We have all walked into our bathrooms, looked at the tiles and decided that they are just not what we want anymore.
Whether they are too plain and white or have previously been painted with an ‘interesting’ colour which you just don’t like anymore, painting your tiles is always the cheaper option to completely changing each tile with new ones.
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So, below are some frequently asked questions regarding
painting tiles, with a step-by-step guide on how to paint tiles efficiently and
easily!
Can tiles be painted?
As it is probably suggested by the content of this article, yes, you can paint tiles and it is probably one of the best ways of rejuvenating your bathroom cheaply and quickly!
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This also includes painting ceramic tiles too! Not only are
ceramic tiles frequently used in many bathrooms throughout the country, but
they are also used in many other rooms too.
This is because ceramic tiles are the perfect surface for
counters, as well as many types of flooring. The can be used in the kitchen
bathroom as they are also resistant to water and very durable too!
However, it is essential that you choose the correct equipment
to use to paint your tiles with, so this handy little guide will help you out!
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What do I need to
paint tiles?
So, to start painting your tiles you will need a few very
specific items.
You will need a primer, an emulsion, rollers, paint brushes,
dust sheets, a grouter pen and perhaps some sponges and/or other cleaning
accessories.
What you will need is:
- · Primer-Zinnsser’s Bulls Eye 123
- · Emulsion- paint with an acrylic eggshell finish
- · Rollers- Fluffy for the emulsion
- · Paint brushes- angles, or normal
- · Dust sheets- either plastic or fabric, whichever you prefer
- · Grouter pen
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How do I paint tiles
or ceramic tiles?
Now that you have bought everything from our shopping list,
it is best to always decide which tiles you intend on painting before you start
your project. This is so that you can leave enough time between painting and
drying without using the tiles.
This is because if you touch the tiles before they are fully
dried, or even add moisture to them, the final finish of the paint can be
compromised. You won’t want to do that when your tiles were so close to looking
exactly the way that you wanted them to look!
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1.
Repair any
chipped, smashed or cracked tiles
The first thing which you absolutely must do before even beginning
to contemplate painting your tiles is to make sure that any chipped, cracked or
broken tiles are repaired correctly.
This is because of your tiles are not fixed correctly prior
to painting them, not only will any cracks, chips or breaks be fully visible as
a result of the paint added on top, but it will also make it very difficult to repair
your tiles after painting.
This means that all your tiles must be thoroughly checked
for any damages prior to painting so that you will be able to have a clean and
sleek finish after you have painted them without having to worry about going
through the whole process again for individual tiles.
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2.
Clean up
your tiles
Again, much like the point made above, it is essential that
you clean your tiles before starting to paint them. This is a preparation step
which must not be missed as it could result in your tiles having a dodgy finish
to them.
Cleaning your tiles works to remove any grease, dirt, mould
or anything else which your tiles may have meet from the surface of the tiles.
You can use our Zinsser's Degreaser & Cleaner for this!
You can use our Zinsser's Degreaser & Cleaner for this!
This essentially will give your tiles a smoother surface for
you to paint on and therefore will not show up as prominently in the final
finish as it would have if you had not previously painted it.
You can clean your tiles as you usually would clean them, either
with a high-quality detergent, or any other product which you prefer to use on
a day-to-day basis.
You must ensure that your tiles are completely dry before
you begin painting. This is again to ensure that your paint will stick to the
tiles and that the final finish is not compromised by your tiles being slightly
moist, or even wet before painting them.
Sometimes, you may need to even use a fungicidal wash may be
required and a limescale remover to get rid of the worst parts of the grit on
your tiles.
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3.
Make sure
you tape off any areas you don’t want painted
Before you start painting tiles you must make sure that you
choose which areas surrounding your tiles- or even on your tiles- that you don’t
want to be painted.
The best way to stop the paint from your tiles getting anywhere
else which you don’t want it to be is by taping off certain areas.
This is not
just achieved by using tape in areas- as this can leave room for paint
splatters or anything else- but also by taping dust sheets down too.
If you are using fabric dust sheets, you can simply tape off
the areas you want- leaving a few inches of tape so that any splashes don’t go
where you don’t want them to- and then carefully place your fabric dust sheets
over any furniture or anything else which you don’t want ruined by paint.
However, if you are using plastic polythene dust sheets, you
can tape the dust sheets to the wall which will give you better coverage of
protection when painting.
This means that you will be able to tape the dust sheets to
the walls in order to protect them from any tile paint, or even tape them to
any furniture or shelves, or anything else which you don’t want paint on.
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4.
Start off
with a base coat of a primer
If your tiles have been previously painted- or even if they
haven’t been previously painted before- you will need to use a primer in order
to make your top coat stick to the glossy surface of your tiles.
This primer should always be one which is suitable for hard,
smooth and glossy surfaces, which Zinnser’s Bulls Eye 123 is perfect for. It is
a primer which is specifically designed to block stains, seal in odours and
bond to glossy surfaces.
This primer can be applied with a paintbrush and does not
have to have a ‘perfect’ and smooth finish as your top coat will hide any
blotches or mistakes which may have been made in the painting process.
This primer can also adhere to hard-to-paint surfaces
without sanding as a result of its unique acrylic, latex formula.
You must make sure that this layer of primer is completely
dry before you begin the rest of your painting process.
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5.
Paint
your top coat!
Finally, the actual painting process begins. It is always
good to test out a few patches beforehand so that you can get your technique
sorted before completing the whole tile painting process.
You can use wither a paintbrush or a roller, although a
roller does always give a smoother finish than paint brushes do.
One coat might be enough for you; however, two coats will
always look smoother, more vibrant, deeper and in general better too. After the
first coat of the paint is dry, make sure that all the parts of your tiles have
been completely covered with paint.
If they haven’t, paint with another coat!
The best paint coat to paint tiles with is an acrylic eggshell finish as it is not only moisture resistant, durable and strong, but it is also fungal resistant too!
If you need more help with choosing a paint finish, check out our OTHER BLOG on paint finishes!
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6.
Redefine
the tiles (if you want to!)
If you are unhappy that your tiles are undefined as a result
of painting them, you can purchase a grout pen to redefine the lines of your
tiles if you want to! If you don’t want to, don’t!
7. And you’re done!
Check out the video below if you need any more tips and tricks!
Shop with us:
- Protea Botanical Flower Wallpaper Rose Gold £12.99
- Dandelion Floral Wallpaper Beige £9.99
- Glistening Metallic Geo Trellis Wallpaper £8.99
- Apex Trellis Metallic Wallpaper Stone & Silver £7.99
- Scandi Tallinn Tree Wallpaper Taupe £19.99
- Astoria Art Deco Fan White & Silver Wallpaper £12.99
- Sequin Geo Wallpaper Silver £21.99
- Collingwood Metallic Damask Wallpaper Rose Gold £15.99
- Slate Faux Brick Wallpaper Grey £14.99
- Trellis Style Wallpaper White/Silver £15.99
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