How To Fix Plasti Dip Texture? (Solved)

After spraying some plasti dip, it’s common for the surface to have a textured finish. This mostly happens if you are new to plasti dip and haven’t mastered the art of spraying this coating on your vehicle.

Anyway, when you get a textured finish on plasti dip, most people usually decide to live with the textured finish as it is. For those who can’t, the only option may seem to be peeling off the dip and starting over afresh.

Well, these two aren’t the only option. There is a way to fix a plasti dip texture, and it’s very easy.

plasti dip texture fix
“Mustang” by Nick Trippe, Flickr is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0

Fixing Plasti Dip Texture

Step 1 – Gather Equipment

You will need only three things; blending thinner, a pair of nitrile gloves, and some plastid dip. Allow us to explain the purpose of each of these products.

The role of the blending thinner is to dissolve the plasti dip. We will elaborate on why the plasti dip surface must be dissolved when correcting texture. Secondly, nitrile gloves are perfect because they are resistant to solvents and chemicals.

Besides keeping your hands safe, these gloves will also assist in the smooth application of the solvent to the textured plasti dip.

Finally, the extra plasti dip will be used to create a uniform finish at the end of the project. Ensure that you have these three products before the beginning of any job.

Step 2 – Apply the Blending Thinner

The mode of application here will be pretty old-school. You will need to wear gloves first for protection. Dip your hand into a bottle of blender thinner with gloves on, of course.

And then gently rub some blending thinner on the surface. You need to be cautious with the amount of blending thinner you are applying. Don’t be generous with the amount used.

Also, while applying blending thinner, you need to be careful not to get it on other parts of the finish. Apply it only on areas that have a textured finish.

As you apply the blending thinner with your finger, you will realize that the surface will become smoother.

You can stop at that point because if you over-rub the plasti dip with blending thinner, you can strip the dip down to the surface. Give it some time to dry.

Step 3 – Spray an Extra Layer of Clear Coat Over the Entire Surface

By now, the textured finish should have been removed. However, you will have eaten away a part of the surface that you had removed the dip with the blending thinner.

That surface needs to be covered up. And you can’t spray fresh plasti dip on one part. If you want the entire area to have a uniform finish, the dip will have to be sprayed all over. Grab a can and spray the entire surface. Give it time to dry, and you will be done.

Unlike peeling off the plasti dip and starting from scratch. Or sighing in disgust every time you see a textured finish, this method is a sure and easier way of fixing plasti dip texture.

Now that you have learned about how to fix plasti dip texture, it’s important that you also educate yourself on how to avoid creating a textured finish and other essential details about plasti dip textured finishes.

How Does Texture Occur?

A textured finish is most likely to occur when you spray plasti dip from too far away. Even though plasti dip is very easy to apply to a surface, there are certain requirements you need to follow.

For instance, a can of plasti dip should be sprayed within a distance of twelve to sixteen inches. At this height, the plasti dip should create a uniform finish and adhere much better.

Please note that this is according to the manufacturers themselves. Therefore, you need to follow their advice.

Another pro tip you need to follow is to shake the can thoroughly as you spray the contents. Shaking ensures you get more plasti dip from the can. At the same time, it also ensures a smoother finish.

What If You Spray Another Layer Over the Texture?

The upper layers will pick off the textures from the bottom. One of the DIY fixes for a textured finish you may arrive at is spraying another layer. The idea here will be to cover the textured finish with a fresh layer.

The thing about plasti dip is that no matter how many coats you apply, the condition of the lower layer will always affect that of the upper layer.

In this case, if the surface on top is textured. Going straight and applying another layer will also result in a textured finish. In this method of fixing this issue, we recommend smoothing out the surface with some blending thinner.

Even though it may be tempting to cover the textured finish with another layer of plasti dip, you will be avoiding the inevitable.

Can I Only Use Blending Thinner?

If you plan to fix plasti dip texture using the above method, you may wonder if blending thinner is the only product you can use. Not really. You can use any solvent provided it will dissolve plasti dip and not eat through the entire product.

Besides blending thinner, you can also use mineral spirits. Like plasti dip, mineral spirits work the same way as blending thinners.

You have to dab some and pat it on the textured plasti dip. It is also important to wear nitrile gloves whether using mineral spirits or blending thinner.

There are also reports that Naphtha does an excellent job removing plasti dip texture. These two are excellent options you can use to fix plasti dip texture.

Can Sanding Fix Plasti Dip Texture?

Sanding plasti dip should be out of the equation. Plasti dip is a rubber coating. It’s very different from paint.

If you were dealing with a textured paint finish, you could sand the surface and then apply a layer of paint followed by a clear coat. That would get rid of the texture or orange peel. However, if plasti dip forms texture and you happen to sand it.

You will have ruined the plasti dip, and at the end of it all, the only option left would be to peel it and spray a new plasti dip. As tempting as it may be, sanding plasti dip should be avoided.

How Can I Avoid Plasti Dip Texture?

We have already seen that the number one culprit for plasti dip texture is holding the can far away when spraying the coating. We have a solution for that, which entails holding the can twelve to sixteen inches away from the surface.

But that isn’t the only cause for a textured finish on plasti dip. There are a bunch of causes that can easily be avoided or prevented. Examples include;

• Not performing enough surface preparation

Many people think that plasti dip doesn’t need surface preparation. Wiping the surface and hoping the plasti dip will create a flawless finish is impossible.

Also, plasti dip requires adequate preparation. The surface ought to be cleaned thoroughly. It’s also crucial that a degreaser be applied since a greasy surface is another key culprit for a textured plasti dip finish.

• Spraying thin coats during the first layer

Here’s some expert advice that will help you get a smoother finish. Plasti dip should be sprayed in thin, light coats when beginning the project.

You may want to dive straight into spraying thin coats to get the job done faster. But doing that will result in a textured finish.

Can a Thick Coat Get Rid of Plasti Dip Texture?

Earlier, we mentioned that applying an extra layer over the plasti dip will not conceal the texture. The textured finish will rise to the surface.

However, there is another loophole, which entails spraying several thicker coats of plasti dip. This isn’t such a great idea. Even though it works, it does have some drawbacks.

If you have just realized some texture on plasti dip, the first thing that may come to mind is adding more layers to cover it up. Several thick coats will hide a textured finish. But you will have to use more plasti dip and time.

Also, there is a huge chance that the dip won’t look so great anymore. Despite plasti dip being a rubber coating, it looks better when it’s of a decent amount. However, the finish will look terrible if you pile layers of plasti dip.

For instance, imagine covering your wheels with five thick layers of plasti dip. Won’t the finish look hideous?

Although this method works, it does have some drawbacks. The method we have described earlier is free of these inconveniences.

Does Plasti Dip Always Have a Textured Finish?

Plasti dip is meant to cure into a smooth finish. If you are always getting a textured finish, you must be doing something wrong. You could be holding the can very far away or not performing adequate surface prep. The other reason could be the technique you are using.

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