How to Paint Floor Tiles

Retiling ceramic floors can be a costly, time-consuming project. Fortunately, you can offer your clients a faster, less expensive option for updating the look of their tile floors. Whether it’s bathroom tile, wall tile and even tile in high-traffic areas, if you paint the ceramic tile, you avoid the time, effort and cost of replacing it.

7 Steps to Painting a Tile Instead of Replacing It

Follow these basic steps to get a long-lasting painted finish on any floor tile.

1. Make Sure the Area is Well Ventilated – Open the windows and use fans whenever possible.
   
2. Clean the Tile & Grout Lines – Thoroughly cleaning the tile and grout is crucial to the success of the project. Ese water, a mop, and a brush to clean the entire surface with a product like TSP.
   
3. Apply a Coat of Bonding Primer – Ceramic tile is usually glazed. A bonding primer offers the adhesion properties needed for the paint to endure the wear and tear on the floor. We recommend StixTM Waterborne Bonding Primer from Insl-X. It’s a low-odor product that bonds to hard-to-coat surfaces and cures in even lower temperatures. Coat the tile and grout in small sections and let it completely dry.
   
4. Apply the First Coat of Paint – Go with a heavy-duty paint designed for floors. You can use most types of paint, but oil-based and epoxy paints offer the best adhesion and durability. Paint the floor as you would any floor.
   
5. Drying Time – Let the paint dry for at least two days. This step is important because many people are in a hurry and they won’t let the paint dry for long enough. Painting glazed tile means doing everything you can to maximize adhesion. Recoating too soon can reduce the bond with the primer.
   
6. Apply the Second Coat – Let it dry for two days also.
   
7. Apply a Urethane Top Coat – Any floor paint must stand up to lots of wear and tear. A polyurethane topcoat, in the finish of your choice, helps the painted floor last longer. For best results, apply up to three coats of polyurethane finish.

If you liked this post, check out our recent article on the Benjamin Moore 2019 colour trends we’re most excited about.