Truck Bed Coating — Do it Yourself

A truck bed coating protects the metal of your bed from damage and destruction. That’s true because even a few scratches may start the long slide to rust and corrosion. Getting the coating professionally applied works for many, but what happens with the do it yourself version. Is it worth the trouble or a waste. Here’s the story.

We installed a paint on liner on a 1980 Plymouth Arrow Pickup. These trucks are rugged but prone to rust and ours was no exception. The bed was seriously scratched and scraped but not dented. We wanted to stop the corrosion and dress up the look a bit.

For that the bed liner paint works best. If you have a newer truck, the more expensive liners are the better choice. Read on to find out why. For older trucks in need of a fresh look and one that can be had for just a little money, bed liner paint works perfectly.

Here are the main steps for getting the paint on. Firstly, remember that for any paint project, preparation is essential. You can’t just roll the paint on and expect it to stay. You must carefully clean the surface and not just by washing it either. Use a solvent cleaner made to remove grease and oil. Look a the paint section in your auto parts store. Getting off all the old grease and wax is a must. It’s not hard, but it must be done.

Secondly, sanding is the way you follow up the washing to get the paint to stay. Luckily no fine sanding is needed or desired. What you want is a rough scratchy surface to insure that the paint stays on. So only rough sand and do it after cleaning. Sanding will not remove grease and wax. Instead, it drives it into the paint. Clean first.

After this basic surface preparation, rolling paint on couldn’t be easier. Truck bed paint is thick and full of texture. That means it covers well and goes on easy. What’s more, the paint settles as it dries and that’s the reason you can roll it on rather than spraying. During drying virtually all the application marks disappear and it looks sprayed on no matter how you put it on.

A do it yourself bed liner looks very much like a professional liner and costs just a fraction. Here’s the catch.

Professional spray on liners consist of up to 5 gallons of paint. The paint is a multi-part material that dries almost instantly and hardens almost as fast. Because of the volume of paint, the spray liner may be as much as 1/4 inch thick. That greater thickness, compared to what you put on, means the liner is more durable and better able to protect the metal bed underneath.

In spite of the superiority of a professional truck bed coating, a roll on bed liner still may be perfectly suited for how you use a truck. Put it on properly and it makes a truck look better and offers protection for the metal of your pickup bed.

Author Bio: Discover the exact details for installing a do it yourself roll on bed liner at our article. Discover more details for installing a do it yourself roll on bed liner at our article.

Category: Home Management
Keywords: truck bed coating