Deck restorer as bedliner -TESTED

Howdy all. I started this on my jeepforum.com account but figured this info would be applicable for more than just jeep folks. For those that don't know rustoleum "deck restorer" is a product you can find at lowes/home depot for about $25/gallon and it's tintable just like paint so in theory you can match your truck.

It's been brought up in my other forums repeatedly as maybe being useable as bedliner since it looks fairly similar. But it always ends as being dismissed as it won't work for a variety of reasons. However no-one has actually tried it so its just been speculation.

(cue dramatic music)
UNTIL NOW!

I'm going to copy/paste my posts from the other forum but won't be copying other peoples posts so take that into consideration on the reading itself. I've also done some on my phone which we all know doesn't do anything bad to your grammar. I actually haven't suffered a head injury

 

I know this has been brought up before but so far I've been unable to Find anyone that has tried it. I've read it shouldn't be used since its water based so it may rust, which makes no sense too me. Also it won't stick to metal well which does make Sense.

But I'm having some tinted now so we'll know for sure soon!

I'm doing a dark grey, worst case I need to stain my deck anyway best case $25 bed Liner. ResuLts in a few days.

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I thought about the flex as well. I figure depending on the deck i can feel quite a bit more flex than i do on the ribs of a bed so it might be ok. Im putting it in the so far so good category. I applied it to some cold sheet metal and immediately stood it upright to see if it would run off, no issues though. Ill do a 2nd coat tomorrow, wait a day and see how much abuse it will stand up to. If it holds up on the bare metal ill try it on scuffed paint.

$25 experiment


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Things are delayed a but due to it being frozen absolutely solid yesterday. But thawed it today and put the 2nd coat on this afternoon. The can says to wait 8 hours before light foot traffic and 3-5 days before moving furniture on it.

But what fun is that? Its been about 8 hours. Abuse must start asap

It seems flexible enough.
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So here we go, did some testing tonight. The can says 3-5 days before use and it will continue to harden for a few weeks. But it's been long enough to get a feel for it.

As a quick reminder: side 1 was given 2 coats per instructions onto galvanized sheet metal. It was not roughed up in any way so very shiny.


Side 2, flat paint lower left 1/3, gloss paint lower right 1/3 and raw metal upper 1/3. But all 3 were hit with some 00 steel wool prior to application. The metal wasn't scuffed in any way prior to paint so its shiny underneath.

First up was flexibility.
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Passed in every area, no flaking etc.

After that I went for impact. Sticking with my scientific background I employed a method scientist world wide call "took it outside and beat the living bejeezus out of it over the rail of my deck". I figured this give it a hard impact coupled with wrapping around the railing at the same time. I wasn't gentle.

1st up, the bare metal.
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After repeated beatings, complete and total failure. But this was on the shiny metal, so scuffed may fare better.

2nd side actually took most of the beatings as I watched the product come off in massive chunks. But I also reversed and delivered quite a few solid whacks to the shiny side making the painted side flex in both directions.

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I'm calling this a pass! Look on the outside lower edges and you'll see some loss, but it TOOK THE PAINT WITH IT. Bare shiny steel, the rest of the plate is still holding strong!

Next up was the same treatment to the scuffed bare metal.
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Bad picture, but once again total failure on bare metal. It came off all the way down to the edge of where the paint begins.

Last up, scrapes. I took the point of a pair of scissors and drug it across the finish applying quite a bit of pressure. It scratched and that's it. No picture. So then I repeated but put a LOT of pressure on the point.
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Again, bare and shiny metal. Nothing that couldn't be touched up in 10 seconds.

The end result, it appears that it will not work on bare metal. However most importantly it holds as strongly as the paint it's applied to is bonded to the metal itself. I don't know how this compares to commercial bedliner as I don't have any to test and won't be spending $100 to find out. If someone has a spare bit to donate I'll compare the 2 with the same tests. As of right now though it looks like THIS COULD WORK!

I will be continuing the test with live trials! It will be a week or so before I begin but I'm going to test it in the bed of my Tacoma. Later results will be posted after I have some more info!
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very interesting...!!!

 

No updates yet, the weather hasnt been cooperating

 

i'm interested

 

I used that exact same stuff on the inside of my box trailer. I did the walls, floor, shelf and ramp. I love it so far, did 2 coats which I recommend and let her dry. Good traction on it easy to clean and pretty durable. I used a total of almost 10 gallons but it was either that or 1400 to get it sprayed with line X. I don't regret it. Interested to see how it is as a bed liner... Good Luck

 

First step today, took a scuff pad to the bed. That was fun. I need to hit it with some degreaser and run it through the carwash again. i spilled some diesel back there a little while ago. If i get sone decent temps ill start applying in the next few days.

 

Rad! I work @ Lowes and stock Restore all the time. Always wondered about this as a liner!

 

I used Restore on my decks a few years ago and they still look great. No pealing or cracking. Buy twice as much as you think you will need.

 

if this works im doing it...!!!ive been using the spraycan rustolium bedliner on frames, bumpers, and shit like that. even used it on the inside of cabs, but i would like to use something a bit thicker on the truck im building now....!!!

 

I used 6 cans of Flex Seal on my bed about two years ago and it hasn't chipped or flaked at all; just a low budget suggestion.

 

1st coat is on.




It should darken as it dries. Between the test panels and the 1st coat i used a little over 3/4 a gallon, so ill be getting a 2nd. Since im going through with using it ill have the 2nd gallon tinted od green to match the truck. The temps still suck so ill give this coat a couple days dry time before i top it.

 

awesome awesome awesome.....

 

So 1st coat dried. Its actually somewhere between the back and the bed as far as color. My cell phone doesnt do great sometimes.


Using the restore brand roller, lots of texture.


I ended up going with a really dark green vs od, even wet its darker than the pics.


All thats left is to let it dry and then see how it holds up over time

Right now, asthetically, it looks really good.

I ended up using almost the entire gallon of top coat, still an inch or so in the can for touch ups. If i had 2 gallons of the same color, no stress bit i was starting to sweat a bit at the end. Figure a gallon per coat for a standard 1st gen bed. Id anticipate using the same with an actual bedliner, except thats black only. So if this does work, $50 for color vs $200 for black vs $1500+ for spray in.

As a side note, this isnt my drop a ton of brick in the back truck but ill do my best to reasonably test it.

 

sweet, it looks great man..! im loving the texture it has...!!!

 

Nice! Think it would survive against logs/ firewood? I'm debating on doing a bedliner for my truck but didn't wanna spend that much

 

Hard to say. The test panel held up to some pretty severe abuse and the places it came off it took the paint with it. Looking at that, as long as the paint sticks the restorer should stick as well. Time will tell.

I put the toolbox back in finally. Good to have a place for storage again.

 

that looks good. i'm glad you tried this. i'll probably do the same in a few weeks. the PO of my truck used it to haul stuff a lot. all the factory paint is gone and its rusting, i just need something to make it look better.

mine will be a lot more work, rust removal, and probably should use primer since i'll be at bare metal.

anyway, looks good

 

you should have just done it with black.

 

I dont want black