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Chalkboard paint and Vinyl?

ashleighfiddler

New Member
hey all! Hoping someone can give me some advice based on experience: I'm designing a menu board set for a customer who wants a functional chalkboard. I'm leaning toward using a Rustoleum latex chalkboard paint and applying vinyl/digital prints first surface. Does anyone know if there would be an problems with the vinyl sticking/peeling? I'm hoping no, since it's a latex paint? Also would appreciate thoughts/feedback on a better/best way to do this type of application.

thanks!
 

Gino

Premium Subscriber
Don't know about Texas, but just about anywhere, USA you are not permitted to use chalk boards in establishments which either sell or make food in any forms. Grocery stores, restaurants, bakeries, deli's.... you name it, it's been outlawed, at least here in the east. We do several chains which cover several states here in the east...... and all have been converted in the last few years. We haven't used our slate paint in over five years for food items.

Dry erase and those fancy pens with the glow lights is all that we use.
 

fresh

New Member
hey all! Hoping someone can give me some advice based on experience: I'm designing a menu board set for a customer who wants a functional chalkboard. I'm leaning toward using a Rustoleum latex chalkboard paint and applying vinyl/digital prints first surface. Does anyone know if there would be an problems with the vinyl sticking/peeling? I'm hoping no, since it's a latex paint? Also would appreciate thoughts/feedback on a better/best way to do this type of application.

thanks!

We used the rustoleum on dibond for a sandwich board sign. After two years, i have to say its not holding up as well as I had hoped. I think the edges are beginning to flake, but I haven't actually seen it yet. We've also used R-Tape's Chalk Talk vinyl, and we like that better. Then only thing is it works much better with the chalk paint markers, not regular chalk.

And now that I'm thinking about it, we did another large menu that was a combo of rustoleum chalkboard paint, and cut vinyl. I'm pretty sure that one is still in excellent shape, but that is because they don't change it much.

So, to summarize, if the client is going to be changing the info regularly, I would not recommend Rustoleum. I do not think it can stand up to daily washing / info changes.
 

fresh

New Member
Don't know about Texas, but just about anywhere, USA you are not permitted to use chalk boards in establishments which either sell or make food in any forms. Grocery stores, restaurants, bakeries, deli's.... you name it, it's been outlawed, at least here in the east. We do several chains which cover several states here in the east...... and all have been converted in the last few years. We haven't used our slate paint in over five years for food items.

Dry erase and those fancy pens with the glow lights is all that we use.

Really?!? I've never heard of that.
 

ashleighfiddler

New Member
Don't know about Texas, but just about anywhere, USA you are not permitted to use chalk boards in establishments which either sell or make food in any forms. Grocery stores, restaurants, bakeries, deli's.... you name it, it's been outlawed, at least here in the east. We do several chains which cover several states here in the east...... and all have been converted in the last few years. We haven't used our slate paint in over five years for food items.

Dry erase and those fancy pens with the glow lights is all that we use.

I'd not heard this either! Our customer is opening a new store, and their existing location has used the chalkboard menus forever and they want to duplicate the look. I'll throw this out to my sales team- better safe than sorry.

thanks all for the replies and feedback- this customer won't be changing the pricing that frequently so it sounds like the cut vinyl / rustoleum will be a good solution, as long as it's legal! LOL!
 

J Hill Designs

New Member
hey all! Hoping someone can give me some advice based on experience: I'm designing a menu board set for a customer who wants a functional chalkboard. I'm leaning toward using a Rustoleum latex chalkboard paint and applying vinyl/digital prints first surface. Does anyone know if there would be an problems with the vinyl sticking/peeling? I'm hoping no, since it's a latex paint? Also would appreciate thoughts/feedback on a better/best way to do this type of application.

thanks!

since its latex, and extra flat finish, I would say yes you will have issues with graphics sticking first surface.

you can lay the graphics on your board, make a paint mask to cover, then paint with c/b paints and remove mask
 

Jillbeans

New Member
^ this is exactly what I would suggest.
Vinyl is not gonna stick to the chalkboard paint.
When I do chalkboards, I use a paint mask, lay that down first, lightly Scotchbrite my surface (I usually use factory-finished MDO), wipe clean with 91% alcohol, then apply a few coats of chalkboard paint.
(I use the stuff from Lowe's)
Then I peel up my masking and paint in the lettering.
But you could also apply your lettering over top the masked areas. I would cut the mask with just a slightly bigger contour.
Love....Jill
 

fresh

New Member
^ this is exactly what I would suggest.
Vinyl is not gonna stick to the chalkboard paint.
When I do chalkboards, I use a paint mask, lay that down first, lightly Scotchbrite my surface (I usually use factory-finished MDO), wipe clean with 91% alcohol, then apply a few coats of chalkboard paint.
(I use the stuff from Lowe's)
Then I peel up my masking and paint in the lettering.
But you could also apply your lettering over top the masked areas. I would cut the mask with just a slightly bigger contour.
Love....Jill

We did a sign with cut vinyl over the chalkboard paint. It worked out fine. But I don't think they clean it much :)
 

Gino

Premium Subscriber
Really?!? I've never heard of that.

I'd not heard this either! Our customer is opening a new store, and their existing location has used the chalkboard menus forever and they want to duplicate the look. I'll throw this out to my sales team- better safe than sorry.

thanks all for the replies and feedback- this customer won't be changing the pricing that frequently so it sounds like the cut vinyl / rustoleum will be a good solution, as long as it's legal! LOL!


This was not my find, but one of the chains we do work. They were actually sought out due to this process. Apparently, many places were told to stop this process. Perhaps smaller places just don't pay attention to the laws, if they aren't caught.

They requested all future signs where we had been using chalk boards [paint] had to be immediately stopped and use a new method which does not leave any airborne dust or drippings allowed to float into customers food in any possible way. There are some areas still permitted, but all of our customers just stopped it 100% to be safe.

It seems the chalk, when an eraser is used or while writing on a board, can leave enough residue that over a period of time, it can hurt humans if it falls into work areas. Placing the menu boards or specials boards elsewhere won't cut it. It has to be completely removed.
 

fresh

New Member
This was not my find, but one of the chains we do work. They were actually sought out due to this process. Apparently, many places were told to stop this process. Perhaps smaller places just don't pay attention to the laws, if they aren't caught.

They requested all future signs where we had been using chalk boards [paint] had to be immediately stopped and use a new method which does not leave any airborne dust or drippings allowed to float into customers food in any possible way. There are some areas still permitted, but all of our customers just stopped it 100% to be safe.

It seems the chalk, when an eraser is used or while writing on a board, can leave enough residue that over a period of time, it can hurt humans if it falls into work areas. Placing the menu boards or specials boards elsewhere won't cut it. It has to be completely removed.

You know why this is just a bunch of BS? (I'm just talking about the regulation of chalk, not your statement.) Um, I'm pretty sure we all ate lunch at our desks in elementary school, where there was tons of "airborne chalk particles" floating about. Also, chalk is calcium carbonate, a mineral that is often added to food. Arg. what is our world coming to?
 

JBusch260

New Member
You know why this is just a bunch of BS? (I'm just talking about the regulation of chalk, not your statement.) Um, I'm pretty sure we all ate lunch at our desks in elementary school, where there was tons of "airborne chalk particles" floating about. Also, chalk is calcium carbonate, a mineral that is often added to food. Arg. what is our world coming to?

It's the same world where pizza is now considered a vegetable for school lunches. :banghead:
 

Gino

Premium Subscriber
You know why this is just a bunch of BS? (I'm just talking about the regulation of chalk, not your statement.) Um, I'm pretty sure we all ate lunch at our desks in elementary school, where there was tons of "airborne chalk particles" floating about. Also, chalk is calcium carbonate, a mineral that is often added to food. Arg. what is our world coming to?


BS or not, I hafta obey the laws regardless of whose side they favor.

I know kids who ate the white glue like candy and when we were kids in cub scouts, we made swords and shields out of wood, while our helmets were made of 5 gal ice cream cartons..... so who thought ahead on that one ?? I saw a kid get his head split open by another kid and no one was at fault. They just said kids will be kids.

Actually, the chalk of yesteryear and today are different. Also, we used slateboards in my time, not some chemical compound of solvents made to dry into a type of simulated slate. While I wouldn't want chalk in my soup or drink, when clapping erasers together after school, it never seemed to bother anyone..... except the teacher when she found you slamming them against the wall. :rolleyes:
 
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