Refinishing Ceramic Floor Tiles
by
Maria Vivier
+1
Has anyone ever painted ceramic floor tiles? My patio tiles are in bad shape and I do not want to replace them, Any suggestions on what to prime it with so the paint adheres to it? We tried to etch them but the stuff only removes the grout...HELP
4 answers
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With any painting adhesion is and always be the key to a long paint finish. There are chemicals for every type of material out there that will etch it. With a ceramic tile the surface is more like glass then anything else. So this goes to reason why the etching method you used which I would assume was acid based. Glass is normally used to contain acid as it does not corrode it. They do make paint primers that, according to the manufacture that will adhere to the tile surface, but they offer very little in warranty on how long it will last. And there are methods, such as sand or media blasting that will most certainly etch the tile surface, but is really messy and requires special equipment to do the job. Even here on Hometalk you will find many that have had great success in using these products and have told stories of how well their paint job is lasting. But there is always a but about this. The success of any project lies with several factors. Quality of paint, quality of the prep, conditions such as where the tile is located and most important how well you maintain things. I have seen granite counters that are installed look horrible after a few years because of owner treating or should I say abusing them. Yet I have seen painted counters in other homes that look as great as the day they were painted. So the use or abuse is a very important factor here on how much luck you will have or not. . So what can you do? A really good power washing is first on the list. Ideally removal of the grout would be the 2nd thing. At least if you want the floor to look like tile again and not simply a painted floor. You would be re-grouting again once the tiles are painted. Remember however you can simply paint everything if you do not want the hassle of removal and replacement. Then depending upon the brand paint you choose, and I would purchase the paint at a paint store, not some big box place where one brand and type does everything. and simply follow the directions from the store on application. There are several two part epoxy type paints that cost a bit more, and of course quality always does, that would be my first choice if I was to paint something that people would be walking on. In any case get your products from a paint store in your area, and have fun. The worse thing that happens is the floor does not turn out great, and you end up having to remove it, but you may get real lucky and the paint product you selected turns out to be a winner. In any case, let us know what you decide and take photos before and after.
Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com
on Mar 19, 2014
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Thanks I will let you know how is turns out...btw...what about garage floor paint? it is epoxy based and hot tires on it doesn't ruin it, do u think they may work?
Maria Vivier
on Mar 20, 2014
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Thanks for the answers, but I'm still hoping for more ideas.
Maria Vivier
on Mar 22, 2014
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I would like your opinion on an epoxy based garage floor paint, do you think that it may work well to paint my tile floor?
Maria Vivier
on Mar 27, 2014
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