By Gene and Katie Hamilton

Anyone who uses a white board at work knows how easy it is to write, edit, erase and redo on the writeable and erasable surface. You can create your own white board in any room in your house using a dry erase coating on a clean surface. Make a calendar in the kitchen or a family message center on the back of a door. Let the kids be creative in a wall in their room, or create a white board in your home office.

A painter will charge $181 to apply a dry erase coating like Sketch Pad, a two-part water-based coating with a high gloss finish. You can buy the 1-quart kit by Sherwin-Williams for $65, which covers approximately 50 square feet. This kit includes the two components you mix together, a foam mini roller, a frame, tray and instructions. The water-based formula cleans up with soap and water, and when it's time for a change you can just scuff sand, prime and paint over the marking surface.

Learn more about dry erase paint at Whitey boards.

If you don't have the time or desire to paint, you can find a painting contractor who has the skills and tools to do it right. Click here to get to Home Advisor, a free referral service that matches homeowners with local contractors.

Improvement and Repair Cost Updated 2019

The cost and time data is generated by averaging labor and material data from annually updated cost books used by contractors and refined by the authors' experience remodeling 13 houses. They are authors of 20 home improvement books and Do It Yourself or Not, a weekly column syndicated by Tribune Content Agency. The national cost can be adjusted by ZIP Code.