Painting over Bathroom Tiles

terrysdelight · 25 Apr 2015

Hi

For a temporary makeover (hopefully a couple of years), I want to paint over the bathroom tiles. I've bought Zinsser Bullseye 123 plus to prepare the tiles before painting.

Can anyone tell me, should I re-grout the tiles before starting this project? And also, is there a specific brand of tile paint I should use?

Many thanks

emilybronte · 25 Apr 2015

Please don't paint the tiles. It looks really naff and screams 'student rental property'.

Either tile on top of the existing ones, or leave them as they are - perhaps re-grout them.

You will regret doing anything else, believe me...and it will take value off the property.

geraldthehamster · 26 Apr 2015

emilybronte said:
Please don't paint the tiles. It looks really naff and screams 'student rental property'.

Either tile on top of the existing ones, or leave them as they are - perhaps re-grout them.

You will regret doing anything else, believe me...and it will take value off the property.

I agree. Painting tiles can't be called a makeover.

Cheers
Richard

terrysdelight · 26 Apr 2015

The thing it is a temporary makeover. The bath needs replacing but due to the size/dimensions of the bathroom - unless I start knocking down walls and blocking up doorways, I have to have a specially made bath.

Whilst I am saving up for the specially made bath, I want to give the bathroom a bit of a tidy up to brighten it up a bit. It's pointless changing the tiles now, as when the bath is ripped out to be replaced - they will get damaged.

joe-90 · 26 Apr 2015

Nothing wrong with a quick freshen up. If you can fill the grout lines so much the better.

footprints · 26 Apr 2015

The Ronseal one works well no need for primer it is "one coat" (if you believe that you probably believe in fairies too) it needs two. Just clean throughly and fill any gaps in the grouting.

It will last about two years then looks awful, I did my green tiles in the downstairs bathroom (Pampas Suite) which was there when I moved in as I intended to replace everything anyway in a year or two.

Ahemm! I have been here almost 8 years and it's still waiting!

It did look very good for the first 2 or 3 years but now it looks dreadful!

Nige F · 26 Apr 2015

terrysdelight said:
The bath needs replacing but due to the size/dimensions of the bathroom - unless I start knocking down walls and blocking up doorways, I have to have a specially made bath.
.

Out of interest what size is the bath ? in feet and inches

geraldthehamster · 27 Apr 2015

terrysdelight said:
I want to give the bathroom a bit of a tidy up to brighten it up a bit.

Yes, but you still seem to have the impression that painted tiles are going to look anything other than cheap and horrible, and that's *before* the paint starts coming off. Does nobody apart from you see your bathroom?

Cheers
Richard

blightymam · 27 Apr 2015

I did my kitchen.. for a temp job. Biggest prob I found is trying to clean the tiles. Wipe - fine, but anything that needs scrubbing, forget it coz the paint will come off.

Any colours from shampoo, soaps and of course if anyone dyes their hair, you can probably bet good money you'll not be able to get it off unless perhaps, you clean your tiles daily. Also, if you live in a hard water area, watermarks and limescale build-up can be a pain.

All said and done tho, the kitchen I did, while looking ropey and rubbish, it did cover the worst poo-coloured tiles with flecks of orange that you ever did see, and looked better for it.... squinting my eyes helped them look even better! I can understand your temptation. If your bathroom is really horrid, I'd say regrout, paint the woodwork and perhaps stick a layer of lino down or something if the floor is also dull/dark/knackered as a temp measure. Redoing everything else instead of the tiles may just make it look brighter and better?

emilybronte · 27 Apr 2015

If the bathroom is really horrid, just make an ironic statement out of it by accentuating the grotesque and saving up until you can afford to do it properly.

So, make it like a real student bathroom. Don't clean your shower for weeks on end, leave empty toilet roll inners everywhere and stick up a poster or two. Plant a giant stuffed rat somewhere near the bath. Deliberately block the sink from time to time and leave the plunger around.

That way, you'll really appreciate your new bathroom when you finally get it.

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Painting over Bathroom Tiles

blightymam

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