Tips for Taming Home Improvement Costs
By Rick Christopher - Line-Xx Corp.
Apr 27, 2006, 23:00   Have you spent the winter months making a mental list of all the home improvement projects you want to tackle once the weather improves? To make sure your good intentions stay on track and those important projects get completed, now is the time to write those things down and start making serious plans.

With any home projects, time and cost are the two biggest obstacles to getting things done, so budgeting time and money are important. Write down your list and then prioritize it according to the most important projects – that can mean the ones you’re most excited about, like a new deck, or repairs that really need to be taken care of, say fixing the roof.

Estimate how long each project will take and check your spring and summer calendar. You don’t want to start a long-term landscaping project right before your summer vacation. Next, get an idea of how much money it will take to finish these various projects. If you haven’t started a home improvement fund, there’s no time like the present to start putting away a little money every week to help defray the cost of materials and supplies. Planning ahead can also save you money by allowing you to take advantage of sales – if you know what you need, you can check weekly ads at your local hardware or big box store to see if you can get a deal on anything on your list.

You’ll also want to get your truck ready for hauling those supplies. We all know trucks are tough, but we also want our vehicles to be good looking. Loading lumber, tools, landscaping rocks and other heavy, odd-shaped objects can take a toll on the finish of your truck bed.

It’s important to protect the bed of a truck because a new vehicle trails only behind the purchase of a home in terms of being the most expensive investment that a buyer will make. Take steps now to protect the paint job and you won’t have any dings or scratches left behind when the project is done. Spray on bedliners are a great choice. According to the National Dealers Association a bedliner will increase resale value by $250.

Those looking to protect their truck bed can choose between spray-on bedliners or drop-in bedliners. When comparing the two, there are some advantages to going with a spray-on liner. The drop-in style can shift around and scratch the paint beneath it. Debris such as rocks and sand can also get caught underneath the liner, which can make scuffing even worse. Spray-on liners have the advantages of a permanent bond to the truck’s bed surface, sealing out water and dirt. Whatever type you choose, it’s important to make sure that it has a warranty and is resistant to common chemicals, including pool chlorine, auto fuel, diesel fuel, paints, bleaches, organic solvents, and fertilizers.


Line-X, a leader in the truck bed protection, uses a specially formulated polymer to provide an attractive finish and ultimate protection. The product creates a permanent bond to the truck’s bed, and offers protection against everything from chemicals and hail damage to rust.

The shock absorbing properties of the product can even dampen noise from vibration, for a better ride. It can also be used as an undercoating to protect a vehicle from road debris; and if applied to the grill and hood it will further protect the vehicle’s finish and give the truck a custom look.

Now that the truck is ready and the list is complete, there’s no excuse to put those projects off any longer. Line-X has over 500-plus locations across the United States and offers the only Nationwide Lifetime Warranty. For more information, visit www.LINEX.com or call (800) 831-3232.