What would you recommend for a bathroom that is tiled into and above the tub? We have the same color tile extending into the shower(above tub) area. We would like to paint it all, so that is uniform in appearance, but do not want to remove all the tile. If we were to remove some of the tile, it would all need to be removed. Our home was built in the late 30's early 40's.

If you paint the tile in the tub/shower area, it will peel over time. You can install new tile over the existing with the right mastic.

I am a single mom on tight budget, have extremely small bathroom with claw tub adn small high gloss flowered ceramic tiles around tub and on other walls, thinking of snading tiles down, to remove shine and painting or using venetian plaster take 4 small tiles and make into one bigger tile. Can I sand down the high gloss off the tiles to make them more porous? can venetian plaster be used. looking for a more earthy look, open to suggestions as I don't want to end up with big ugly mess. desperate thanks

Robin,
You are *not* going to sand the glaze from those tiles. Not on your best day....... Can you afford new inexpensive closeout tile? You can buy adhesive that is made to apply tile over tile.

Tim,

Can I also paint a porcelain tile floor in this manner? I am renovating my bathroom and the procelain floor is only three years old and my husband does not want to replace it. I do not like the color and am wanting to paint it.

Thank you,

Debra

Debra,
The answer is Yes. You have nothing to lose in doing it. Be sure the tile is clean and you use oil paint then once cured coat it with urethane.

Since you recommend using urethane over the painted tile, couldn't one use exterior "spar" urethane in the bathtub surround area? It probably would have the same negatives as using any oil-based urethane, but would it hold up?
Thanks!

okay then, I want to thank you, as I hear you loud and clear re;sanding tiles. So I am to get stick on tiles to go over current tiles. do they look good? natural? and is there a brand or type you could recommend. and again thank you so much for the input, as I am sure it would have turned into the day from hell. so I am very appreciative.
Robin

I am going to paint my ceramic tiles and I am going to use oil based paint as you suggest. Is there a specific oil based paint I should use? I tried to go the epoxy route and the men at the paint store said they only had epoxy paint for cement. Would that work?
Thanks

Mike,
I think it will fail.

Robin,
No. You can buy affordable real ceramic tile. Go to a real tile store, not a home center. Be sure to buy the adhesive meant to place tile over tile.

Brenda,
Any high-quality oil paint will work.

I want to paint our dark green ceramic tile bathroom floor a different color. the tile goes up to the tub and around the toliet would that be to much moisture areas to repaint or would it peel over time?

Becky,
As long as the tile is not getting water on it as it would in the shower, you should be fine.

We have an entire first floor of salmon color tile! Must have been builders special. We hate it! Are there any colors we are limited to using? Also, do we paint the grout as well and should we seal the grout again first?
Thanks.
Sue

Sue,
I would not paint the grout. It will make the floor look monotone.

I am hoping to paint several tiles to go in a backsplash for my kitchen. Can I use regular artists oil paints?

Priscilla,
Yes.

Can this method also be used to paint a bathtub that is not used? One of our bathrooms is over 50 years old and we haven't used the tub/shower in over 10 years. I'd like to paint the tile and tub but I'm concerned that the tub will show all of the brush strokes.

Marty,
Yes, you can paint the tub, but a future owner will chase you to the Gates of Hell......

Just wondering what your advice is on painting tile around a gas fireplace? I hate the color and would love to change it w/out ripping it out.
Thanks

Rebekah,
Get out the paint brush....... :->

You mentioned in a previous response to NOT paint the grout. How do you avoid doing that when rolling paint on tiles? I am assuming painting the grout will not hurt & is okay if you are looking for a more monotone look.

Also, is it okay to regrout the tile after putting urethane on it? If so, how long do you wait before doing that?

Thanks!

Lynn,
You do it with enormous difficulty. You can't put new grout over painted tile without removing the old grout.

what do you recommend if the ceramic tile has already been painted or glazed. We would like to paint over the tile however we are concerned that it will peel.

Jim,
Read all of my columns about this topic. It is that simple.

If i paint ceramic floor tile, will a latex paint work? and how long does the Urethane have to cure before i can walk on it?

Adam,
Just get some oil paint..... Read the label on the urethane can.....

I am going to paint one of my bathroom floors over ceramic tile and home depot has a primer and floor paint that does not need to be sealed. At least that's what they told me.

I have horrible mauve tile (the small ones) all over my kitchen walls. The grout is in bad shape. How do I repair this? Or should I just paint over the whole thing, grout and all?
Help!
Thanks so much for your website, extremely informative! :)

Janet,
I don't know what to tell you. At the very least, repair the grout before you paint the tile.

Should you prime the tile prior to applying the paint?

Emily,
There is no need to prime tile. It just needs to be clean.

Is it possible to gold leaf the tile? I know that may sound a little "out of the box", but I have a very small area that I would like to try something different. Thanks

Tana,
Of course it is possible, but I can't help as I have never worked with gold leaf.

Tim,
You don't mention the use of a primer following deep cleaning of the tile and prior to painting. Is this not a necessary step to ensure good adhesion and durability of the finish?
Scott

Scott,
It is not necessary because of the smooth surface. A great oil paint should adhere well.

I am thinking about painting over hideous pink and black tiles in the bathroom with two coats of primer. What will happen if i skip the paint and apply ureathane. Would this prevent the peeling?

Monique,
That is a mistake. You do not need primer. Get the right finish paint that I talk about.

Hi! We are moving into a new home that has white ceramic floor tile all over the Kitchen, informal dining room and foyer/hallway. It gives a hard and "sterile" look to the areas and I'd like to paint them. What do you do about the grout between the tiles during this process? Cover them somehow or re-grout afterwards...? Also, shouldn't we sand the tiles so they are rougher before we paint? Lastly, any recommendations for painting such a large surface (do you suggest all on color or is there a good, simple pattern we should consider)? THANK YOU!!

Susan,
All of your questions are answered either in the column or all of the comments. Read them and see if you can't discover what you need.

Could Robin possibly use boat paint for her tile problem? I used boat paint to paint over the wallboard in my shower and kitchen once, and it worked fine. I think I saw it originally on Martha Stewart? Just a thought...I got it at the local marina.

Holly,
She can try. I have seen the epoxy paints fail miserably when they get wet in the tubs and showers. Maybe the boat people have it figured out since boats are surely in water all of the time! Thanks for sharing!

Am I correct in assuming that we should paint both the tile and grout the same color? Grout lines always seem to collect dirt, so I am hoping that won't happen once the floor is painted. Thanks

Liz,
You can do that. If you do not like the monochromatic look, then you will be using a tiny brush to paint simulated grout lines.

I am dismayed that you don't recommend painting the ceramic tiles in the shower area. I guess that same advice would apply to the yellow tub that that I also need to paint.

I probably won't be doing the project now, but when I read your instruction for painting the tile I didn't see how to deal with the grout. If I don't want it to be the same color as the paint, could grout be applied after the paint is all dry and the urethan is dry?
Thanks.

Joyce,
Grouting will surely scratch the urethane.

if i understand you correctly, you recomend regrouting-after the urethane has cured for 3 days.

of course, if you do not paint over the grout.

Dear Tim,

Before I ever read this, I painted my bathroom tiles and sink and counter. My bathroom was old and the vanity was built around the sink and all tiled in with PINK tile. The sink was so etched and stained, that even soaking it in straight bleach would not clean it. So, I masked off the vanity, under the ridge of the tiled top, leaving the wood trim exposed, I masked the surrounding upper walls and then after discovering that no sanding was going to work, I figured I had nothing to lose as it was ugly and sink was shot and if this did not work, I would need new vanity and sink and plumbing, so...

I used spray on kilz as it did not try to peel up as easily as brush on did. I then painted the tile counter and wood trim, the tile backspash, the sink and the porcelain soap dish and toothbrush holder all with fleckstone paint. I used 3 coats, I made sure not to touch it between drying as it scratched easily. I let each layer dry for at least 24 hours. Then I used spray on urethane for the first coat, and brushed on 5 more layers of urethane made for outdoors. Letting each dry completely.

The finished product looks as if my counter, sink, and backspash are all one piece. The fleckstone gave it a slight texture that hid the deep scratches in the sink well and the look is similar to sillstone. I did use an oil based urethane and did end up yellowed, however, as the rest of the paint is cream colored, it worked out ok. I even took the outlet and light swith covers off and did them to make them match.

That was over 4 years ago and it has had curling iron and hair dryer dropped on it, been used daily for shaving and tooth care, and has held up so well that I am going to attempt to do the same to my GREEN tiles in main bath on both sink (same situation) and tub that is also so old and etched it is no longer shiny and will not clean at all.

I figure if it peels, I will end up replacing it all anyway which is what we need to do and planned to do anyway. However, if it works as well as the other sink did, I will have saved over a thousand dollars.

If it needs replaced and you are going to have to do it eventually anyway, you really have nothing to lose by trying it. At the very least it buys you a little time before the major replacement has to take place!!

Hi
Another project is painting the ceramic tiles that surround my gas fireplace. Would I follow the same procedure? What is the best way to keep paint off the grout, to me the way the grout looks would show how professional the job is.

Thank you

Diane,
Yes. Take your time and have a steady hand.

I have a really ugly planter that I would to paint. It is ceramic with glaze. Will this process work and do I need a primer?

Malinda,
It will work. You can use an oil primer.

I am preparing to paint six landscape murals for a kitchen remodel. The scapes are part of a historical ranch property. Am I understanding you to mean artists oil paints are ok or are you referring to oil based wall paint? If artists oil paint, what type of coating? Water based spray varnish like Krylon? Tiles are not hung yet. They are flat finish ceramic tiles from Italy. Shoould I try to bake them?
Thank you in advance,
Debi

Debi,
You need to do some experiments. Get some of the tiles and use different paints that will produce the colors you need. Then coat with a water-based urethane and see if you like the result.

I'm going to paint the ceramic tile border backsplash in my kitchen. There are some great hints from you which I will apply. Is there a way or are you familiar with how to paint or resurface a fiberglass tub? My garden tub is damaged with stains from dripping faucets and part of it has eaten away the surface.

Thanks,
Linda

Linda,
The tub tip is this: Paint will eventually fail.

I want to paint my ceramic tile bathroom floor. When we removed the old vanity we had to replace several rows of tile and as we could not match the colour we used white and now I would like to have the entire floor white. I have read your suggestions to others but one thing that was never mentioned is - Do you paint the grout also?
Thanks
Catherine

Catherine,
You should paint the grout. You can always paint it white so it looks new, but it takes a small brush and a steady hand.

I plan on painting my ceramic tile as you have instructed, but any ideas on getting off tough, old adhesive from vinyl tiles that were laid over the ceramic? I have already tried a heat gun and a solvent with scrapper. Thanks.

When painting over tile, do you paint the grout, too, or try to avoid that? WHat do you do with the grout as you are painting the tile, even if you plan ot regrout once painting is complete?

We have a set in decorative tile "border" 1/2 way up our bathroom wall. Would it possible to apply a "1/2 round" type of edging tile over it, that would give it a modern look? If so, what would we use to adhere it? Many thanks.

Lesley,
There are all sorts of adhesive removers that work like paint strippers. Read my columns about these products.

Grout,
You can paint the grout. You can't regrout once the tile is painted.

Val,
You may find an epoxy that will bond the cap to the existing tile.

I have a beautifully tiled white bathroom. The border tile than runs around the middle of the bathroom has a colour of blue running through it that I would love to change.
There is a shower over the bath.
This would have to look professionally done. What product would you use to paint out the blue flowers that would give an extremely good finish.
Thank you.
Evelyn.

I was very pleased to find this article since our new old home has been altered by previous owners with rough finished large 12" floor tile from entrance thru most of 1st floor (we know there's beautiful wood underneath but that job will be years from now)and a lousy beige color. I wondered if cleaning and bleaching well and then painting some interesting accent points and areas would make it look better and add value.
Friends thought I was nuts and said good luck. I will try to buy some like kind samples first to play with and paint. My question is...I have an artist bag full of oil paint tubes and great colors; would that work? Also, water based poly over oil paint...that sticks, hard to imagine? Does the whole tile need the poly or just to cover the painted area?
I guess I'll be using mild dish liquid to wash those floor tiles after painting? Thanks great advice.

Lauretta,
I can't say if the artist's paint will work. You just urethane the painted area.

My shower base is concrete with "speckles" in it that look like large paint chips. It is at least 20 years old and has begun to yellow around the edges--especially near the caulk. I am updating the shower with new doors and tiles on the wall BUT do not want to replace this concrete shower pan. Can I cover it with paint or new "speckled" covering to make it look (somewhat) new again? Any suggestions or ideas?

Evelyn,
I believe I say what to use in this column. Check again.

Joann,
Unless there is a new super paint that just hit the market, any other paint you apply will fail. And wait until you see what it looks like after you scrub it a couple of times.

I am thinking about painting my ceramic tile using the method you suggested. What about the grout. Will I paint in using the same paint and urethane or do I need to replace it entirely. Hope not.

Thanks,

I just wanted to Thank you for having such a great site!!

I am so glad I chose to research before I got the husband to rip up all the tiles in our bathroom. We bought our home 3yrs ago and I did like our bathroom, THEN. It is done in Navy blue and golden Yellow, it is the Sun, stars and moon theme....now it has gotten real old, real fast!!

The floor is navy blue tiles with yellow grouting, as is the backsplash around the back of the tub. Before I tear of the backsplash I am going to try the boat paint. If I can avoid spending the money then I will.

What colours do you think will cover over the navy blue without problems...I want to try and go as light as I can, maybe a beige, or off white. I have had enough of the dark colours.

Thanks again!!

If I were to paint the tile around the base of my fireplace, can I use a glaze with a little color over the oil based paint to give it a little visual texture before I coat with urethane? By the way, is that the same thing as polyurethane?

Marsha,
You can paint the grout.

Sarah,
No.

I would like to know if I could paint over wall tiles that are about 12x12 in a home over 70years old. They are half way up a plaster wall and are dark and ugly. The floor has about the same tile which looks like copper inlaid between them. We covered them with tile squares, but don't want to take the tile off the wall. What do you suggest? Thank you

Darlene,
You can paint them. I would consider that.

I have read all of your suggestions on how to paint over glazed ceramic wall tile. My question is this- How can i make the final finish look rustic/stone? Does it have to be glossy? I have a backdrop of tile below my kitchen cabinets that despartely needs to be changed with out spending a fortune!

Lynn,
You paint with flat paint, but realize it may not be as durable. There are washable flat wall paints out there.

Hello. juts in the middle of moving into a rented house, they had a leak in the bathroom which cause mold so they replastered the walls ect....

they painted over the tiles with normal paint as they said they couldnt pull them off as its damp behind. we looksed at the paint and they havent used tile paint so we spent 3days removing the paint from the tiles ( with a scraper ) 3 tiles did fall off and we felt the dapm but the tiles were only holding on with the grout, we explained we wasnt happy to the landlord but they said it would be to much of and expensive job. we stuck the tiles back on and painted them a really nice shinny black, only proplem is we cant regrout them as thats all there stuck on with and we really want the white colour between each tile do you have any sugestions as no one will help us. thank you x

I am read your article, and want to paint my bathroom tile, which is pink and blue. However, I am having difficulty finding oil-based paint. Do you know of any places, online or otherwise, that offer it? Thanks for your help!

Jill,
Just grout the tiles.......

Michele,
Did you go to the national-chain paint stores???? Like the one that is two words beginning with an S and W?

Tim,

We have a 30-yr old home that's up for sale. The bathrooms have the original ceramic tiles in (lovely ;-)) Our realtor is suggesting that we paint over them with Epoxy to make it more appealing to buyers. We're already spending a pretty penny on painting the whole house. I'm wondering if painting over the tiles will cost an arm and a leg, and if it'll be worth the expense. Can you give me an idea of the maximum expense I'm looking at for this project? Many thanks.

AK,
No I can't. There are too many variables. I would hesitate to paint it. The right buyer may like the tile. Painting it is somewhat destructive as the tile is much harder to maintain. The paint is not as durable as the tile. Have some showings and see what the lookers say.

Can I paint over decorative tile. I have tile which has a blue flower and I want to paint it purple. Is this any different than painting over any other tile.

Thank you

Nancy,
You can paint that tile.

If I want to paint tile on the bathroom wall, would you get better results with a sponge brush or a regular paint brush and does the grout look ok after being painted? Are there any special things to do for the grout? Thanks Debi

Debi,
You just do a test. I talk about the grout in other comment responses.

I want to paint the backsplash on my counter, it does not get wet, do I still need to varathane it when the painting is done. Also they are glossy should i sand them, I plan to use oil base primer, I noticed Zinseer does not require sanding, what do you think.

Thanks
Angie

Angie,
I think there are some great washable flat and semi-gloss paints out there. That is all you really need.

I was wondering if I could put vynal tiles over smooth ceramic tiles. I would be putting these in a basement. My other option is to paint them.
Thanks!

What do I do with the grout? Do I paint it?

My house was built in the early 50's. I have two half baths with a shower room in between. One bathroom has baby blue porcelainn tile and the shower room and other bathroom have baby pink porcelain tile. In all three rooms the tile is on the floor and halfway up the wall. There is tile in my shower as well. I want to paint the tile, but can you paint porcelain tile with all of the moisture in the bathroom, and if you can how do you do this?
Thanks,
Kathy

I am putting down a laminate floor, but want to leave the ceramic tile next to a gas fireplace. i need to paint the tile to better match the laminate floor. is there a specific kind of paint and sealer you recommend

I have ugly white tiles in my kitchen,I painted my cupboards grey with melamine paint,can I use this on the tiles?Also could I change the colors with a sponge paint application??

I too am going to take your advice and paint my old, pitted ceramic tile floors. I am wondering though, how would I go about cleaning them? Would traditional floor cleaners take the urethane off?? It is in a kitchen that gets high traffic.

After I paint my ceramic, old, pitted, gross floors and urethane them. How do you suggest I clean them. It is in a high traffic kitchen.

When painting ceramic tile, must I re-grout or repair old grout before painting? Also, if I paint the tiles, but want to keep the white grout outlines, how would I achieve that look?

May I paint tiles before I set them (decorative tiles to insert in a backsplash), or will the grouting process mess up the finish?

Should I use any sort of primer before painting the tile on the walls in my bathroon?

Hello Tim from Tasmania,
Down under we are told to use one of two products to paint over tiles.
One is an American product...'Zinser Bin' or 'White Knight' paints.
Three steps...clean, prime and then paint.
Are you familiar with any of these products? If you are..are they better/the same in terms of their end finish and durability?
I have had 2 paint shops insist that Zinser Bin is the better product and 2 paint shops argue that White Knight tile and laminate primer is the only one to use. And now I read that any quality oil paint will work. None of the 4 paint stores have said this to me.
Maybe all will work?
Love to hear your response.
Many thanks

I was just wondering if you're supposed to paint right over the grout as well? I'm trying to paint my terracotta tiles glossy white but I wanted the grout white as well.

please help.
thanks

I wondered if you can recommend a particular brand of tile paint to use. I have always heard that painting tile floors would not hold up well. My son just had someone come in and paint his bathroom shower tile white. I love the finish and it looks like white tiles, but it cost a fortune. I am sure it was sprayed on. I want to paint my kitchen (cheap tiles- look just like the one in your picture how to. Thanks

Hi,

The house that I moved into has a gray ceramic tile backsplash, with a large ugly brown-ish yellowish mushroom/fruit/winebottle decal applied over the stove and then randomly on just a few tiles. Ratherthan paint over, or replace the tiles completely, I thought I wuld buy some paints in a bright Tuscan theme, just to punch it up. Maybe some greens ,corals, and cobalt blues, etc. What would I use to seal these areas ? I really want to keep this a simple project if possible....not polyurethaning the entire backsplash. Would I need to seal those decorative areas ? They are not near water. Thanks !

So, are you saying I won't need to prime the tiles first? Even dark-colored tiles?

Can I assume that this discussion of painting tiles also includes painting the grout as well?

I'm going to use your suggestion and paint the tile floor of my fireplace. My question is can I paint the marble around the fireplace the same way as the tile floor?

The bullnose on my counter has a dark streak along the curve probably the color settling there during the firing
Do you think I could do little touch up on the flaws

I'm not sure if this column is still monitored, but I'll give it a shot: Is it okay to mask off the grout and paint the tile, then remove the masking tape before sealing the entire area - so the grout remains the original color but just the tile is painted? Also, how do you deal with edges and corners when tiling over existing tile in the shower area? Our tile in the shower extends to 1 ft below the ceiling, but we want it to go all the way up. Also, the shower door is mounted in a tiled 'door frame' made out of many bull-nosed pieces on both inside and out. I'm assuming I could paint the exterior tiles, but would I have to remove and remount the door if I tile over the interior tile? Can new tile be placed over bull-nosed tile? How do you deal with any gaps between new and existing tile along edges? Thanks for any/all help!

I'm not sure if this is in the right place.
We have a gas fireplace that has a tile ans wood surround. We don't have to money to replace it with brick, which is what we would like. We want it to have a country lookand the tile doesn't cut it. Are there other ways besides painting the tile? Is it possible to get the tile to look like brick?

Hi! I am trying to help my aunt and uncle update their house. One of my projects is their bathroom. The tile on the floor, part of the walls, and in the shower are ugly! Peachy-Mango color that is very old and out-dated. I want to paint over them with a dark gray or black (the rest of the bathroom is sunny and white), but I know almost nothing about this! Could you clarify what exactly I need to do this, paint-wise? I want to know exactly what kind so when I go to buy it, I won't buy the wrong kind. I know you recommend not painting on the shower tile, but you have not seen this color! It MUST be done! so what kind of paint will not wash off after 10 showers! I live in Houston, also, so we have a lot of humidity and I worry about that! Any help you can give would be much appreciated!!

I just heard about Rust-Oleum Universal. Apparently it sticks to EVERYTHING. It also comes in a variety of colors, including metallics. One complaint I had about shower-tile refinishing kits is that they only come in white, almond, or biscuit (or can only be tinted to pastels), and I want a deeper, richer look. Do you think Rust-Oleum Universal will work for shower tile (if the tile is properly cleaned and prepped first, and sealed afterwards)? Thank you!

We recently purchased a house built in the 1930's. It has awful green and pink tile on the kitchen countertops. Our vision is to paint the tiles black. Black always takes a few extra coats, will this increase the chance for chipping or pealing?

But what do you do about the grout? Do you just paint it along with the tile, and then re-grout it?

I have a ceremic tile around my 30yr old bathtub which i would like to refurhbish - ie paint etc or is the only option to replace? Thank you

TY so much for info ! I'm thrilled and dying to dive in & paint our hideous tile, now. My husband wanted me to ask a question first, tho...

The tiled area I wish to paint was originally installed as protection against a woodburning fire-stove we have. The firebox itself is on a pedistal about 4 to 6" above the tile and 12" away (sides & back) from walls (also tiled).

Would the heat generating from the firebox during the winter effect the paint or any urethane coating? ie: cause blistering? or (shudder) catch fire?

Sorry if these are stupid questions ... ! Many thx for any info.

Where do i find the stick on tiles you suggested to use over the old tile.I am thinking of doing this in my small bungalow bathroom?

When painting ceramic floor tile, I did not see any comments on what to do and or tape the existing grout.

Hi, I live in Volcan Panama. I have been an interior decorative painter for over 20 years. A friend here asked me a question that just stumped me and I have not been able to find the answer on the net. She has a wall in her home that is covered with epoxy paint. I know that almost every paint surface can be repainted with a different type of paint IF the surface is correctly prepped..but epoxy paint is one thing I haven't come across nor have I found an answer for her. What do you think she can do to recover her wall in a more pleasing paint?