Whiteboard Surfaces Compared: Porcelain Enamel vs Tempered Glass vs Painted Steel

Three surfaces cover almost every commercial writing surface spec: porcelain enamel over steel, tempered glass, and painted steel. On a finish schedule they look interchangeable. Eight years into daily use they are not. Here is what separates them, and what we actually list.

Porcelain enamel

Porcelain is the institutional default, and the manufacturers are direct about why. ASI says its porcelain writing surfaces "will not scratch or stain for as long as it is in use" and that porcelain is "scratch, chemical, and fire resistant" and "will not release toxic fumes in the event of fire." Ghent describes porcelain as non-porous and says its boards "won't stain or ghost, even if you use them all day, every day."

The steel behind the porcelain is the other half of the value. ASI lists its porcelain surfaces as accepting magnets, and Ghent specifies its porcelain board as laminated to 28 gauge steel, so the whole writing area doubles as the place schedules, student work, and shop drawings get hung.

We list 51 ASI porcelain markerboards, from $134.79 for a 2 ft. x 3 ft. Series 9800 board to $918.00 for a 4 ft. x 12 ft. Series 9300. Standard finish is low gloss white. One trap in the ASI line: the ultra matte porcelain in green and black is a chalk surface. ASI's note on the Series 9800 page is that high and low gloss boards are "to be used with dry-erase markers" and "Ultra matte porcelain for use with chalk."

Frame is a separate decision from surface. Series 9800 is a 3/4 in. exposed frame for direct-to-wall installation, Series 9100 is a 9/32 in. clear anodized aluminum trim in square or radius corner, and Series 9300 is a heavier 1-1/2 in. face that stands 1/4 in. off the writing surface.

Tempered glass

ASI glass markerboards are 1/4 in. tempered, low-iron UltraClear glass in standard white (6529), mounted either on edge grips with stand-offs that hold the panel off the finished wall or on a hidden Z-bracket with no visible hardware. Glass is non-porous, so like porcelain it does not ghost.

Two line items drive the price. Glass is not magnetic unless you pay for the steel backer: in our listing a 4 ft. x 6 ft. non-magnetic board on edge grips is $678.19, and the same size with the magnetic backer is $1,044.90. Concealed mounting adds more again. Across the 20 glass boards we list, prices run $434.71 to $2,378.19.

Size is the real constraint. Our glass listings stop at 4 ft. x 10 ft. ASI publishes glass sizes up to 60 in. x 144 in. with custom sizes on request, so a longer glass wall is a quote rather than a cart.

Painted steel

Painted steel is the economy magnetic board, and we do not list it. ASI's writing surfaces are porcelain and glass, so there is no painted steel board in our catalog.

It is still worth knowing what you are looking at when a competing bid comes back cheaper. Ghent describes painted steel as "an acrylic enamel surface that is softer than porcelain enamel, so while it fights staining and ghosting, it could scratch if it comes in contact with an abrasive metal," and its own conclusion is that "if you are expecting some serious whiteboard use and abuse, porcelain is the better bet." Ghent's published warranty schedule puts a number on the gap: 50 years on a wall mounted porcelain whiteboard, 20 years on wall mounted painted steel, and 10 years on a wall mounted non-magnetic board.

Side by side

Warranty follows the manufacturer, not the material

This is where buyers get surprised. ASI warrants its porcelain writing surface for the life of the building but its glass markerboards for five years, while Ghent publishes 50 years on both porcelain and glassboard. Read the warranty for the brand you are actually buying. ASI's terms also exclude vandalism, improper installation, and improper cleaning or maintenance, and cover no labor or expenses for the repair.

Lead times and freight

Boards are mostly made to order. Of the 78 ASI boards we list, 64 state "usually ships in 12 to 15 business days," 12 stock sizes are on ASI's quick ship program at 2 business days, and two magnetic hidden Z-bracket glass boards state 5 business days. Every board ships by freight, quoted when you order, and boards are not included in free shipping. Check the lead time on the board's own page before you promise a date.

What to spec

• Classroom or training room: porcelain. It takes daily use, takes magnets, and carries the longest surface warranty of the three. A 4 ft. x 6 ft. is $320.57 in our listing against $678.19 for non-magnetic glass.
• Conference room, lobby, or executive floor: glass on a hidden Z-bracket. You are buying the look, so settle the magnet question before you price it.
• Clinical space: porcelain in low gloss white. ASI calls porcelain chemical resistant, which is what matters on a wall that gets wiped down all shift. We are not going to tell you a writing surface changes infection outcomes, because we have no study to cite.
• Tight budget: porcelain in a smaller size beats painted steel in a larger one. Our porcelain starts at $134.79.
• Anything that gets pinned: put a cork tackboard next to the writing surface in the matching Series 9800 frame, from $94.11. ASI warrants natural cork for one year, so treat it as the wearing surface on that wall.

Send us the room list with sizes, frame series, and finish, and we will quote it with freight and the lead time for each board.