only whiteboards. Facility planners specifying boards for high-security content, such as posted procedures, should also consider an enclosed, lockable board option.

A mobile rolling specialty board is a two-sided board on a rolling base with locking casters, suited to flexible placement between meeting rooms and breakout zones. Rolling boards fit training programs and innovation-team settings where the board needs to move with the session. Wall-mount boards fit fixed meeting rooms where the board's location is established once at install and does not change. Facility planners outfitting spaces used by multiple teams throughout the day should default to the rolling format for maximum flexibility across rooms.

An attached pen tray along the bottom edge provides marker and eraser storage at the board. Higher-tier boards include a covered pen tray that contains marker dust. Accessory options include magnetic erasers, magnetic clip strips, and document holders. Accessories should be selected at the initial procurement order to ensure matching finish and mounting compatibility with the board itself. Facility planners equipping multiple rooms should standardize accessory selection to simplify restocking of markers and erasers across the building. Facility planners specifying boards for high-use training rooms should prioritize the covered pen tray to reduce marker dust accumulation over time.

Frame choices include aluminum (modern, lightweight), wood (traditional executive), and frameless edge-banded (a minimalist aesthetic). Aluminum frames suit open-plan and training settings; wood frames suit law offices and judicial-chamber settings; frameless boards suit creative-agency and modern-design environments. Frame material should coordinate with the room's existing millwork, doors, and trim rather than being treated as an isolated decision. Facility planners should also confirm frame color availability against other finishes already specified for the room before finalizing an order. Coordinating these details before ordering reduces the chance of a visible mismatch once the board is installed.

Warranty terms vary by surface tier: melamine surfaces carry 1 to 5 years, porcelain-on-steel carries 25 to 50 years (often marketed as a lifetime board), and glass carries 25 years or more, all well beyond the 1 to 3 years typical of consumer-tier boards, and we offer a Free Lifetime Warranty unless specifically noted. Coverage extends to the surface, the frame, and the mounting hardware for each unit. Facility planners should confirm which warranty tier applies to a specific board before ordering, since surface material alone determines the applicable coverage term.

Wall-mounted specialty boards should be centered 40 to 54 inches above the floor for ADA-compliant writing and reading access, with a 30 by 48-inch clear floor approach area in front of the board. Mounting height should be checked against ADA reach range — 48 inches for forward reach, 54 inches for side reach — for the population using the space. The bottom edge should not drop below 27 inches, since a lower edge creates a knee-knock hazard for people walking past. Board position should be noted in the facility's floor plan.