Bathroom makeover with painted bath and tiles

[raceytrace]

Intro:

We were getting an old house ready for sale, and this green bath just had to go.  A clean and a paint job was all that was required to transform this bathroom from drab to fab!

Tools & Materials:

White Knight 7ml White Grout Pen

White Knight 500ml White Tub And Basin Paint

Rocket Wet And Dry Sanding Sheets - 6 Pack

ScotchBlue 24mm x 55m Original Multi-Surface Painter’s Masking Tape

White Knight Rust Guard Solvent Cleaner Paint Thinner - 1L

UNi-PRO 100mm 4mm Nap Little Ripper Microfibre Mini Roller Set

Paint Partner 25mm Synthetic Paint Brush

White Rags Paint Partner 1.5kg White Rags

White Knight 1L White Gloss Renew Tile And Laminate Paint

Mondella Chrome Cadenza Ceramic Disc Bath Set

Approx cost:  just over $300

Steps:

Paint the bath

1.  Clean the entire bathroom and remove the old tapware.  Use masking tape around the edges of the bath.

2.  Sand the bath and tiles using the wet and dry sandpaper to remove any sheen

3.  Clean the bathroom again!

4.  Use the Rust Guard solvent with the rags to wipe down the entire bath.

5.  Follow the directions on the White Knight 500ml White Tub And Basin Paint kit to mix up the paint.

6.  Once ready, apply the first coat of paint using the roller and brush. (Use turpentine to clean brushes and rollers).

(Tips: Try not to go over a section once it has been done, and don't use too much paint at once or it will start to show drip marks down the side of the bath).  

7.  Apply the second coat as per the directions on the box after waiting the required drying time.  (I left it a few days).

Paint the tiles

8.  Start with painting the grout lines using the brush.  Work on 4-6 tiles at a time.  Then use the roller to go over the tiles. Once done, don't go back over that section again until completely dry.

9.  Apply second coat the next day.

(I also painted the soap dispenser using this tile paint)

Paint the floor grout lines

10.  Using the grout pen, paint of the existing grout lines.  This took two pens as the nib was worn down half way through, though there was paint left in the pen.

Replace tapware

11.  The new taps had a different size spindle to the old taps so I wasn't able to just swap over the taps as I thought.  The old spindles were hard to remove so I had a plumber help with this task.

Notes: The bath paint had a few streaks in it where I had put the paint on too thick and it ran down overnight.

I was going to redo the silicon around the bath edges and vanity, but didn't do it in the end because of time.

Overall very happy with the final result, and the end of the green bath!!!

[KatieC]

Hi @raceytrace,

Congratulations on creating such a transformative project and well done on it also being your first post on Workshop! You have done a great job on your bathroom, as you said, going from drab to fab. I really like the tapware you selected, shame that the spindles didn't work for a straight swap, but good thing you had a plumber ready to assist. Did you paint the wall as well? It is a lovely colour, what is it called? 

Katie

[raceytrace]

Thanks Katie, no I didn't need to paint the wall luckily, so I'm not sure what that colour is called.

[Battman]

So it looks as though you went for a full white finish. that includes painting the existing grout, as described. So why did you need to apply the grout pencil? wasn't the grout already white? How did the grout pencil go over the gloss paint.
I have painted my bathroom floor tiles that were a horrible off white and brown with a pastel blue tile paint. Suits the bathroom. But I have wondered if I should paint the grout lines white. Still not sure as it looks OK as it is but I feel it looks a bit artificial and is obviously a painted job. Your experience would be appreciated. Regards, Don.

[MitchellMc]

Hi Don (@Battman),

It appears that @raceytrace painted their wall tiles and did not paint the floor tiles. They then used the grout pen to rejuvenate the floor tile grout.

Both our Dulux 7ML Renovation Range Grout Pen White and White Knight 7ml White Grout Pen are designed to go over a painted surface to re-establish your grout lines. It would be best to stick with the same system as the paint you've used on the floor or do a test section in an inconspicuous area before committing to the whole floor.

It would be my opinion that if you've painted over the tiles and grout, it would be fairly obvious that it's a painted surface. Adding the grout lines will likely help disguise the fact that the tiles are painted. Hopefully, @raceytrace can provide their thoughts too.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[raceytrace]

Hi Don,
I didn't paint my floor tiles so to make it more cohesive I wanted the current black grout to be white to match the rest of the revamped bathroom.

In imagining your painted floor tiles with the blue colour I think it would look nice with the white grout lines, but also harder to keep clean! (something to keep in mind!). Good luck with whatever you decide!

[WayneM]

Lovely work @raceytrace. Many thanks for sharing, and well done.

You've provided such detailed information that will be a great help to our community members.

We are interested in turning your project into a Featured Project article. Do you have any more pictures you could share?

It would also be great if you could share any other tips or lessons learned during your project that would assist other bathroom renovators.

Many thanks,

Wayne

[raceytrace]

unfortunately I don't have any other pics....

other tips I could think of are:

- watch the DIY at Bunnings video on applying the bath paint... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztn3C9d_PaU
- it mentions buying a container with a lid to store the bath paint in the fridge overnight.  I wasn't able to find anything in stock at my local store so I improvised and used an old glass jam jar.  It did the trick, stored it securely and could just throw out when finished. (just make sure the family know not to try and put it on their toast!)

[Kani1]

I'd like to paint an old clawfoot bath that has some minor chips along the bath edge. Can you please suggest something I can fill and sand these with that is compatible with the paint. Many thanks 

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Kani1. It's great to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about repairing a damaged bath.

I'd recommend using PC-11 56g White Epoxy Paste if this is a cast iron bath. Make sure to apply the filler sparingly so a minimal amount of sanding is needed. This product can be sanded with standard sandpaper.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell