# Boards & Display Surfaces

Decide the job first: write and wipe, pin up papers, or both. For writing, how hard the board is used picks the face, from melamine for light use to porcelain steel or glass for busy rooms. Within a brand, warranties climb the same ladder. Schools and hospitals may require ASTM E84 Class A, which natural cork does not reach.

## How it works

A board's face material decides how well it does its job. A writing board relies on ink made to sit on a slick, non-porous face and wipe off. The more porous the face, the sooner ink soaks in and leaves ghosts of old writing. Melamine, a resin-soaked paper over particleboard or fibreboard, is the most porous. Painted steel, a baked coating on a steel sheet, holds out longer and takes magnets. Porcelain steel is powdered glass fired onto steel in a kiln, and glass boards are tempered sheet glass, so neither absorbs ink. A pin board relies on a face that grips a pin and closes behind it. Natural cork does this well but crumbles when damp and does not reach the top fire class, so fire-rated pin boards use fabric or vinyl over a fire-retardant core. Display pieces such as foam boards are neither written on nor wiped. [25] [26] [27] [1] [24] [14] [15] [21] [29]

| Family | What it is | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Writing boards | Dry-erase whiteboards in melamine, painted steel, porcelain steel or glass, including printed calendar boards, plus chalkboards. | Meeting rooms, classrooms, kitchens and home offices. |
| Pin boards | Cork, coloured cork, fabric, vinyl or rubber faces that take push pins. | Notices, schedules and photos in offices, schools and corridors. |
| Combination boards | One frame with a writing half and a pin half, usually whiteboard on one side and cork on the other. | Rooms that need both on one wall. |
| Display pieces | Foam boards, tri-fold project boards and felt letter boards that show a fixed message. | Projects, signs and shelf or café displays. |

## How an expert narrows the choice

```mermaid
timeline
  section 1 · Job
    write and wipe : ask Use frequency, Magnetic, Markers it takes, Fire rating : skip Pin surface, Cork thickness
    pin up papers : ask Pin surface, Cork thickness, Fire rating, Enclosed : skip Writing surface, Markers it takes, Surface warranty, Projection finish
    both on one board : ask Use frequency, Pin surface, Magnetic, Fire rating
    fixed display : ask Size, Mounting : skip Use frequency, Writing surface, Markers it takes, Surface warranty, Projection finish
  section 2 · Use frequency
    light : ask Magnetic
    heavy : ask Writing surface
  section 3 · Magnetic
    yes : ask Writing surface
```

1. **Job.** Write and wipe, pin up papers, both, or display (sign, letter board)?
   The job decides which face material matters at all. Brands and dealers sort their ranges the same way: dry-erase boards, bulletin boards, combination boards. Every later question belongs to one side of this split.
   If write and wipe: ask Use frequency, Magnetic, Markers it takes, Fire rating; skip Pin surface, Cork thickness.
   If pin up papers: ask Pin surface, Cork thickness, Fire rating, Enclosed; skip Writing surface, Markers it takes, Surface warranty, Projection finish.
   If both on one board: ask Use frequency, Pin surface, Magnetic, Fire rating.
   If fixed display: ask Size, Mounting; skip Use frequency, Writing surface, Markers it takes, Surface warranty, Projection finish.
   Skip if already known: a query naming whiteboard, dry-erase, chalkboard, cork board, bulletin board or letter board.

2. **Use frequency.** A few notes at home, daily office use, or classroom all day?
   Quartet's guide and MyBinding pick the writing face from use: light means melamine, moderate means painted steel, heavy means porcelain steel or glass. Ghent agrees busy rooms get porcelain. It removes one or two of the four surface tiers.
   If light: ask Magnetic.
   If heavy: ask Writing surface.
   Skip if already known: a stated classroom or conference room, which Quartet and Ghent both fit with porcelain (heavy), an earlier answer naming the surface material.

3. **Magnetic.** Need magnets to hold papers on it?
   Yes rules out melamine, the cheapest tier, non-magnetic glass and cork. It leaves painted steel, porcelain steel and steel-backed glass, which needs high-powered magnets, so writing surface is the next choice.
   If yes: ask Writing surface.
   Skip if already known: a query saying magnetic, an earlier answer about posting papers with magnets.

## What to surface

### Job

What the board is for: writing that gets wiped, papers pinned up, both on one frame, or a fixed display. It decides which face material matters. Writing boards are judged on how cleanly they erase and whether magnets stick; pin boards on how well the face grips a pin and what fire class it reaches; combination boards carry one of each. Display pieces such as foam boards and felt letter boards skip both sets of questions; for them this register filters only on size and mounting. [21] [1] [28]

Values: write and wipe, pin up papers, both on one board, fixed display.
Question to ask: Write and wipe, pin up papers, both, or display (sign, letter board)?

Used as: top-level split, filter. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Not a field. Derive from the surface named in the title or the brand's Surface Type row: melamine, painted steel, porcelain, glass or chalkboard means write; cork or fabric means pin; both named means combination; foam board or letter board means display.
Title words settle almost every product: dry erase, whiteboard, chalkboard, cork, bulletin, combination, foam board, letter board.

### Use frequency

How hard the board will be worked: light occasional use, moderate daily use, or heavy shared use all day. Brands use it to sort writing faces, because ink soaks into porous faces and leaves ghosts. Quartet's guide and MyBinding map light use to melamine, moderate to painted steel, heavy to porcelain steel or glass. Ghent has no painted-steel rung and calls porcelain its everyday board for classrooms. Quartet's spec tables rate its coated melamine and painted steel both Moderate. On pin boards, MyBinding ties heavier pinning to thicker cork and RPS ties high traffic to rubber. [1] [16] [8] [4] [3] [2] [18] [15]

Values: light, moderate, heavy.
Question to ask: A few notes at home, daily office use, or classroom all day?

Used as: top-level split, filter. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Quartet's product spec table has a Use Frequency row (Moderate or Heavy on the pages read). Ghent labels ranges Occasional Use, Everyday Use and High-Traffic, but its Everyday Use is porcelain, so do not map Ghent's labels straight onto these values. Elsewhere derive it from writing_surface.
Use the brand's own rating where it gives one. Otherwise: melamine light (coated melamine moderate), painted steel moderate, porcelain steel and glass heavy. This derives from writing_surface, which is researched, so it costs what that facet costs and stays unknown while writing_surface is unknown.
Chart: Surface ladder.

### Magnetic

Whether magnets stick to the face, which needs a steel sheet behind it. Magnets let you post papers on a writing board without tape, and a magnetic board can stand in for a cork board. Painted steel and porcelain steel boards are magnetic; Quartet and MyBinding say melamine boards are not; glass is magnetic only when steel-backed, and then needs high-powered rare-earth magnets to grip through the glass. Cork and fabric pin boards are not magnetic. Saying yes rules out melamine, the cheapest tier. [1] [16] [17] [5] [4] [6] [28]

Question to ask: Need magnets to hold papers on it?

Used as: top-level split, filter. Data: needs research, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Quartet's spec table has a Magnetic Yes/No row. Titles usually say magnetic when the board is; a title without it is not proof the board is not.
Take the brand's Magnetic row or the word magnetic in the title. Without either, infer only from a stated writing_surface: painted steel and porcelain yes, cork no; melamine and glass need the brand page, since one MyBinding page says melamine varies. Otherwise store unknown.

### Mounting

How the board is held up: screwed to a wall, on a mobile stand, standing on a desk or table, stuck on as a sheet, or a loose sheet with no mounting. Wall boards are where size and weight matter, because large steel and glass boards need stud or rail fixings. Mobile boards on castors come single or double-sided and suit rooms whose walls cannot take the load. Desktop glass pads, tri-fold project boards and letter boards with a stand sit on a desk or table; foam boards are loose sheets. Bare easels and stands belong to the easels category. [2] [20] [8] [25] [23]

Values: wall-mounted, mobile stand, desktop or tabletop, adhesive sheet, unmounted sheet.
Question to ask: On a wall, a rolling stand, or your desk?

Used as: filter. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Quartet's spec table has a Placement row (Wall). Otherwise title words: mobile, reversible, desktop, tri-fold, adhesive, peel and stick.
For writing and pin boards, default to wall-mounted when the title names none of the others. For display pieces store unknown unless the title names a stand, tri-fold or sheet.

### Size

Width by height of the board, quoted in inches or feet. Size is the main filter once the job is known, and it is fixed by the wall. Common wall sizes are 36 × 24, 48 × 36, 72 × 48 and 96 × 48 in, and Ghent's porcelain range runs to 4 × 12 ft. Saint Paul's school standard makes 4 ft the typical height, and most of Ghent's porcelain sizes are 4 ft high. [23] [2] [5] [8] [11]

Question to ask: About how wide: 3, 4, 6 or 8 feet?

Used as: filter, sortable. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: In the product title on Displays2Go and Quartet (for example 96 x 48 Write-On Board, or 48 in x 36 in), and in Quartet's Size row. Parse into width and height.
Normalise feet to inches and width to the longer side unless the listing says vertical.
Chart: the board drawn to scale against an 8 ft wall outline.

### Markers it takes

Which pens or chalk the face takes: dry-erase only, or also wet-erase and liquid chalk markers. Wet-erase and liquid chalk markers need a non-porous face to wipe off. Displays2Go says glass takes dry-erase, wet-erase and liquid chalk; MyBinding says porcelain and slate chalkboards take most liquid chalk markers, while painted chalkboards vary and should be tested in a corner. Restaurant and shop menu boards are the main liquid chalk use. [23] [19] [26]

Values: dry-erase only, dry-erase, wet-erase and liquid chalk, stick chalk only, stick chalk and liquid chalk, liquid chalk only.
Question to ask: Dry-erase markers, stick chalk, or liquid chalk pens?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Derive from writing_surface. Boards made for liquid chalk say so in the title.
Glass: dry-erase, wet-erase and liquid chalk (Displays2Go). Melamine, painted steel and porcelain whiteboards: dry-erase only unless the brand says more. Porcelain and slate chalkboards: stick chalk and most liquid chalk (MyBinding). Painted chalkboard: stick chalk, liquid chalk only if the brand says so. Derived from writing_surface, which is researched, so unknown while that is.

### Fire rating

The board's surface-burning class, which building and fire codes assign from ASTM E84 tunnel-test results: Class A is a flame-spread index of 0 to 25, Class B 26 to 75, Class C 76 to 200. Every class also caps the smoke-developed index at 450. Institutional specs set it for writing and pin boards alike: Texas Tech requires Class A for all display surfaces, and Ohio and Magna require flame spread of 25 or less. RPS says schools and hospitals need Class A, but Hutton says it depends on the area and sprinklers can lower it, and Ohio and Saint Paul accept natural cork. Natural cork is not Class A; rated fabric or vinyl over a fire-retardant core is. Consumer brands seldom state a class. [10] [11] [14] [15] [12] [7] [13] [31] [32]

Values: Class A, Class B, Class C, not stated.
Question to ask: Does a school or hospital spec set a fire class?

Used as: filter. Data: needs research, backfill cost medium. Look for it as: Not in Quartet's consumer spec table. Institutional makers print it in their specification sections and catalogs.
A yes means ask which class the spec names, then filter to it; if the buyer does not know, show each board's class and flag the ones that state none rather than emptying the set. Backfill only the institutional range, writing and pin boards both, from spec sheets; store not stated for the rest.
Chart: Fire class scale.

### Enclosed

Whether the board sits behind a hinged, lockable glass or acrylic door. An enclosed board keeps posted notices from being moved or taken, which is why it is used for legal and safety postings. Texas Tech's design standards require lockable glass doors on bulletin boards in public areas. Outdoor versions add weather seals and tempered glass. [15] [12]

Question to ask: Behind a locking glass door, or open?

Used as: filter. Data: needs research, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Titles say enclosed or locking; Quartet files these under Enclosed Boards.
Title word match.

### Surface warranty

How many years the maker guarantees the writing face against losing its erasability, crazing, cracking or flaking. Within one brand it is the cleanest published proxy for surface grade, because makers warrant the face. Quartet gives 3 years on coated melamine, 5 on painted steel, 25 on one glass board and lifetime on porcelain. Magna gives 1 or 15 years on its two steel grades and 50 on porcelain; Ghent gives 50 on porcelain and 10 on non-magnetic boards. Across brands the ladder breaks: Ghent's non-magnetic board outlasts Magna's standard steel. [4] [3] [2] [5] [1] [7] [8] [9]

Range: 1 to 50 years. Quartet's coated melamine 3 years; painted steel 1 to 15 (Magna, Quartet); glass 15 to 25 or lifetime (Quartet); porcelain 50 (Magna, Ghent) or lifetime (Quartet, Platinum).

Used as: shown on the card, sortable. Data: needs research, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Quartet's spec table has a Warranty row and repeats it in the bullets. Institutional makers state it in their catalogs and specification sections.
Store lifetime as its own flag rather than a number. Where the maker states no warranty, store unknown; never impute one from the surface.
Chart: Surface ladder.

### Pin surface

The material you push pins into: natural cork, coloured cork, fabric or vinyl over a core, recycled rubber, or foam. Natural cork is springy and self-healing, so pin holes close, but it crumbles in damp rooms and is not Class A for fire; Hutton puts it at Class B at best. Coloured cork, a linoleum-like sheet of cork, linseed oil and rosin, is self-healing and coloured through. Fabric or vinyl over a fibreboard or fibreglass core looks tidier and is the route to Class A. Recycled rubber suits rough, humid spaces. [6] [9] [15] [14] [10] [22]

Values: natural cork, coloured cork, fabric-covered, vinyl-covered, recycled rubber, foam.
Question to ask: Natural cork, or a fabric or vinyl face?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: needs research, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Quartet's spec table names it under Surface Type (Cork). Titles say cork, fabric or linen; the core behind a fabric face is only on spec sheets.
Title words settle the face. Leave the core unknown unless the board claims a fire rating.

### Writing surface

The material of the writing face: melamine, painted steel, porcelain steel, glass, or a chalkboard face. It is the whiteboard quality axis. Porosity decides how soon a board ghosts: melamine is the most porous, painted steel less, porcelain steel and glass essentially not at all. Ghent says porcelain resists scratches, and Displays2Go says glass takes wet-erase and liquid chalk markers. Ohio's school manual names porcelain, and Magna and Ghent warrant it for 50 years. Chalkboards run the same ladder from painted board through porcelain to slate. [1] [16] [25] [24] [19] [7] [8] [4] [3] [2] [10]

Values: melamine, painted steel, porcelain steel, glass, painted chalkboard, porcelain chalkboard, slate.

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: needs research, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Quartet's spec table names it under Surface Type. Titles name porcelain and glass because they sell on it; melamine boards often say only dry-erase board.
Take the brand's Surface Type row or a surface named in the title. Never infer melamine from a missing magnetic word, since titles often omit it. Brand names map too: Quartet Nano-Clean is painted steel and DuraMax porcelain; Total Erase is a coating Quartet puts on both melamine and painted steel. Otherwise store unknown.
Chart: Surface ladder.

### Weight

The board's weight, which sets what the wall fixings must hold. Steel and glass make boards heavy. Quartet's 48 × 36 in porcelain board weighs 28 lb and its 74 × 42 in glass board 79 lb, against 7 lb for a 36 × 24 in melamine board. Quartet tells buyers to mount porcelain somewhere sturdy with more than one person, and MyBinding says two people for anything over 24 × 36 in and stud fixings for heavy boards. [2] [5] [4] [1] [20]


Used as: shown on the card. Data: needs research, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Quartet's spec table has a Weight row. Where a listing gives only a shipping weight, which includes the box, flag it as such.
Take product weight from the brand page; flag shipping weight as such.

### Projection finish

A low-gloss white writing face made to double as a projector screen. School design standards ask for a low-glare or reduced-gloss face wherever a projector will be used, with no seams and no cork strip across the image. Ghent sells a low-luster porcelain for this. MyBinding rates ordinary white painted steel and porcelain as adequate for informal projection and a real screen as better. [10] [11] [8] [16]

Question to ask: Will a projector shine on it?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: needs research, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Brand pages and titles say projection, low-glare or low-luster.
Title word match; default to no.

### Cork thickness

How thick the cork layer is, separate from the board or backing behind it. Thicker cork grips pins harder and lasts longer under daily pinning. Saint Paul's school standard calls for 1/4 in natural cork, RPS sells 1/4 and 1/2 in, and rated vinyl or fabric faces sit on 1/8 in cork (Platinum, Aarco). MyBinding's cork guide calls 1/4 to 3/8 in adequate for moderate office use and 1/2 to 1 in for heavy pinning, but the same page sets 1/2 in as a minimum. [11] [9] [13] [15] [18]

Range: 0.125 to 0.5 in. 1/8 in under vinyl or fabric faces; 1/4 in solid cork on school specifications; 1/4 or 1/2 in on commercial boards. MyBinding alone names up to 1 in.

Used as: shown on the card, sortable. Data: needs research, backfill cost medium. Look for it as: Not in Quartet's spec table. On commercial spec sheets as the face sheet thickness.
Backfill the top N pin boards from brand spec sheets; record unknown rather than guessing from the board's overall thickness.

## Numbers worth computing

| Metric | Formula | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Weight per square foot (lb/ft²) | `weight_lb / (width_in × height_in / 144), with width and height parsed from board_size` | It compares boards of different sizes on what the wall must hold. Quartet's own figures give about 1.2 for melamine, 1.3 for cork, 1.5 for painted steel, 2.3 for porcelain and 3.7 for one framed glass board. [4] [6] [3] [2] [5] |

## What you give up

- Porcelain steel and glass stay clean for decades but are the heaviest and dearest boards. Melamine is light and cheap but ghosts as ink soaks in. [1] [16] [2] [4] Board branch: "See more light-use boards".
- Glass erases as cleanly as porcelain and looks sleeker, but takes magnets only when steel-backed and then only high-powered ones. Quartet's glass warranties run from 15 years to lifetime, so warranty does not reliably favour porcelain. [1] [5] [2] [17] Board branch: "See more porcelain boards".
- Natural cork is self-healing and cheap but is not Class A and crumbles in damp rooms. Rated fabric or vinyl over a fire-retardant core reaches Class A where a project requires it. [14] [15] Board branch: "See more fire-rated boards".

## How to draw it

**Surface ladder** (scale, shows Writing surface, Use frequency, Surface warranty). One line from melamine through painted steel to porcelain and glass, with use bands under it and warranty years on each rung. A buyer sees which tier their use needs and what the next tier up buys. Used today by Quartet's buyer's guide and MyBinding, which rank surfaces in this order and tie each to a use level; Ghent puts porcelain above its steel and non-magnetic boards but has no painted-steel rung. Drawing it as one scale is our proposal. [1] [8] [16]

**Fire class scale** (scale, shows Fire rating, Pin surface). The ASTM E84 flame-spread index from 0 to 200 with the A, B and C bands, and pin materials placed on it. It shows at a glance why natural cork fails where a project requires Class A. Used today by The class bands are the test's own; placing materials on them follows tackboard dealers' fire pages.. [14] [15] [10]

## Words you will meet

- **Ghosting**. Faint marks of old writing that stay on a whiteboard after you erase it.
- **Melamine**. A resin-soaked paper laminated over particleboard or MDF, the cheapest whiteboard face.
- **Painted steel**. A steel sheet with a baked white coating, which writes well and takes magnets.
- **Porcelain steel**. Powdered glass fired onto a steel sheet in a kiln; also sold as ceramic steel or vitreous enamel.
- **Tempered glass**. Heat-strengthened glass, which glass board makers use for safety.
- **Rare-earth magnet**. A small, very strong magnet, needed to hold paper through a glass board.
- **Wet-erase marker**. A marker that needs a damp cloth to remove, used on glass and other non-porous faces.
- **Liquid chalk marker**. A pen filled with water-based chalk ink that wipes off with a damp cloth.
- **Seasoning**. Rubbing the side of a stick of chalk over a new painted chalkboard and erasing it, so first writing does not ghost.
- **Self-healing cork**. Cork that springs back to close a pin hole when the pin comes out.
- **Tackboard**. The trade name for a pin board, usually cork, fabric or vinyl over a core.
- **Combination board**. One frame holding a writing surface and a pin surface side by side.
- **ASTM E84**. The US tunnel test that measures how fast flame spreads across a building surface and how much smoke it gives off.
- **Flame-spread index**. The score ASTM E84 gives a surface for how far flame travels across it; codes call 25 or less Class A.
- **Map rail**. A narrow cork strip along the top of a board for hanging maps and papers.
- **Foam board**. A light sheet of polystyrene foam faced with paper on both sides, used for mounting and project displays.

## Where we made a call

- How hard a board will be used is the best novice question for choosing its writing surface. (confidence medium). Sources disagree. Quartet's guide and MyBinding map light, moderate and heavy use to melamine, painted steel, and porcelain or glass. Ghent files porcelain as everyday use with no painted-steel rung, and Quartet rates its melamine and painted-steel boards both Moderate. [1] [8] [16] [2] [4] [3]
- Surface warranty length is a good proxy for writing-surface grade within one brand, not across brands. (confidence medium). Warranties climb the ladder within Quartet, Magna and Ghent. Across brands they do not: Ghent's 10-year non-magnetic board beats Magna's 1-year and Quartet's 5-year steel, and Quartet's 3-year coated melamine beats Magna's steel. Ours. [4] [3] [7] [8]
- Natural cork does not reach ASTM E84 Class A; whether a board must be Class A depends on where it goes and on sprinklers. (confidence medium). Sources disagree. Hutton and RPS agree natural cork is not Class A; only Hutton says no cork is. RPS and Texas Tech require Class A, but Ohio and Saint Paul accept natural cork and Hutton says sprinklers may lower the class. Building code unread. [14] [15] [10] [11] [12]
- Steel-backed glass boards need high-powered magnets, which CPSC warns can injure a child who swallows two. (confidence medium). A chain of two sourced facts: Quartet says magnetic glass needs rare-earth magnets; CPSC says swallowed high-powered magnets attract internally and many incidents needed surgery. The CPSC page does not mention boards; the link is ours. [1] [30]
- Quartet's guide calls porcelain boards heavier than glass, but its own spec pages give glass more weight per square foot. (confidence low). Sources disagree. Porcelain 48 × 36 in at 28 lb is 2.3 lb/ft²; framed glass 74 × 42 in at 79 lb is 3.7. One product each, and frameless glass may be lighter, so we use stated weights rather than either rule. [1] [2] [5]
- Large boards should be hung by two people into studs or a rail, not into drywall anchors alone. (confidence medium). Maker and dealer guidance, not a standard: we found no product standard for board mounting. Quartet says use more than one person for porcelain; MyBinding sets the line at 24 × 36 in for both people and studs. [1] [20] [18]
- Published service lives for melamine boards are seller estimates and should not be shown as facts. (confidence medium). Sources disagree. MyBinding gives 2 to 5 years in one article and 2 to 7 in another; neither cites a test. We show warranty years instead. [16] [17]

## References

1. [Quartet: The Difference Between Whiteboard Surface Types](https://www.quartet.com/quartet-blog/buyers-guide/the-difference-between-whiteboard-surface-types/) (primer). Supports: Melamine for occasional use, painted steel moderate, porcelain for busy rooms and schools; Melamine is non-magnetic; magnetic glass needs rare earth magnets; Glass warranties 15 years to lifetime; Porcelain is heavy; mount with more than one person.
2. [Quartet Classic DuraMax Porcelain Dry-Erase Board, 48 x 36 in (spec table)](https://www.quartet.com/p/dry-erase-boards/whiteboards/classic-duramax-porcelain-dry-erase-boards/) (spec sheet). Supports: Porcelain, magnetic, lifetime warranty, Use Frequency Heavy; Weight 28 lb at 48 x 36 in; Placement Wall.
3. [Quartet Classic Nano-Clean Dry-Erase Board, 36 x 24 in (spec table)](https://www.quartet.com/p/dry-erase-boards/whiteboards/classic-nano-clean-dry-erase-boards/) (spec sheet). Supports: Painted steel, magnetic, 5-year warranty, 9 lb at 36 x 24 in; Use Frequency Moderate.
4. [Quartet Classic Total Erase Dry-Erase Board, 36 x 24 in (spec table)](https://www.quartet.com/p/dry-erase-boards/whiteboards/classic-total-erase-dry-erase-boards/) (spec sheet). Supports: Melamine, not magnetic, 3-year warranty, Use Frequency Moderate; 7 lb at 36 x 24 in.
5. [Quartet Element Framed Magnetic Glass Dry-Erase Board, 74 x 42 in (spec table)](https://www.quartet.com/p/dry-erase-boards/glass-boards/element-framed-magnetic-glass-whiteboards/) (spec sheet). Supports: Tempered, steel-backed glass needing high powered magnets; 25-year warranty, 79 lb at 74 x 42 in.
6. [Quartet Classic Cork Bulletin Board, Aluminum Frame, 48 x 36 in (spec table)](https://www.quartet.com/p/bulletin-boards/cork-boards/classic-cork-bulletin-boards-aluminum-frame/) (spec sheet). Supports: Natural cork is self-healing; not magnetic; 15 lb at 48 x 36 in; 5-year warranty; Use Frequency Moderate.
7. [Magna Visual master specification, Section 10 11 00 Visual Display Units (2023)](https://magnavisual.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Magna-Visual-Master-Spec.-2023.pdf) (spec sheet). Supports: Warranty 50 years porcelain, 1 year standard steel, 15 years premium steel; ASTM E84 flame spread 25 or less.
8. [Ghent Whiteboard Catalog](https://ghentwebsite.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/Literature/Whiteboard+Catalog.pdf) (spec sheet). Supports: Porcelain for everyday use in classrooms; hygienic porcelain high-traffic; non-magnetic occasional; 50-year porcelain warranty, 10 years non-magnetic and mobile; Porcelain sizes 2 x 3 to 4 x 12 ft; low-luster projection porcelain.
9. [Platinum Visual Systems, Section 10 11 00 Visual Display Boards (ARCAT)](https://www.arcat.com/sdspecs/htm04/10_11_00pvs.htm) (spec sheet). Supports: Porcelain warranty lifetime of the building; tackboards ten years; Coloured cork is 1/4 in, self-healing, colour through the thickness.
10. [Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, Ohio School Design Manual, Section 10 11 00 (2024)](https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/ofcc.ohio.gov/OSDM/Files/10_11_00-visual_display_units.pdf) (regulator). Supports: ASTM E84 flame spread 25 or less, smoke developed 450 or less; Porcelain face, optional low-glare for projection; Tack faces: natural cork, plastic-impregnated cork, vinyl-faced fiberboard, under the same flame-spread rule.
11. [Saint Paul Public Schools Design Standards, Visual Display Surfaces 10 11 00 (2023)](https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1708981768/sppsorg/ys3jffojk9paobpewzj3/10_11_00_Visual_Display_Surfaces-2023.pdf) (other). Supports: 1/4 in natural cork laminated to 3/8 in fiberboard, with no fire class stated; Low-gloss face, no seams, no cork rail on projection boards; Boards 4 ft high typical.
12. [Texas Tech University System, Design and Construction Standards, Division 10 (rev. December 2023)](https://www.texastech.edu/fpc/division_10_specialties.pdf) (other). Supports: Visual display surfaces Class A fire-rated to ASTM E84; Lockable glass doors on public-area bulletin boards.
13. [Aarco Products, Section 10 11 00 Visual Display Surfaces](https://blackboardcaseworkdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Aarco-Visual-Display-spec.pdf) (spec sheet). Supports: Vinyl fabric on 1/8 in cork, flame spread 15 or less to ASTM E84.
14. [A. Hutton: Fire Ratings of Tackable Wall Coverings](https://www.ahutton.com/cork/fire-rating.htm) (other). Supports: Class A 0 to 25, B 26 to 75, C 76 to 200; There is no cork that is Class A; coloured cork is Class B; Required class depends on area; sprinklers may lower it.
15. [RPS Building Specialties: Tackboards and Bulletin Boards](https://rampartitions.com/tackboards-bulletin-boards/) (other). Supports: Class A required in healthcare, education, assembly; FSI 25, SDI 450; Natural cork does not meet Class A and crumbles in humidity; Cork 1/4 or 1/2 in; enclosed boards for controlled postings; Rubber tackboards for high-traffic spaces.
16. [MyBinding: What Should I Look for in a Whiteboard?](https://www.mybinding.com/a/knowledge-base/whiteboards/what-should-i-look-for-in-a-whiteboard) (other). Supports: Melamine light use, painted steel daily, porcelain heavy; Melamine boards are not magnetic; White steel and porcelain adequate for informal projection.
17. [MyBinding: Porcelain vs. Melamine Whiteboards](https://www.mybinding.com/a/knowledge-base/whiteboards/what-is-the-difference-between-porcelain-and-melamine-whiteboards) (other). Supports: Melamine service life given as 2 to 7 years, without a test; Glass and porcelain erase alike; porcelain resists impact better; Melamine magnetic capability listed as varies.
18. [MyBinding: What Are My Options for Cork Boards?](https://www.mybinding.com/a/knowledge-base/bulletin-boards/what-are-my-options-for-cork-boards) (other). Supports: Cork 1/4 to 3/8 in for moderate use, 1/2 to 1 in for heavy pinning; Same page also sets 1/2 in as a minimum; Anchor boards over 24 x 36 in into studs.
19. [MyBinding: What Are Some Good Chalkboards?](https://www.mybinding.com/a/knowledge-base/chalkboards/what-are-some-good-chalkboards) (other). Supports: Chalkboard faces: slate, porcelain, painted; Porcelain and slate take most liquid chalk; painted varies; Painted boards need seasoning.
20. [MyBinding: How to Install and Mount a Ghent Whiteboard](https://www.mybinding.com/a/knowledge-base/whiteboards/how-to-install-and-mount-a-ghent-whiteboard) (other). Supports: Two people for boards over 24 x 36 in; stud or rail fixings; Mobile stands where walls cannot take the load.
21. [MyBinding: What Are Some of My Options for a Board?](https://www.mybinding.com/a/knowledge-base/boards/what-are-some-of-my-options-for-a-board) (other). Supports: Boards fall into writing, pinning and combination boards.
22. [MyBinding: How Do I Choose Between a Bulletin Board or Tack Board?](https://www.mybinding.com/a/knowledge-base/boards/how-do-i-choose-between-a-bulletin-board-or-tack-board) (other). Supports: Fabric, felt or foam faces versus harder cork or Homasote faces.
23. [Displays2Go: The Difference Between Porcelain, Melamine & Glass Whiteboards](https://www.displays2go.com/Guide/The-Difference-Between-Porcelain-Melamine-Glass-Whiteboards-4) (retail listing). Supports: Glass takes liquid chalk, dry-erase and wet-erase markers; Glass boards are tempered; floor-standing glass boards on wheels; Titles carry size, e.g. 96 x 48.
24. [HPM Material: Melamine vs Lacquered Steel vs Porcelain Whiteboard Surface Guide](https://hpmaterial.com/melamine-vs-lacquered-steel-vs-porcelain-whiteboard/) (other). Supports: Porosity order: melamine most, lacquered steel less, porcelain essentially none.
25. [Wikipedia: Whiteboard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiteboard) (primer). Supports: Melamine is resin-infused paper over particleboard or MDF; Glass boards are tempered; adhesive whiteboard sheets exist.
26. [Wikipedia: Marker pen (whiteboard and wet-erase markers)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiteboard_marker) (primer). Supports: Dry-erase ink is made for slick, non-porous surfaces; Wet-erase markers are for non-porous surfaces.
27. [Wikipedia: Vitreous enamel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitreous_enamel) (primer). Supports: Enamel is powdered glass fused to a substrate by firing at 750 to 850 °C.
28. [Wikipedia: Bulletin board](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulletin_board) (primer). Supports: Combination bulletin boards pair a pinboard with a writing surface; Magnetic boards are a popular substitute for cork boards.
29. [Wikipedia: Foamcore](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foamcore) (primer). Supports: Polystyrene foam faced with paper on both sides.
30. [US CPSC: High-Powered Magnets and Ingestion Hazards](https://www.cpsc.gov/Safety-Education/Safety-Education-Centers/Magnets) (regulator). Supports: Swallowed magnets attract internally; many incidents needed surgery.
31. [Starc Systems: ASTM E84 Explained: Flame Spread, Class A Ratings & Construction Requirements (2026)](https://starcsystems.com/blog/astm-e-84-fire-rating-your-questions-answered/) (other). Supports: Class B is flame spread 26 to 75, Class C 76 to 200.
32. [Wikipedia: Flame spread](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flame_spread) (primer). Supports: NFPA 101 and IBC 803.1 set classes A, B and C from E84 flame spread; Smoke-developed index cannot exceed 450 in any class.