Truck Bed Liner Kit: What You Need For a DIY Colored Bed Liner Painting Project

by Ben ben@durabakcompany.com January 26, 2018

Are you excited to protect your truck with Durabak bed liner paint? You should be! It’s a fun do-it-yourself project. In order to ensure that you have optimal results it's best to be prepared beforehand.

Begin By Selecting a Color

Here at Durabak, we've got many colored bed liner options for you and your truck. Our website has a full range of online color chips for you to take a look at, and they come in two finish consistency types: smooth and textured. If you aren’t sure about a color, or want to check it out in real life before you order the bucket, you can order a free sample chip here.

Then Order the Correct Amount

One gallon of paint will cover approximately 50 to 60 square feet, with two coats. To know how much you’ll need, you should begin by measuring the square footage of your area by multiplying the length of the project by the width of the project. For example: 10′ (length) x 6′ (width) = 60 sq ft. If you have a 6′ pickup bed, one gallon is enough. For a long bed, order two gallons. Durabak bed liner paint comes in different sizes for your convenience: quart and gallon-sized.

Choose Your Method of Application

You have several options from which to choose.

If you are rolling the textured variety of paint, you will need to buy a special stipple roller sleeve. It’s designed for even distribution of the embedded rubber granules that give the bed liner paint grit. (You don’t want to use any other roller, or you will have clumps of the granules spread unevenly over your project surface.)
If you are brush painting, purchase a soft paintbrush of desired size.
If you would like to do a spray application, you need to buy the proper spray equipment - any professional spray tool, shutz gun, or hopper gun should work. You should thin your paint with Xylene, approximately 10%.

When It’s Time to Paint

Make sure the surface area is clean and dry. Consult your manual as to whether a primer is necessary. Ensure that the work area is well ventilated. You may wish to have Xylene on hand, to clean up and thin the bed liner paint during application. Xylene can be bought at any paint coating or hardware store. If you need to hasten the drying process, we have a product for that! Order the Durabak accelerator to reduce the drying/curing time by 50%, depending on the climatic conditions. This is helpful in areas of low atmospheric moisture. Add the accelerator to the Durabak paint can at the ratio of one quart-packet or can per quart, or one gallon-packet or can per gallon. Stir the mixture thoroughly to assure complete blending.

Follow the Instructions

Your paint can will come with instructions. Follow them. It’s vital that you prepare the surface properly, and paint under the proper conditions. If you read this article carefully and plan well, you will have a great looking truck in no time. DIY projects are always fun, and Durabak makes it easy for you by providing the right products to apply. If you are still uncertain or have any specific questions about the procedures, feel free to call one of our expert representatives at (303) 690-7190 to help you out.