Painting Tiles - Preparation and Products

So you fancy a change of colour in your bathroom or kitchen, but don't want the hassle and expense of removing the old tiles and putting in new ones? One worthwhile option is to simply paint over your existing tiles. This is a great way to freshen up the room easily and quickly. But care needs to be taken to ensure that you approach the job correctly using the right products and the best technique.

The main issue with painting over tiles is that the surface is often very shiny, making it difficult for the paint to properly adhere to the surface. This is where good preparation comes in.

• For the best results you should remove as much of the grout as possible from between your tiles.
• Use sugar soap to thoroughly clean the tiles. Use a scourer to get all traces of dirt and grease off and leave them to dry.
• Apply a specialist tile primer paint and to all tiles and leave to dry for 24 hours. Do not use your shower or get the area wet while waiting for this to dry.
• Sand down the tiles lightly and clean off the dust.
• Using a specialist tile paint in your chosen colour, apply two or three coats to the tiles.
• Once this has dried you can add new grout to make the tiles look like new.

Specialist tile paints can be bought in all DIY stores and are water resistant so that they can be used even on tiles which are continually soaked by a shower or bath.

Tile which are darker in colour may not be easily painted over or may require several coats. If this is the case you may be better off putting up new tiles.

For a quick change of look and a way to save money, painting tiles can be effective. However if you are intending on changing your bathroom suite, it is probably better to simply remove the old tiles and put up new ones. No amount of paint can make poorly positioned tiles or wonky tiling jobs look any better.

Painting tiles is great way to make your bathroom or kitchen look fresh and new and will last a surprisingly long time.