Any budget paint options for bathroom tiles?

[ArashM]

Hi All,

I'd like some advice on which brand/type of paint to buy for painting on bathroom tiles. 

from what I can find out speciality paints for tiles are Dulux Renovation Range, White Knight Renew Tile and Laminate, and Rust-Oleum Tile Transformation.

All of the above products are ridiculously expensive mainly because they only come in 1L so for me doing 2 coats of my entire average size bathroom takes 4L of paint, so I'd have to spend at least $300-$400 for paint itself, then there is cost of primer, clear coating and tools. 

I'd like your expert opinions for more economical alternatives, main characteristics of the paint is to obviously be waterproof and stain resistant. 

I have used Dulux Wash & Wear Low Sheen successfully over tile with a good primer, and it's done well for over a year. the only issue I've had with that is that stain and dirt sticks to it and it won't wash off easily. I wonder if the above speciality tile paints are improvement on Dulux Wash & Wear or if they'll behave similarly. 

keen to learn your thoughts,

Thank you all.

[MitchellMc]

Hi @ArashM,

Specialty paints have been designed to withstand the rigours involved with adhering to tiles in a high-humidity environment; there's a guarantee that with the correct preparation, they'll perform adequately. There's no such guarantee when using non-specialised paints, and it's really a bit of guesswork. It sounds like you've had some success with Dulux Wash & Wear, and that's fantastic. As you can imagine, it's difficult to recommend products that aren't designed or tested for those circumstances. 

What sort of stains and dirt are you having trouble with, as that paint is designed to be easy to clean? I note you've used low sheen, and in a bathroom, you'd typically go for a semi-gloss for the walls. It's not as porous as the low-sheen and is better suited to wet areas. Perhaps you might like to try Aquanamel, which is harder-wearing than the Wash & Wear. Since this product isn't designed for this use, it would really be at your own risk.

I'd be keen to hear what primer you used, as glazed tiles are generally quite difficult to adhere to. I know the Flood 500ml ESP Easy Surface Paint Preparation suggests that it will enable painting over tiles. Did you need to abraid the tiles with sandpaper before priming?

Keen to hear more about the products you've used and discuss other options.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[ArashM]

Hi Mitchell,

Thanks for the response.

The first time, I painted the tiles, I sanded them and used Dulux Precision primer, works pretty well.

My bathroom's wall tiles are mosaic so there lots of groovesa nd grout lines.

The stains and dirt I believe are from either water itself or shampoo which is creating vertical lines of shades of yellow on the tiles, from close up i can see the surface of painted tiles is not flat and smooth and there are tiny unevenness were it creates enough friction for dirt to stick to (sample picture attached)

What I don't know is if I sand this down to super smooth finish and apply couple of coats of semi-gloss to it, will it smooth it out enough to allow easy cleaning.

 

Cheers 

[EricL]

Hi @ArashM 

Re-sanding the surface of the tile might strip off the primer. My recommendation is to smooth out only the rough spots and not sand too deeply. Another consequence of sanding too deeply is that the surface finish might not be even. It will also be difficult to sand between the tiles. But if you do make the attempt just keep in mind that you are after a smooth surface.

If you want a brush-free finish, I suggest getting a Paint Spray Gun. I propose doing a few practice runs outside on offcut timber.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric