Many people find a whiteboard (or multiple ones) invaluable in their offices and homes. They help create mind maps, record quick lists and reminders, and even serve as excellent art surfaces for kids. Fortunately, they’re very easy to mount一and you won’t even need a drill!
You can hang a whiteboard without drilling using mounting tape, fastening strips (like Velcro), adhesive hooks, and construction adhesive. These are semi-permanent ways to securely install a whiteboard to a wall without leaving any traces later on.
I will go through these techniques in more detail in this article, so keep reading.
1. Use Mounting Tape To Stick Your Whiteboard to the Wall
Depending on the weight and dimensions of your whiteboard, there are times when all you need to do is to grab a roll of tape, and you can just stick it directly to the wall.
You can’t just use any double-sided tape for this purpose, though.
Instead, what you need is heavy-duty mounting tape.
I mainly prefer Gorilla Heavy Duty Mounting Tape from Amazon.com. This adhesive can hold up to 60 pounds (27 kg) and be used on various surfaces, from smooth to rough and from drywall to concrete.
Its best feature is that it’s weatherproof.
This means that you can mount things anywhere, even outdoors!
We understand why you might worry about using tape to adhere your whiteboard to a wall.
You should be fine as long as you follow the directions and weight limit provided by the manufacturer.
As a reference, the most common whiteboard size used for offices and classrooms is 4 x 6 feet (1.2 x 1.8 meters).
A standard melamine, aluminum-framed whiteboard with these dimensions weighs around 40 pounds.
This weight will still vary according to the material and dimensions of your chosen whiteboard.
Additionally, please note that the weight limit specified by mounting tape brands on their packaging refers to the whole roll.
For instance, Gorilla’s Heavy Duty Mounting Tape can only adhere an item that’s 60 pounds (27 kg) heavy if you’re going to use its entire length, which is 10 feet long (3 meters).
Otherwise, you will need to compute how much weight your tape can accommodate per inch.
For this particular product, that’s half a pound per inch.
If you want to give this method a try, here’s a quick step-by-step guide:
- Make sure that the surfaces you’re sticking together (your wall and the back of your whiteboard) are free of dust, dirt, and oil.
- Determine how much tape you’ll need based on the weight of your whiteboard.
- Apply multiple strips of mounting tape to the back of your whiteboard. Adhere them vertically and ensure they are spaced evenly for a more stable weight distribution.
- Mark the wall with the help of a pencil and a level to ensure proper alignment.
- Adhere the whiteboard by pressing it firmly towards the wall. This process can take a couple of minutes. It can also help to have a partner to ensure the even application of pressure.
2. Use a Fastening Strip To Mount Your Whiteboard
The blessing (and curse) of using mounting tape is that it’s hard to remove.
If you’re looking for a more grab-and-go option for a smaller whiteboard, you might consider getting fastening strips instead.
Fun Fact: Velcro is a brand. It’s the household name for hook and loop fastening strips. Hence, there are other brands out there that you can try and explore if you want to.
For me, I’d still recommend the classic: Velcro Heavy Duty Fasteners from Amazon.com. It comes with eight 4 x 2 inches (10 x 5 cm) strips.
When used together, they can hold up to 10 lbs (4.5 kg). Each square inch has a one-pound weight limit.
But what I love best is that it works on smooth surfaces such as glass, plastic, and tile. Other adhesive products don’t work just as well.
It’s easy to mount your whiteboard to any surface with a fastening strip.
Here’s a quick guide:
- Just like using mounting tape, you want to ensure that there aren’t any traces of dust, dirt, or oil on the back of your whiteboard and the wall you’re going to install it on.
- Prepare the number of strip pairs you’ll need to hold your board. Peel their protective tape and adhere each hook and loop pair so that they’ll easily align and fasten together.
- Apply pressure to the newly attached strip and wait for it to properly adhere for 15 minutes before hanging your board.
Here’s an extra step: Avoid yanking the board off your wall. Instead, it would help to unfasten your board from the bottom up to maintain your strip’s adhesion power. This step can also prevent your mounting surface from getting damaged.
This way, you’ll be able to detach and reattach your whiteboard whenever you need.
3. Use Adhesive Hooks To Hang Your Whiteboard
Some whiteboards come with hooks. Some don’t. Regardless, you can still use adhesive hooks to hang a small to medium-sized whiteboard to your desired surface.
These adhesive tools are viral in the DIY community.
Hence, there is no surprise that there’s a wide range of brands, sizes, and weight limits of adhesive hooks to match any project.
You may also use multiple hooks to spread the weight evenly.
Here’s a pro tip: You can attach the top hooks upside down and the bottom hooks right side up to create a hub for your whiteboard. This way, you can simply slide your whiteboard on and off as needed.
4. Use Construction Adhesive for a Large Whiteboard
Finally, if all the previous techniques won’t work due to the dimensions and size of your whiteboard, then there’s still one more method you can try.
You can use a construction adhesive to install your board on your wall.
Please keep in mind that this is going to be a semi-permanent setup.
It will undoubtedly take more effort to remove your board should you ever choose to in the future, and that’s precisely the point.
This method will ensure that your board will stay secure for a very long time.
In addition, construction adhesive can take a while to cure.
You might want to plan how to apply enough pressure to your freshly bonded surfaces for 20 to 30 minutes.
According to Liquid Nails, there are different ways to remove construction adhesives.
The easiest method is applying enough heat to the bond to soften it.
You’ll then be able to scrape off any residue with a putty knife.
Final Thoughts
Whiteboards are essential tools for productivity. No office or classroom should ever go without one. Fortunately, they’re effortless to mount to a wall.
You can use:
- Mounting Tape
- Fastening Strips
- Adhesive Hooks; and
- Construction Adhesive
Cheers, tools owners!
