Was super skeptical about painting old tile instead of replacing it, but I caved after getting a quote

We had this awful pink bathroom tile from the 50s in our house and I was convinced painting it would just peel off in a month. Got a quote for ripping it out and retiling - almost $3,000 for one tiny bathroom. So I figured what the heck, tried that bonding primer and tile paint kit from the hardware store for around 60 bucks total. That was 8 months ago and it still looks fine, even with three kids splashing water everywhere. No chipping or peeling yet, just had to be really careful with the prep work and wait the full 72 hours before using the shower. Has anyone else tried this on floor tile or is that pushing it too far?

2 comments

2 Comments

victor_butler507d ago

Hey, I'm glad it worked out for you! I did the exact same thing with my bathroom floor tiles last year and honestly, it's held up way better than I expected. My wife was super against it, but after pricing out new flooring she gave in. The key is definitely the prep work, like you said. I sanded everything down real good and used a high bonding primer that stunk up the whole house for a day. On floor tile though, I'd say go for it but be careful in high traffic spots. Mine still looks fine in the corners, but right in front of the sink where we stand all the time, the paint is starting to wear a little thin. You might need to touch it up after a year or two, but for the money saved, that's a no brainer right?

the_river7d ago

Read somewhere that someone used marine-grade epoxy on their floor tile and it held up way longer than regular paint against foot traffic. The prep work sounds brutal though, lots of sanding and degreasing with strong chemicals. For the price difference between paint and new tile though, even if you gotta redo it in a few years it still seems worth it lol.