Is it possible to paint over textured tile kitchen floors?

Mindy
by Mindy
We have grey/silver floors with little indents all over to provode traction for people and dogs. There was a problem with the installation in that the tiles were completely pourous and regular sealets did not protect them from the grout installation. As they were removing the excess grout the washed out grout sank in and could be wiped off. We tried everything including a raft of specialized chemicals. As a result there are streaks etc of the faded out grout all over them. Although subtle it drives me crazy. I hate to jackhammer out the tile but would like to live with it for 3or 4 years.

Any other ideas would also be appreciated.
  11 answers
  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Apr 15, 2018

    exactly what are they made of?

    • Mindy Mindy on Apr 16, 2018

      porcelain. The texture is quite find. I'm hoping the paint will fill in the indents a little. It would be easier to paint.

      Have you ever tried metallic paint? There iridescence the tile but it's hard to see with the "grout wash".

      Any ideas?

  • Lina Splichal Lina Splichal on Apr 15, 2018

    You should be able to paint these tiles, just be sure to mask off the grout lines unless you want them to be painted also. Check with your local paint store for the right kind of paint to use for the type of tile you have. From the picture, i am not sure exactly what material your tiles are made from.

    • Mindy Mindy on Apr 16, 2018

      They are porcelain. The texture is quite fine. I'm hoping the paint will fill in the indents a little. It would be easier to clean!

      Have you ever tried metallic paint? There is iridescence in the tile but it's hard to see with the "grout wash".

      Any ideas?

      Mindy

  • B. Enne B. Enne on Apr 15, 2018

    I have painted floors but have discovered that the more textured they are, the more likely the paint is to come off.

  • Janice Janice on Apr 15, 2018

    If you had the tile installed by a professional, you should be able to contact them and make them do the install correctly.

    • Mindy Mindy on Apr 16, 2018

      Thanks for your response Janice but I have certainly tried that route. It was not the contractor's fault - there was no indication that they could not be installed as any normal tile. They said to seal them first, which we did but it was not sufficient so the argument was with the vendor/manufacturer in Italy which gave us no satisfaction. I'm not willing to go through a removal/reinstall at this time.

  • Bijous Bijous on Apr 15, 2018

    Hi, those are really nice. Have a pro come in and see if they can buff off the remaining grout with a buffer. Sorry you had this problem.

  • Janice Janice on Apr 16, 2018

    Mindy, so sorry this happened to you! I wouldn't be willing to tear it all up either. I hope some of the other suggestions from Hometalkers have been useful and you find a beautiful resolution to your problem. Take care.

  • Lina Splichal Lina Splichal on Apr 17, 2018

    In thinking more about this, you might check into self-leveling resin or lacquer (also from the paint store) to fill in the divots either before or after painting. It takes a while to set up, but will fill your holes better than paint and is intended to flatten the top of a rough surface. You will lose your grip surface though. I suggest you talk to the people at your paint and/or tile stores to see what you can do about what you have and what you want.

  • Itsmemic Itsmemic on Apr 18, 2018

    I stupidly bought a cushioned vinyl floor with an indeted texture. Try cleaning this thing..AND? I did my whole house with it !!! With 4 dogs, the floor is a nightmare. A permanent dirt path all through the house that is impossible to clean. I was told to seal it..but how with the dirt already ingrained in it? I even bought the very expensive AND TOXIC floor cleaner especially for this floor.. On my hands and knees the floor is still horrible.

    The good news is. I put in a complaint to the manufacturer...and...I WON ! They gave me back the entire cost of the flooring. I still had to pay the floor company for installing. But that refund is going towards my NEXT floor...when I can't stand to look at this anymore.

  • Mindy Mindy on Apr 18, 2018

    Congratulations! I have had no such luck with the Italian manufacturer claiming the retailer should have told me and the retailer saying it wasn't their fault that my installer didn't ask or didn't know how to install this very unisual tile. I wish it were only vinyl- no jackhammer required!

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Oct 31, 2023

    Use a Floor Tile Paint available from DIY's or maybe you could use grout all over the tiles to get an even effect!