Painting bathroom tiles - first timer!

Dear All,

I am painting some bathroom tiles in my newly aquired first home :-) This is my first big DIY project and I am after some advice. I am using Ronseal tile primer with the intention of going for gloss over the top, I was advised this was the way to go after I could not find a tile paint in the colour I liked. I am concerned however that even though the pot says you do not get brush lines, I am getting brush lines. I am not a proud man so I am assuming that there is either a problem with my preparation, choice of materials or my technique.Any expert tips out there so I can ensure I get a decent finish to my first major DIY job? Apologies if this is a novice or desperate question but the future of my love life may depend on it, I sorta 'bigged up' my DIY skills to the other half LOL :-$

Many thanks Kevin

Reply to
Kevin Smith
Loading thread data ...

Are you using a quality brush, not one out of the 99p bin? IMO, painting tile looks horrible, and I'd always retile. But that's me.

Reply to
Ian Stirling

My brother painted some tiles white with what claimed to be special tile paint but looked just like over-priced gloss paint. A year later it was all yellow, and he had the tiles all taken down.

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

Tile paint can be useful as a temporary fix, when time and/or money don't allow replacement.

Sheila

Reply to
S Viemeister

I agree. It's the same with gloss over radiators - ends up horrible. The only time I painted over tiles was on a 1940's fireplace that I couldn't afford to replace. The tiles were mostly mushroom with some yellow I didn't like. I decided they would look better off-white. Because it was an area with heat I decided to use spray radiator paint, hoping it would discolour less. It looks great - 10 years on! Still haven't replaced it - got a bit fond of it.

The tips for best use: mask the grouting; under spray rather than over coat for more realistic finish; don't go right out to the edge (as with applying nail varnish), it looks neater - although a prob if you are doing white over black or other big change; don't spray directly, spray onto something else and lightly sponge on, building up just the right amount of cover. Any spillage into the grout draws the eye, points out it is paint, and spoils the entire effect, so be very very careful not to go over the edge of the tile.

Having said all that, I would agree with Ian, retiling would be the nicer option. I wouldn't think of painting/ masking all the tiles you have in a bathroom! We have tiled only twice in our lives and it turned out ok - but it is time consuming and expect to curse a good bit. It was a kitchen area and we had a lot of cutting to do for sockets, so if your bathroom area is a plain wall, go for it! White tiles are plain ,simple, cheap and look very fresh.

My unexpert tips for tiling: Two people make for less chance of fouling up, 1 to scrape the grout on and the other to stick, and 2 sets of eyes for numpty-mistake-avoidance; Clean the area to remove loose stuff before starting; Use a 'comb' to put the tile adhesive on with ridges - best results for sticking and evenness; Don't put on too much tile adhesive, it dries quick and you will be going slowly as a newbie. No more than two tiles ahead. Use plastic spacers or matches to leave spaces between tiles for grouting later. This will be more professional looking than if you just guess the spaces. Plastic spacers can be pulled out and reused further along - don't buy enough for every joint in the room! Use darker grout than the tiles, never use brilliant white grout with white or pastel tiles (OK with strong blue). Why? Because it looks like Tippex on a tooth, and the least discolouration stands out like a sore thumb! The tiles won't discolour, the grout will. Light grey or biege with white tiles allows the tiles to be the star, not the grout. This grout will just look off-white when finished, rather than coloured. The bigger the tile, the less tiling (and grouting) you will have to do. Mosaic tiles look great but are a b*tch to grout. You could put a little border of them in if you were feeling brave

Final tip: the cheaper the tiles, the more likely they are to snap in half, but for a newbie it means you don't have to worry about cost every time you foul up. Buy 10% more than you need at least.

Good luck Suzanne

Reply to
Suz

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.