Painting tiles is a clever way to give your interior a quick, low-budget makeover without the hassle and overhaul. How to paint tiles, having no previous experience?
If you decide to refresh tiled walls and floors with a paint dedicated to such tasks, you will pay several hundred, instead of several thousand PLN for the room makeover (a 0.75 ml can of paint from a well-known manufacturer costs about 100 PLN). Remember that ordinary paint will not adhere to the surface covered with ceramic, gres or gypsum tiles, it must be a special product for ceramics, adapted to the specific conditions prevailing in the bathroom, kitchen or other target rooms. For painting tiles, you can use paint:
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A good paint for tiles is characterized by excellent adhesion to slippery, non-porous surfaces (it can not flow, flake or peel). It forms a smooth, dense and durable paint film. You should be aware that a different paint will work for floor tiles, and a different paint for wall tiles, because these surfaces are used with different intensity and are exposed to different damage.
How do I start painting tiles? First, you need to properly prepare the room, remove all the equipment and furniture that could hinder renovation work, and secure the contact points of tiles with the wall/floor
The next step is to carefully degrease the tiles – it is a very important stage, as the final effect depends on it (paint will adhere perfectly only to thoroughly cleaned surfaces). You need to remove all greasy stains, deposits, stains, traces of mold. What to use? All you need is a sponge or a cotton cloth, a tile cleaner and a mildew remover. The next step is to fill in the gaps, scratches, cracks, chipped grout. It is enough to cover the places with imperfections with a dedicated tile repair compound with water-resistant properties.
Before application, the paint should be thoroughly mixed, for example with a drilling machine with a mixer. You can use brushes and rollers (sponge ones work best) for painting. Some paints are also applied by spraying, but this method requires a lot of practice and is not recommended for beginners. Some manufacturers recommend covering tiles with one coat of primer for ceramic substrates (especially in kitchens and bathrooms). It is worth knowing that the temperature in the room should not exceed 24-28℃, and the humidity should not exceed 80% (this has an impact on how fast the paint coat dries).
When painting tiles, move from top to bottom – centimeter by centimeter. In order to precisely cover the grout with paint, it is a good idea to use a small paintbrush, which can easily reach hard-to-reach nooks and crannies. After about 20-30 minutes from the end of work, we can tear off the painter’s tape. If we do this after a few hours, when the paint is completely dry, removing the tapes can be problematic (there is a risk of damaging the paint coating)
Important note: If we decide that one coat of paint is not enough, we need to keep a break between applying subsequent coats and let the coating dry for 12-48 hours (depending on what the paint manufacturer recommends).
Remember that walls and floors painted with tile paint should not only look aesthetically pleasing, but also be resistant to damage, scrubbing, stains, discoloration and chemicals. We hope that thanks to these tips refreshed rooms will gain attractiveness, will be easy to keep clean and withstand contact with various detergents without any problem.
