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Is a DIY bedliner really cheaper?

There are a lot of options when it comes to a bedliner and one of the more appealing options are do-it-yourself kits. It is an easy trap to fall into and one that we hope that you avoid. It may be easier on the wallet to start but in the end a professionally done service like that of LINE-X of South Central Pennsylvania will provide you with a far superior product that will save you money in the end and time in the beginning. Let’s compare the two…

Price tag

On the surface the DIY kit seems to be the winner. They typically advertise kits for around $100 with one gallon of the product to cover a normal size bed. You do the work so you are saving on the cost of labor. Sounds like a pretty good deal, especially when you can get some help to do it from a buddy which might cost you a few dollars, a dinner or some cold beverages but that is nowhere near what it would cost to have it professionally done.

We will admit on the price tag the DIY kit is far cheaper. But there is more to the price than just the purchase price. A LINE-X application typically costs around $500. You are paying for not only the product but the labor, the know-how and the cleanup as well. With LINE-X you also get something else, a Nationwide Warranty. Don’t forget all of the other tools or products that you may have to purchase to do the work as well from painters tape o scrapers to epoxys. That adds up and throw in the time spent and suddenly the DIY kit isn’t such a great deal.

The product quality

When it comes to a bedliner you get what you pay for. For the dirt cheap price tag you get an inferior product. It is as simple as that. No DIY kit will ever compare to the quality of a LINE-X bedliner. Think about it, you can use one gallon of the DIY stuff or get 5 gallons of LINE-X. Which one do you think will still be protecting your truck’s bed better a year or two from now? We’ll tell you the answer: it will be LINE-X.

Drop in style liners are another affordable option, but with some drawbacks.

Installation

A DIY kit may sound easy but installing a bedliner is a labor intensive process. Are you doing the work correctly? After all, a mistake by you could potentially make the installation worthless. After several hours of your weekend gone sanding, applying epoxies and then finally applying the bedliner you may be wishing that you had just taken your truck in to LINE-X and been done with it. LINE-X takes the same amount of time to install, maybe even less, and you get a far superior product. DIY bed liners also can take days to cure depending on the outside weather while LINE-X can cure in about one hour in our facility.

Many DIY kits also need other products to deglaze or rough up the bed. Don’t forget the tape to cover up edges that you don’t want to have covered. This can be what makes this labor intensive and it can increase the cost involved as well. Most DIY kits have no UV protection either meaning your bedliner will look faded and damaged much quicker. Suddenly that DIY kit isn’t as appealing is it? Also don’t forget that any mistake that you make is on you. You don’t get a Nationwide Warranty with a DIY kit and if the bedliner is not installed properly (or even if it is and the substandard nature of the product rears its head) you may be in to see us at LINE-X of South Central Pennsylvania anyway. So why waste time and money?

Now we get it, some of you out there might want to always take the DIY approach. For everyone else, if you are considering a bedliner for your truck why not get the best? Don’t compare the price, compare the quality and the amount of time that you will actually spend doing it yourself. If your free time is precious to you or you don’t think you can handle installing a kit yourself, stop in at LINE-X of South Central Pennsylvania and see how we can save you some time, money and frustration!

About LINE-X of South Central Pennsylvania

LINE-X of South Central Pennsylvania is the leader in vehicle undercoating protection using Krown products and truck bedliners using LINE-X spray-on bedliners. We serve York County to help maintain and extend the life of vehicles. If you are in York or Yoe, Fawn Grove or Felton, New Freedom or New Salem or any point in between stop in at our Vogelsong Road location to see what we can do to protect your vehicle. No one knows protection better than LINE-X and the premium performance and exceptional value that it brings.

Resources:

https://www.thoughtco.com/herculiner-pros-and-cons-4313
http://linexoc.com/n-10724-line-x-exterior-spraying-myths-and-answers.html
https://www.hardworkingtrucks.com/do-it-yourself-bed-liners-tough-talk/