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Help with painting ceramic floor tile in entry

9 years ago

I am interested in painting my 80's, 13 x 13 ceramic tile in my entrance. I have read this can be done, but unsure of how to go about. I realize it will be a lot of work and am ok with that. Right now cannot do the expense of replacing the tile.

I would like to darken it to more of an earth color with natural color grout. Currently it's almost white with dark brown grout. My concern is also that I would like it to have that shaded/toned look of tile.

I would appreciate any information on how to go about this (prep, type of paint, etc.) and how I could achieve a stone look, or shaded color look instead of flat all one color that will look painted. Would I use glaze?

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Comments (8)

User
9 years ago
Terrible horrible idea. Durability of consumer available products for this would be almost nil. Take it up, and put down new tile.
graywings123
9 years ago
Instead, how about using glue-down vinyl planks over the ceramic tile? You probably would have to fill the ruts where the grout is, but that's pretty minor.
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Hi Sorie6, hope you don't mind my jumping in. New here and hope to help... and oh my, that cabinet is hideous! I think you could get away with repainting the wood and tile some contemporary colors. Something like, let's see.. pigeon gray for the wood, with the trim painted white, to match the trim on the ceiling.. and then a speckled dirty-white finish for the tiles? I saw some tile paint sometime ago, which had a natural stone look when it dried. The name escapes me right now :-/ hope to get back to you on it... But I hope this idea helps. This post was edited by Roberta.Madison on Mon, Nov 25, 13 at 21:16
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Karen Marcely
Original Author
9 years ago
GreenDesigns- I spoke with my local paint expert at Purcell's (BM paint store) and he said that I could do this very successfully, as he has heard of many who did and it lasted a long time. I just don't want it to look like painted tiles, which might be more challenging.

graywings, what do you mean by vinyl planks? The press and peel type of square tiles that could be glue-down?
sombreuil_mongrel
9 years ago
If the "paint store guy" could not give you the name of his product which he knows for a fact has been done successfully many times, how are we supposed to know?
There are epoxy garage floor paints. they look like painted garage floors at best. You sprinkle the little colored chips on while it's tacky. Otherwise it has one flat unbroken color. There are kits sold for simulating granite, etc, but they are not suitable for floors.
The Sherwin-Williams article in the link below specifically discourages the idea of painting tile in high-traffic areas.
Casey

Here is a link that might be useful: Refresh tired tile with easy 8-step painting technique
Karen Marcely
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks sombreuil, I am rethinking that idea, not so much because I don't think it wouldn't work well, especially since I have a large rug there and the area it not that high traffic, but because my entry is pretty large and I think it would be a big job.

I do somewhat like the idea from graywings about the plank flooring over the existing tile, using a leveling compound. I probably should post on the flooring forum.

Graywings if you know any details of how to go about this, please let me know. I look at some planks at Lowes today.
graywings123
9 years ago
Yes, they are similar to the square tiles that glue down, but they are in strips. There have been a couple posts on the Home Decorating forum from people who have used them and have been very happy with the results. I don't know what it would take to apply them to ceramic tile.
Karen Marcely
Original Author
9 years ago
graywings, the more I think about it I do like that idea. My question is if my family room is adjacent and I have hardwoods there would I run the planks a different direction and a different color to give it some contrast? That way it wouldn't look like I'm trying to match vinyl planks with hardwood floors. Just wondering your thoughts on that.
graywings123
9 years ago
You might want to post that question on the Home Decorating forum along with a photo.

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