Use paint on bathroom floor tile for a quick cosmetic update on a budget!
Do your bathroom floors need an upgrade, but you don’t want to break the bank with new flooring? There’s a way — and it doesn’t require a whole lot of back-breaking work or heavy lifting. You can paint them!
That’s what I recently did for a budget makeover in my boys’ bathroom. I’d never painted tile before, but the process was pretty seamless for a first-timer. Read on to see how I did it and how you can make it happen in your home!
Can you paint over travertine, porcelain or ceramic floor tile?
There’s a lot of naysayers out there that will tell you to stay away from painting tile. In high traffic areas, paint can tend to peel and chip. But I’ve never been one to blend in with the crowd, so I’m going to be the outlier who says if you do it correctly, you can achieve the lasting look you want.
It’s also worth noting that painting the tile in my boys’ bathroom isn’t meant to be a permanent solution. This budget makeover is a temporary fix to an ugly bathroom that I’ve just been dying to give a facelift. I’m likely going to replace the tile altogether in the next two to three years.
Below are the tile samples I found at a local tile store that I used as inspiration for our painted tile floors
All that said, if your travertine, porcelain or ceramic floor tile is in good shape but aesthetically outdated, painting the tile is a great way to save time and money without spending a huge fortune on a bathroom remodel. Again, though, I can’t stress enough how important it is to do it correctly. I’ll show you how.
What you need to paint bathroom floor tile
Heavy Duty Cleaner – Krud Kutter Degreaser or TSP – (purchase from AMAZON or HOME DEPOT)
220 grit sanding blocks – (purchase from AMAZON or HOME DEPOT)
Microfiber Cloths – (purchase from AMAZON)
Frogtape Painters Tape – (purchase from AMAZON or HOME DEPOT)
Paintable Caulk – (purchase from AMAZON or HOME DEPOT)
7 in ONE Paint Brush Kit – (purchase from AMAZON)
STIX Bonding Primer – (purchase from AMAZON)
Porch & Patio Floor Paint by BEHR – (purchase in person from HOME DEPOT for custom color) OR Rustoleum Home Interior Floor Coating (purchase from AMAZON or HOME DEPOT in select colors)
Rustoleum HOME Floor Coating & Sealer – (purchase in a kit from HOME DEPOT or individually from AMAZON)
Best Paint for Bathroom Tiles
How to prep bathroom tile for painting
Prepping your bathroom tile before painting is pretty simple, but it is SO important! Don’t miss these crucial steps.
Do a general vacuuming of the area to clean out the corner areas and pick up any dust.
Then, do a deep clean with a heavy duty cleanser like TSP or Krud Kutter. Note that this isn’t a light cleaning. Put some real elbow grease into this effort! You want to make sure that your tiles are thoroughly prepped before you even think of breaking out the paint brush!
Next, use a wet rag to wipe down the tiles with clean water. This will remove any remaining residue.
how to Sand tile floors
Take a 120 or 220 grit sanding block and lightly sand every surface that will be painted. If the paint can tells you otherwise, ignore it! This sanding step is super important, so whatever you do, don’t skip it!
how to Clean bathroom tiles
As a final step in the prep process, wipe down the whole area again with a rag and water. Let the area dry completely.
NOTE: If your tile floors happen to have any cracks in the grout, use paintable caulk to fill in the cracks before moving on to the next step.
how to Prime tile floors
Now it’s time to prime! Tape off all areas that you don’t want paint to touch. Then, use a bonding primer like STIX Bonding Primer to cut in with a brush. Then, roll the rest with a four-inch dense foam roller.
Let it cure for at least 48 hours. The longer, the better.
Take a 220 grit sanding block and gently sand the floors, then wipe them clean with a damp cloth. Any areas where primer didn’t adhere will need to be re-primed. I ended up doing a full second coat on the whole floor to ensure the right coverage. Then, I waited another 48 hours for the primer to cure.
How to paint bathroom floor tile
The great thing about painting tile is that once you’ve properly prepped and primed, you’ve literally got a blank canvas to work with. This is where my creativity came in. I wasn’t just going to paint the tile a solid color from edge to edge. My boys insisted on black and white as the colors, so I gave them a choice between two tile patterns. Option 1 was a modern geometric triangle shape, and Option 2 was a Bohemian Dots & Dashes pattern.
And they picked… Geometric Triangles!
Should you use a brush or roller to paint bathroom floor tile?
I used both! A short angled brush for the edges then a 4 inch roller for the rest. A roller will help even out any brush lines. For perfectly smooth tile a foam roller can be used. If the tile has any texture, opt for a textured roller
How to Paint edges/grout
Use an angled paint brush to paint the edges. As for grout – nothing special needs to be done here. Just follow the regular painting steps.
How to Paint tile Floors – step by step
Im using porch and patio floor paint by Behr to paint my bathroom tile floors. It holds up to wet conditions and high traffic areas and can also be tinted any color.
I used Light Beige by Dunn Edwards and Iron Ore by Sherwin Williams for my painted tile floors
I have used this exact same paint when painting concrete porches and it holds up really well
Use a brush and a 4 inch roller to apply the paint over the primed tile.
SUPER IMPORTANT NOTE: You need to wait 24 hours between each coat of paint for the most durable finish. Then, lightly sand and wipe down in between coats.
You will likely need two coats of paint for full coverage, possibly three depending on the color that is chosen.
If you are adding a pattern use Frogtape for delicate surfaces so it won’t pull at the fresh paint, I did a light coat of the base color to seal the tape for a crisp line then add your second color. I did 3 coats for full coverage.
Do you need to seal painted tile floors?
YES! There is a specific sealer for painted tile floors. I used Rustoleum HOME Floor Coating. It is more durable than regular sealer because it is specially formulated for floors. Do two coats of sealer with 24 hours of cure time in between coats.
After the final coat, wait 48 hours until you use the bathroom.
NOTE: This sealer will be dry to the touch after just a few hours, but it will take a full 30 days to cure completely. Refrain from soap/water cleaning the floors until after the 30 days.
PAINTED TILE FLOORS – REVEAL
Our painted tile floors turned out so good and they look amazing! The finish could easily be mistaken for real tile! I love them so much and it was a great budget friendly project for this small bathroom!
Would you try this project in your own home?
Let me know in the comments!!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FOR PAINTED TILE FLOORS
How long do painted tile floors need to dry?
The longer cure time the better when it comes to high traffic areas. As a general rule of thumb I give 24 hours between each coat then 48 hours after the last coat before walking on them. I know it seems extreme but the more dry time the better the finish will be!
HOW TO CHOOSE paint colors for tile floors?
You can really use any color for painted tile floors. BEHR porch and patio floor paint can be tinted any color at the Home Depot paint desk. They can even color match other brands of paint
WHAT IS THE Cost to paint bathroom tile?
Between primer, floor paint, sealer and brushes I ended up spending around $200 to paint the bathroom tile floors. However, I did have a ton of paint leftover so I can do another tile or floor project essentially for free!
How long do painted bathroom tiles last?
The key to painted (anything) lasting is the prep work, paint type and cure time. I expect our painted tile floors to last several years looking amazing.
NOTE – 1 month update: I have noticed that if water sits on the floor for an extended period of time that the sealer will bubble under. the water because it is rated for interior use only, and water would be considered an exterior element. To prevent this make sure that all water is wiped up after showering. If bubbling does happen, don’t worry, allow the bubbling to dry then lightly sand with a 220 grit sanding block and touch up the spot with a coat of floor sealer.
DoES tile paint scratch off?
The floor sealer should prevent paint from scratching because it is sealing the paint!
How do you clean painted tile floors?
The floor sealer takes 30 days to fully cure. Prior to the 30 days simply use a broom or vacuum to clean the floors. After the 30 days mop with mild soap and water. I use my TINECO wet/dry vac to clean our floors and it works amazing!
Are painted tile floors slippery?
Ours are about the same as any other smooth tile. If you want to take an extra precaution, Behr does have an anti-skip verison of their porch and patio paint. Just remember it still needs a sealer over the top.
Do you need to seal bathroom tiles after painting?
Yes! You absolutely need to seal the floors to protect the finish and keep them looking amazing. I recommend doing 2-3 coats of Rustoleum Home Floor coating for panted tile floors
Can you paint over bathroom tiles and grout?
Yes you absolutely can. Make sure to take the time to do the mentioned steps in this post in order with proper cure time
Should bathroom floor tiles be gloss or matte?
This is really personal preference! The paint and sealer I recommend using for this process comes in both finishes!