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I'm in the process of redoing my home office. I work from home and do a lot of brainstorming/design work so I'm wanting to put floor to ceiling dry erase boards along 2 walls. I've decided on these melamine panels (http://m.homedepot.com/p/EUCATILE-32-sq-ft-96-in-x-48-in-Hardboard-Thrifty-White-Tile-Board-HDDPTW48/205995949) but I don't really want to just glue them over the existing gypsum drywall.

This room will be an office for as long as I own the home but in the event I move, I would like to not create a nightmare for the new owners by attaching these with construction adhesive.

Without putting screws every few inches or fully framing these (would look terrible), are there any other mounting solutions that will keep these on the wall without sagging/ buckling?

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Why not use a French cleat?

french cleat

(link and image from Wikipedia)

One half could be glued or screwed to the back of the panel near the top, the other half screwed to the wall using toggles or other anchors. Only a few would be needed.

To add rigidity to the panels and eliminate bowing, additional plain strips could be glued horizontally to the middle and bottom of the panels.

If you are concerned about dislodging the panels or if they lean away from the wall at the bottom, you could pin them down with one or two screws at the bottom into light duty anchors (or toggles).

Removal and repair would be very quick and simple.

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  • Pretty sure this would allow flexing in the surface while trying to write on it unless you did kinda a reverse cleat where the entire back was supported with plywood except for the area that attaches to the wall. Not a bad idea since I'm already considering supporting the back with ply but doesn't gain anything either since I would still have a top gap that needs to be hidden with trim.
    – kinar
    Aug 4, 2016 at 12:01
  • @kinar Using two cleats (supporting upper and lower board so that it's stable) would require precise placement (it's kinda tricky to get them at just the right space), but cleats are a good idea. +bib
    – Ben Welborn
    Aug 4, 2016 at 12:33
  • You could frame the back out a bit with vertical strips on the edges and the middle as well, reducing flex. The advantage is much lighter weight than a solid plywood backing.
    – bib
    Aug 4, 2016 at 12:48
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Yes, don't glue them. That would make a mess. Use drywall anchors. That's what spackle is for. Anchors like the one's shown below are very strong. You should use one in each corner of the dry earse board.

enter image description here

If you don't have a hanger on the board, then use whiteboard mounting clips.

enter image description here

An alternative option would be to use a track system:

enter image description here

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  • I don't think this answer applies to 4x8 ft panels. I currently already have a 2x4 ft piece of the panel screwed to the wall using one screw in each corner and it bows in the middle. I can only assume a panel 4x that size will need far more screws which becomes unsightly as well as less useful as a dry erase board.
    – kinar
    Aug 3, 2016 at 21:56
  • @kinar yeah I'm familiar with whiteboards twisting and bowing. I happen to have an 8' panel. It's hung horizontally though (from the top) but it only has a slight bow. You could glue the whiteboard to a sheet of heavy plywood, but that would add a lot of weight.
    – Ben Welborn
    Aug 3, 2016 at 22:03
  • Adding plywood support behind is a pretty good idea actually. I'm thinking that leaving a 1in strip of bare plywood (covered by trim/moulding) on the top/bottom that can be secured to the wall framing/studs. If you want to add that to the answer above, I'll accept this.
    – kinar
    Aug 3, 2016 at 22:27
  • @kinar well, that's more your idea... but I'm glad if I helped you figure it out. :)
    – Ben Welborn
    Aug 3, 2016 at 22:30
  • @kinar Actually, I would be equally concerned about the plywood warping. And, if you mount the plywood first, so that you can secure the middle with nails, and then glue the whiteboard to it, you will have difficulty taking it off.
    – Ben Welborn
    Aug 3, 2016 at 22:37
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I ended up just using finishing nails (applied using an pneumatic nailer) every foot along the edges and then additional as needed (about every 18-24in) to address bowing in the middle. Since they are small head nails and applied with a nail gun, they are barely visible.

Seams between boards are covered with melamine iron-on strips and the edges are covered with moulding.

Hopefully it will withstand the test of time but if not, then I guess I'll redo it.

For anyone else coming along later, I'm accepting this answer because it's what I did. However, please consider the information in the other answers as well. They are all good answers but just didn't apply to me.

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