Adding Chalkboard or Whiteboard Surfaces to your Kegerator

Adding a chalkboard or a whiteboard to the outside of your kegerator is a useful project which ensures that whomever is pulling a pint will know what kind of beer is flowing. A chalkboard or whiteboard can be made using chalkboard or whiteboard paint, applied directly to your kegerator (with a little preparation). The first step of this process is to decide which motif would suit your kegerator best.

For this project, you will need:

• sander or sandpaper
• masking tape (the wider the better)
• brush-on paint
• roller kit or spray paint
• paint thinner or mineral spirit solvent, rags, and a tarp or painters plastic

It is always useful to have the proper paint thinner or mineral spirit solvent, rags, and a tarp or painters plastic on hand when engaging in any painting project. I recommend using the chalkboard spray paint for this project, but paint rollers will work as well - the idea is that you want a fairly even surface on which to write your beer brand and name. Whiteboard spray paint is not widely available, so you will probably have to use the rollers if you prefer the whiteboard paint option. Brushes are not recommended for application of either kind of paint.

First, you should prepare the kegerator and surrounding area by laying down a tarp or painter's plastic. Next, protect your beer taps by covering them with plastic and by taping them off, so that no part of the tap is exposed to possible paint splatter.

Next, tape off the section that you wish to convert into a chalk or white board. The use of thin cardboard or thick butcher paper in conjunction with masking tape can help you to protect the finish on your kegerator as you apply a light sanding to the area you intend to paint.

Once the painting area is prepared, you will want to lightly sand the area to be painted. Use 60 or 80 grit sandpaper to roughen up the surface a little bit. This will help with the adhesion of the paint. Paint primer can also help with adhesion in the long run. Please refer to your paint product as to the best primer product to use in conjunction with your paint product. Make sure that the dust from sanding is remover from the painting surface before priming or painting.

While painting, make sure that the work area is properly ventilated - open the windows and provide yourself with a fan. Always have solvent and rags on hand to cleanup spills, drips, and other mistakes.

When using spray paint for a chalkboard project, you should hold the can approximately 6-18 inches away from the surface you are painting. Never stop moving the can - move it from outside the masked area completely through the painting area and through past the other side of the masked area. This will ensure that your paint job is relatively drip free.

When applying paint from a roller, it is a little easier to stop drips because you can just roll over them. Make sure that your roller has plenty of paint on it, and apply a couple of layers of paint to the painting area.

Rust-Oleum Specialty Chalk Board is a product that I recommend for chalkboard kegerator modifications. This product converts surfaces such as metal, wood, masonry, drywall, plaster, glass, concrete, unglazed ceramics and hardboard into a usable chalkboard that erases easily. According to the Rust-Oleum website, you should allow the chalkboard paint to dry for 3 days. Once it is cured, you should prepare the surface for chalk by rubbing a piece of chalk sideways over the entire surface and then erasing.

Rust-Oleum Specialty Dry Erase White Dry Erase Paint is another product you can use for your whiteboard kegerator project. This product creates a white writeable-erasable surface. Once dry, simply use any dry erase markers to draw or write messages and then erase. Application is easy and it has minimal odor making it safe to use indoors. Ideal for use on interior surfaces such as drywall, masonite, wood, cement, metal. This product has two parts which mix together just before application, so you will need a paint stir stick for sure. After applying to a smooth surface, you should allow two days to dry before applying dry erase markings.

Related Kegerator Articles:
Dressing Up Your Kegerator For Halloween - Dress up your kegerator with a cool or spooky wrap, or its own unique costume.
Modification Project: Adding Double or Triple Tap Tower - Learn how to add a double or triple tap tower to your kegerator.
Modifying Beer Coolers to Fit Your Needs - An article covering the topic of a beer cooler that is modified to have one or more draft spigots.