Does Truck Bed Liner Stick to Wood? (Solved!)

*This post may have affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through links I provide (at no extra cost to you). As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclaimer for additional details..

Wood is a critical material in human activities. Wood components make up furniture and parts of many inventions, including boats.

Wood, however, can deteriorate quickly if you do not protect it from external elements. One common way to protect wood is to coat it with any suitable product depending on its use.

Recently, people are covering their wooden truck beds with bed liners to extend the life of the material. Does a truck bed liner stick to wood? If so, how do you coat the wood with it?

Some truck bed liners can stick to wood, and they make suitable coatings for wood truck beds. These products can protect your wood for a long time and keep it looking fancy. You only need to make sure that you select the right product for your wood.

What is the best truck bed liner for your wood? Any extra tips? Continue reading.

Does Truck Bed Liner Stick to Wood?

Many truck bed liner products apply only to metal, but a few, such as Durabak, can stick to wood. Rust-Oleum Truck Bed Coating is an example of a bed liner that is strictly for metals, but you can purchase the Rust-Oleum Professional Grade Truck Bed Kit for wood, metal, concrete, and other surfaces.

Just remember that some products stick to wood while others do not. This means that you should research a product before buying it to be sure.

Why You Should Use Truck Bed Liner as Wood Coating

There are already many types of coatings for wood. Why should you use truck bed liners instead? Here are some pros of coating your wood with truck bed liners:

1. Protection of the Wood Surface from External Elements

Exposure to air and water can damage wood quickly. Exposing wood to soil is worse as wood deteriorates faster in soil. When you coat a wooden truck bed with a liner, you protect it from every external element that can damage it.

2. Non-Slip Wood Surface

One unique use of truck bed liners is that they give wood a non-slip surface. This means that you can coat the wood in boats, docks, and garage floors using truck bed liners to help prevent them from becoming slippery. Truck bed liners give wood a rough surface so that people can walk freely on it.

3. Unique-Looking Wood

If you want your wood to look just like plastic or metal, you can do so by selecting the best truck bed liner. Truck bed liners also come in different colors, so they add to the aesthetics of the surface.

4. Easy to Apply

According to the product you are using, you can easily apply your truck bed liner on the wooden surface by spraying or using a roller. It is easy to use, so you do not need to call a professional to do it.

5. You Do Not Need to Reapply the Products Often

The thing about wood coating products is that you need to reapply them often (maybe every 2-3 years) so that the wood can continue to be protected.

However, as for truck bed liners, you do not need to reapply them as often as other conventional wood coatings because they are more durable. You can also easily tell when you need to reapply the coating to some parts of the wood.

Truck bed liners have fantastic uses as wood coatings. If you have decided to use one, you should learn how to coat your wooden surface properly. Continue reading to learn how to.

How to Coat Wood with Truck Bed Liner

The first thing to do is buy as much coating as you need. The cost varies according to the product and location, but the average price is around $500.

Remember to confirm from the store first and select only those you can apply on wood. If the product is for metal surfaces only, do not buy it.

Here are the easy steps to coat the wood with truck bed liners:

1. Sand the Wood Surface

It is almost always essential to make sure that the wooden surface is smooth before applying the coating. Coating wood with a rough surface can be wrong because the coating might not stick properly to the wood.

You should use coarse sandpaper first to sand the wood. Then increase the grit on subsequent standings to smooth out the truck deck. Make sure to address every side and edge for better liner performance.

Concentrated young male carpenter sanding wood in his workshop

2. Apply the Coating

It is time to apply the coating. According to the product you are using, you can spray the coating or use a roller.

Make sure that you touch every part of the wood. Look for dry spots that you have not coated and coat them before moving to the next step.

3. Wait Until Wood Is Almost Dry

This step should take up to an hour if the wood is under direct sunlight. Observe the coating, wait until it becomes almost dry, and then move to the next step.

4. Apply Coating Again

It is time to coat the wood for the final time in this process. This final coating aims to make sure that the wood is covered properly, and it also protects the wood for a longer time. Make sure to apply the coating on every part of the wood surface.

5. Allow Wood to Become Completely Dry

After coating the wood for the final time, you should allow it to dry completely. It should take less than 6 hours under direct sunlight. If you are not sure if the wood is dry or not, you can expose it to the sun for a day or two before taking it to its permanent location.

Congratulations! You have successfully coated your wood. Now let us discuss how you can maintain your coated wood.

Essential Tips to Help Maintain Your Lined Wood Truck Bed

Here are some essential tips for you:

1. Use UV-Protection Coatings for Outdoor Wood

If your truck is to be stored mostly outside under the sun, you should use products that can protect it from the sun’s UV rays. These rays can damage wood by changing its color and making it unattractive.

2. Use Small Amounts of Primer and Thinner for Wood Exposed to Moisture

For wooden surfaces on docks and other places that can become moist quickly, you should apply a thin layer of primer and thinner on the surface of the wood before coating it. This will make sure that the wood is completely waterproof and will not damage quickly in such places.

3. Clean Wood with a Dry Cloth Regularly

Dirt that sticks to wood can damage it quickly as microbes can grow in it. To help protect your wood for a longer time, make sure to clean it with a dry cloth regularly. Do not allow dirt to stick on the wood for long.

Cool and easy tips, right?

boy posing in the bed of an old pick up truck

Recommended Bed Liner Products to Coat Wood

Here are some bed liner products you can coat your wood with:

1. Durabak Liner

This all-purpose liner is great for wooden truck bed surfaces. Make sure that you sand the wood properly before applying this product. Also, priming the surface before applying Durabak coating helps a lot.

2. Wood: Rhino

You should only use this product if the wooden surface was primed with at least one coating of Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer (CPES™) or any similar product. For moisture-exposed wood, it should be primed with 2-3 coats of CPES to waterproof the wood. Remember to sand the wood if the surface appears rough.

3. Herculiner

Are you looking for any product that bonds to almost every type of wooden surface? This is best for you. It sticks easily to treated wood without priming.

You must not sand the treated wood surface deeply, but only slightly sand it for the best result. Just make sure to recoat the wood multiple times if you did not sand it.

4. LINE-X Liner

Aside from a wooden surface, you can apply this product to almost any surface (e.g., fiberglass, metal, plastic, or concrete). Something cool about Line-X liner is that it is flexible, so it can avoid the external impact that damages wood. You should coat wood with this product if it is to be used in a high-impact location.

5. Raptor Liner

Optimum for plywood and other types of wood. You do not have to sand the wood, but a little sanding can help improve the performance of the liner.

Which product will you try out?

coating of wooden surface with protective varnish

Here are answers to questions that people have been asking:

1. Can You Use Wood Coating for Metal Surfaces?

You cannot use most wood coatings for metal surfaces as they do not protect the surface just the way metal coating does. You, however, can search for all-purpose coatings that can coat various surfaces, including wood and metal.

2. Can Truck Bed Liner Damage Your Wooden Surface?

If you feel that your wooden surface looks damaged and you suspect the truck bed liner, you should check the product details. If the coating is not suitable for wooden surfaces, you should not use it. Products made specifically for metals can damage your wooden surfaces if you are not careful.

3. What Is the Best Coating Product for Your Wood?

Every coating product is good. It just depends on factors such as:

Type of wood: The source of the wood, type of tree, and industrial processes involved in processing the wood can influence what product you should coat the wood with.
Wood Exposure: Are you exposing the wood to moisture, sunlight, or an arid environment? The exposure of your wooden surface plays a role in deciding the type of product to coat your wood with.
Use of the Material: Will the wood be furniture, decking, or something else? There are some cases in which you cannot use truck be liner on your wood.

When buying your wood coating, check the description and applications to ensure that you can use it for your wooden surface after considering the factors above.

4. Why Are Termites Destroying Your Coated Wood?

Termites should not destroy your wood if you coated it properly. If you find termites in your wood, you might have missed some surfaces or need to recoat the wood. This time, use a sprayer to apply the coating to small spaces that the termites might use to penetrate the wood.

If the damage from the termites is substantial, you should consider replacing the wood.

5. Can You Coat Raised Garden Bed Frames with Bed Liner?

You should not use truck bed liner to coat your raised garden bed frames. You should protect your plants from absorbing the chemicals active in the truck bed liner. Use suitable protective products that are non-toxic for your raised garden bed frames.

Final Thoughts

Even though not every truck bed liner can stick to wood, some products surely can. When buying your truck bed liner, make sure to conduct enough research to know if it applies to your type of wood. Also, remember to sand the wood before coating it for the best results.