Ok so I have seen a lot of questions about how to do the "Home Depot" (or HD) lip as it is called. I have seen the material at both Home Depot AND Lowes, so it is pretty common. I believe I have bought my materials from Lowes every time however, but it doesn't really matter. I have done it numerous times so I figured I would share how to do it so people can stop asking what products to use and where to find it. So here goes.
To begin, you are obviously going to need materials. I prefer to attach my lips using 3M double sided tape, while others prefer to use screws. 3M tape works very well, but be warned that it can take off some paint if you ever have to replace the lip. (It will remain unseen however, as the tape should be out of sight.) Next you will need 9' of garage door sealer. It is 2 1/4" wide and is a soft, yet durable foam type material.
Now that you have your materials, unwrap the packaging (obviously) and lay the sealer around your front bumper to get an estimate on how much you are going to need. I usually have about 1'-1.5' left over when I do mine.
Now that you have a guesstimated length, you are going to want to put the tape onto the lip, leaving the part that will stick to the bumper with the cover still on. Here is a section I had left over that shows basically how it should be. (Excuse the purple marker, it is all I could find.)
As you can see, you want the tape about 1/8" to 1/16" from the bend. Make sure you get it on the right side too or you will have to do it all over again.
Ok so here comes the more difficult part, sticking it onto the bumper. Make sure you clean it first where the tape will be because if you don't, it will not stick on properly and fall off. What I do is start from one side and start pulling off the cover on the tape so the adhesive is showing. I then start by putting the lip on the bumper so that it is right at the bend of the bumper. It is hard to explain this so I will provide pictures of where I put it. Keep pulling off the cover on the tape and working your way around the bumper, trying to keep the same line as you go around. Once you reach the other end of the bumper you should have some extra. Just grab a razor blade (makes for a clean cut) and trim off any excess. There are a few different ways you can cut off the ends, you can cut it off flat with the fender or you can angle it so it blends with the bumper. Both look fine, it is just personal preference.
Here is what the final product should look like.
You can see what I mean by right at the bend on the bumper, much like any lip should be placed.
On this one you can see what I mean by cutting it so it blends with the bumper, it is more angled towards the bumper.
Here is a picture from down low so you can see how far up on the bumper it should be placed.
Annd, the latest one I completed for my GSX.
Total cost is probably around 15-20 bucks when you include the tape. Keep in mind that you want to be careful when pulling in and out of driveways because it can be ripped fairly easily if not careful. It is durable to a certain extent but steep inclines will rip it off. If the lip separates from the tape, I like to get a dab of super glue and glue the lip back onto the tape. Do not put super glue on the bumper however as that will for sure take off paint. I have had to do this numerous times as my car is a good 3" from the ground, so any incline is bad news for me. Best thing is if it rips it off, just go buy some more and redo it.
To begin, you are obviously going to need materials. I prefer to attach my lips using 3M double sided tape, while others prefer to use screws. 3M tape works very well, but be warned that it can take off some paint if you ever have to replace the lip. (It will remain unseen however, as the tape should be out of sight.) Next you will need 9' of garage door sealer. It is 2 1/4" wide and is a soft, yet durable foam type material.
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Now that you have your materials, unwrap the packaging (obviously) and lay the sealer around your front bumper to get an estimate on how much you are going to need. I usually have about 1'-1.5' left over when I do mine.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
Now that you have a guesstimated length, you are going to want to put the tape onto the lip, leaving the part that will stick to the bumper with the cover still on. Here is a section I had left over that shows basically how it should be. (Excuse the purple marker, it is all I could find.)
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
As you can see, you want the tape about 1/8" to 1/16" from the bend. Make sure you get it on the right side too or you will have to do it all over again.
Ok so here comes the more difficult part, sticking it onto the bumper. Make sure you clean it first where the tape will be because if you don't, it will not stick on properly and fall off. What I do is start from one side and start pulling off the cover on the tape so the adhesive is showing. I then start by putting the lip on the bumper so that it is right at the bend of the bumper. It is hard to explain this so I will provide pictures of where I put it. Keep pulling off the cover on the tape and working your way around the bumper, trying to keep the same line as you go around. Once you reach the other end of the bumper you should have some extra. Just grab a razor blade (makes for a clean cut) and trim off any excess. There are a few different ways you can cut off the ends, you can cut it off flat with the fender or you can angle it so it blends with the bumper. Both look fine, it is just personal preference.
Here is what the final product should look like.
You can see what I mean by right at the bend on the bumper, much like any lip should be placed.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
On this one you can see what I mean by cutting it so it blends with the bumper, it is more angled towards the bumper.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
Here is a picture from down low so you can see how far up on the bumper it should be placed.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
Annd, the latest one I completed for my GSX.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
Total cost is probably around 15-20 bucks when you include the tape. Keep in mind that you want to be careful when pulling in and out of driveways because it can be ripped fairly easily if not careful. It is durable to a certain extent but steep inclines will rip it off. If the lip separates from the tape, I like to get a dab of super glue and glue the lip back onto the tape. Do not put super glue on the bumper however as that will for sure take off paint. I have had to do this numerous times as my car is a good 3" from the ground, so any incline is bad news for me. Best thing is if it rips it off, just go buy some more and redo it.
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