Can you paint or Estapol over porch quarry tiles
by
Judy Horton
I have a front porch area that is tiled with quarry tiles in a clay colour. Unfortunately they have a greyish bloom on them which makes them look dusty all the time. (I was told it was efflorescence) The only time they look good is when they are wet.
I wondered if we could paint them in a clear to renew them. Would it last?
Could it be from grout haze? If so, putting a clear seal on it will likely make it look worse. There are products that are supposed to remove grout haze.
No I would just clean the efflorescence off. Its minerals salts rising to the surface either from the grout or the tiles themselves when they get wet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koVSgTwp6kg
You can remove it with muriatic acid which is caustic so cover all skin, wear rubber gloves and googles. Then seal the tiles when dry.
You can paint them with a concrete stain. Home depot has a fantastic concrete stain that holds up to wear and tear for years and it comes in many colors but they can also custom mix colors in it as well. It's easy to apply with a roller but you will have to throw your roller away afterwards. This is an epoxy paint made especially to use with concrete and stone. It is not translucent paint.