Skateboards receive lots of wear and tear. It's cheaper to maintain your own skateboard rather than hiring a professional. And replacing your grip tape is one of the key elements of maintenance–it's easy and it'll save you cash.
Remove Your Old Grip Tape
Step 1
Remove the axles from your deck. This step is not required but makes the rest of the process much easier.
Step 2
Heat your old grip tape starting at one end with the hair dryer. The heat will break down the bond of the grip tape to the board and will cause the edges to pop up. Slowly and steadily peel back grip tape, keeping the dryer heating as you pull. Pull the tape slowly to avoid ripping it. Use a putty knife to help peel back the grip tape. Remove all the old grip tape in this manner.
Step 3
Using gloves and a rag, apply paint thinner to remove any adhesive residue from the top of your skate deck. Wipe surface dry after all residue is gone.
Applying Your New Grip Tape
Step 1
Lay your new grip tape over the deck and firmly press it down into the curves of the deck. This will make it easier to roll onto the board once you remove the adhesive guard–because the grip tape should have taken on the shape of the deck.
Step 2
Peel back 2 to 3 inches of the adhesive guard off the new grip tape. Stick the unguarded grip tape onto the nose of the board. Without removing the rest of the adhesive guard, align the new grip tape so that it lays the deck. This step will make sure that you have laid the grip tape correctly to cover your deck completely.
Step 3
Slowly peel back the adhesive guard on the new grip tape while pressing the grip tape onto the board. This is easier when rolling your wrist along the board to press it in. Press the grip tape firmly and thoroughly onto the board. Doing this in three to five inch sections will help to avoid bubbles in your grip tape.
Step 4
File down the grip around the edges of your deck. Lay the file flat on the deck and follow the edges around the deck. The filed grip tape will gain a white edge after it has gone through the grip down to the paper. Stop once it gains a black line again as the file has gone through the paper down to the adhesive tape below. This will ensure that the grip is completely stuck to the deck and will make sure a straight line is easy to cut. Use the razor knife to carefully cut the excess grip tape off the board by following the black line gained from filing.
Step 5
Cut the eight holes in the grip tape corresponding to the eight holes in the board and reattach the axles to the board.
Things You'll Need
- Razor knife
- Putty knife
- Hair dryer
- Screwdriver
- New griptape
- Allen key
- File
- Skateboard deck
- Paint thinner
- Rubber gloves
- Rag
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