Every room in the home benefits from a facelift now and again - some rooms have a harder life than others, and can look rather jaded and tired due to their everyday environment; bathrooms and kitchens in particular suffer more than others.
Tiles are a practical favourite in these two important areas in the home, but when you fancy a change, replacement is not exactly quick and easy. On the scale of DIY difficulty, replacing wall tiles is not so much a matter of requiring particular skills, gained through training and experience, but rather a more time consuming affair requiring preparation, more tools, and usually, more cost. Look below at a clever alternative – see how easy it is to paint bathroom tiles, or kitchen tiles for that matter. Whether you want to keep the tiled effect, or go for a smoother effect, the choice is yours.
Tools you will need
- Wet and dry glass paper
- Detergent containing bleach
- Lint free cloths
- Good quality paint brush, type dependant on paint you choose.
- Roll of masking tape
- Suitable tool to dig out old grout
Keep the tiled effect
As with most do-it-yourself jobs, preparation is the key to success. If you want a change of colour but want to keep the individual tile effect prominent, it will be necessary to dig out the old grout first – don’t worry, the tiles won’t fall off –apply the paint in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations and re grout afterwards.
Going for a smoother effect
Paint coverings designed specifically for painting over tiles are often applied in order to provide a smoother looking, mould resistant, waterproof finish. If this is the way to go for you, things are even easier – a couple of coats of paint designed for tiles, and you’ve a blank canvas, you can apply accent patterns, or transfers. Let your imagination loose – and create something unique to you. Either way, the results can be quite stunning.
Preparation and applying the paint
First things first – the health and safety bit – don’t breathe in the nasty dust and paint fumes this job will generate, so open any adjacent windows to improve ventilation before rubbing down and starting to paint, and follow these steps…
- Rub over tiles with a wet and dry glass paper to scuff the surface.
- Clean the tiles thoroughly with a detergent containing bleach to remove all the dust, dirt and grease then wipe down with a lint free cloth. Allow to dry completely.
- Apply masking tape to any edge that may inadvertently come in contact with the tile paint.
- Apply the paint with the same care you would with any normal gloss finishing coat, with care and attention – ensure the last paint stroke is in the vertical for best results. At least two coats of paint are generally required to produce a blemish free, uniform smooth finish.
Many people have tried painting over bathroom (and kitchen) tiles in the past, and it might seem a logical thing to do/try – but even after rubbing down the shiny, glazed tiles – the paint finish never seemed to look right…or stay on the tiles for any amount of time, but take heart; today’s paint manufacturers have come up with some great products – giving you a professional and long lasting finish.
