What is the easiest most cost efficient way to paint this shower tile?

Catherine
by Catherine
My husband built this awesome shower 9 years ago. we used floor tile and I sealed it and the grout at the time of installation. It is a nightmare to clean and gets mold in the grout. I am tired of all the brown and want to brighten it up. We use this shower daily so I need a real solution that will hold up over time. Ideas?
  12 answers
  • Stephanie Stephanie on Sep 26, 2017

    There are fantastic kits at most home stores that make it very easy and look beautiful! Make sure to use a great sealant to protect the new work. Also, hiring an art student could be neat also, they could turn it into something absolutely stunning for low cost!

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  • Raregmz Raregmz on Sep 27, 2017

    I would be hesitant to paint a shower tile floor due to high moisture and water exposure. Why not replace just the grout with one of the newer ones that have the sealer built in it?

    No matter what you do, if you have poor ventilation in the bathroom you will still have the mold/mildew problem. I would also address that problem first. I live in Florida and this problem is common. I have found that keeping the shower ventilated and dry really helps to eliminate the mold. Also a mildew spray every few weeks helps a lot as well.

  • Hope Williams Hope Williams on Sep 27, 2017

    hi. The white stuff is lime/calcium scale. That must be removed before you can do anything! It is pourous, therefore allowing mildew and mold to flourish. You can remove the bulk of it with a scraper, flathead screw driver or even a paint can opener. (Firmly but not as to damage tile or grout.) then use a lime/scale remover for the remaining. Then you have got to clean the fool out of the shower!!! Allow it to dry absolutely, completely dry. Then you have to reseal it. Sealer breaks down over time and has to reapplied usually yearly after a thourgh cleaning.

    Well water and bar soap are the worst on pourous tile!

  • Cindy Hagemann Cindy Hagemann on Sep 27, 2017

    It will not last, you best bet is to take it out and re-tile or hire someone to do it for you.

  • Catherine Catherine on Sep 27, 2017

    Great idea about the art student! Thanks

    • Raregmz Raregmz on Sep 28, 2017

      Art student's work will last a few weeks at best. There is a serious water problem here.

  • Gingerrice56 Gingerrice56 on Sep 27, 2017

    If your husband was handy enough to install this tile originally, then remove this old tile, and re-install with a recommended tile that you love


  • Petra Petra on Sep 27, 2017

    I had this problem years ago due to horrible ventilation. We simply kept a spray bottle in the shower and bleached it before going to work to stop and kill the mild and mildew.


    It also helped keep the grout clean.





  • Jacque Jacque on Sep 27, 2017

    We have the same problem in our master bath because the builder for some unknown reason didn't put any open windows in our bathroom (we have one in our closed in toilet room)! Frustrating to try to clean with the moisture/mildew.

    We painted our rental with a rustoleum kit but that was fiberglass...ours is tile but there are kits at home depot you can use. I suggest asking one of their painting specialists.

    It's way too expensive to rip out and redo...you need an interim solution, right? Depending on your budget there are companies that will come in and spray it all down for you. Or do it yourself knowing, hey it may last 1-2 years until you can afford to change it completley.

    Also, I've even seen it done on HGTV and all you need to do is give it a good cleaning prior to paint...much of that build up is impossible to remove regardless of if you spray everyday or clean every week. It's the nature of the beast. Good luck dear!

  • Nancy Flemming Nancy Flemming on Sep 28, 2017

    You want something to hold up over time. Paint will not. Suggestion is to re grout with a different color grout to brighten then re seal, as someone else suggested earlier, it needs to be resealed every few years. Also do you have ventilation or exhaust fan turned on when using the shower, if not install one that vents outside to help remove moisture. As your hubby is handy you could just redo the floor pan area and maybe a row of the wall tiles and update with a different colour to brighten. Good luck.

  • Catherine Catherine on Sep 28, 2017

    Thanks for the suggestion. Yes we have ventilation. I like jus replacing the floor and one row.

  • Karen Krysowaty Karen Krysowaty on Sep 28, 2017

    it looks like you need to regrout the area. There are tools that you can use to remove the old grout. Let it dry and then apply new grout and reseal.

  • Terri Terri on Sep 29, 2017

    Here is what you do. First, do clean off the lime, use CLR, or vinegar with a Mr. eraser. Then use the Mr. Eraser with soda and vinegar on all the tiles to get a good tooth on the tile. Make sure that you do not need to replace any grout. Tape off if you want to paint a design. YOU MUST USE AN EPOXY PAINT!!!!. OPEN YOUR WINDOW AND DO NOT PLAN ON USING YOUR BATHROOM FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS. LET DRY BETWEEN COATS. USE AT LEAST 2, POSSIBLY 3. Let dry thoroughly. You should be good to go after that but if you use and after shower spray bottle of 1 to 2 vinegar and water spray, lime will not build up and it will be easy to clean. I know that epoxy comes in white. Do not know if they have other colors now. White will never go out of style.