Painted bathroom tiles

[Ari]

Using the Dulux Renovation Range transformed grey marble tiles into a clean and modern white.

• The project
• Tools and materials
• Tips for painting bathroom tiles
• Before and after
• How to paint bathroom tiles
• More bathroom inspiration

The project

After seeing the great before and after from elmac, and receiving a large quote to rip out and redo my bathrooms, I decided I'd start a steady cosmetic renovation by painting the tiles. I figured if I had a bad result I'd suck it up and rip out and redo at some point. I had previously painted my ugly grey 1995 kitchen cupboards three years ago with White Knight Tile and Laminate Paint and had a good result.

This time I used the Dulux Renovation Range, using the white colour off the shelf with no tinting. My existing tiles were an off white colour with grey marbling.

I started by cleaning the tiles with a green scourer to ensure there was no soap residue. I then used my trusty Ozito 18V Detail Sander with 120 grit, followed by a light hand sand with 400 grit.

The painting process included the following:

• 1L Dulux Primer – one coat, wait four hours.

• 1L Dulux Renovation Range Tiles & Benchtops Satin White – two coats (essential), wait eight hours after each coat.

• 1L Dulux Renovation Range Clear Coat Gloss – one coat.

All four coats took two days and two nights. I did a light hand sand using 400 grit between coats.

Tools and materials

• Paint brush for cutting in. I used a 75mm and would suggest you also have a 20mm if you have to paint around taps that are close to the bath spout as I did. It's very easy to wash out with water

• UNi-PRO 100 x 4mm Nap Little Ripper microfibre mini roller set

• Teaspoon handle to open the paint tins

• Old fork to stir the paints

• Microfibre cloth to wipe away any paint drops

• Old towel to put my paint tin on

• Stanley knife – see tips below.

Tips for painting bathroom tiles

• Make sure you remove any clear sealer and silicone. I didn't even notice that I had clear sealer until I realised the paint wasn't sticking along one edge. I thought I'd just do a few coats over the clear silicone and eventually the paint would stick, but it doesn't. It wasn't the end of the world but it was a bit annoying as I had to scrape off 2cm of paint and silicone on the edge, then re-prime and re-paint. Get your Stanley knife around the edges to check if you have clear silicone before you start priming.

• There tends to be decent tile edges or space between surfaces, so I don't find it necessary to tape around the area if you have a steady hand.

• As with all painting, go back and check a few times to make sure you don't have any drips, especially on grout lines. Use an unloaded roller over the end of each coat, which will help get rid of drips. I found this paint good quality and really easy to work with.

• As others have found I had loads of paint left over so I did my kitchen splashback as well, which used up the rest of the white paint. I still have at least a third of a tin of the primer and clear coat left over.

• The primer only has a pot life of three days, so if you're planning on doing more than one room with it, you'll need to at least prime the second room fairly quickly after the first. The white paint and clear coat has a pot life of 10 days.

That's it! It was easy to use and easy to do.  My result is not as dramatic as others as my tiles were a lightish colour anyway, but I'm ecstatic with the result which is way better than the photos show. It's a real brightener and the tiles look new.

One month on, they are still looking great and I have just done my ensuite as well. I've also added white silicone to the corners and edges, which has really added a professional finish. I use a soft sponge instead of a scourer type sponge to clean. I am quick to spot clean as I'm still keen for them to look perfect, so nothing really sets in that requires scrubbing.

Before and after

How to paint bathroom tiles

Painting tiles is an affordable way to refresh your bathroom. Learn how by following this step-by-step guide: How to paint bathroom tiles.

More bathroom inspiration

For more ideas and inspiration for your bathroom, check out our Top 10 most popular bathroom projects. 

[Ari]

Six months later and I am pleased to report that my painted tiles are still looking perfect!

[KevinMall]

Great work and a good well written article. 

[mich1972]

@Ari  That’s amazing, what a difference it makes !! I love it. 

[debbiemmr]

I painted my tiles in the bathroom using the White Knight products. It looks great.

[diy_vvv]

Hi! Not sure how long ago this project was done, but I'm curious to know how it's gone since? Has the paint cracked, particularly surrounding the bathtub where it's presumably exposed to a lot of water.

Thanks

[EricL]

Hello @diy_vvv 

Let me tag @Ari to make them aware of your question. It would be interesting to find out how the paint is holding up. Are you planning on painting your bathroom tiles as well? If you are, please don't forget to post an update.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[alc123]

Hi Ari,

Your project looks great!

Are you able to give an update on how the tile paint is holding up in the bathroom?

[JacobZ]

Hi @alc123,

Allow me to tag @Ari so they are notified of your question.

Hopefully they will be able to update you shortly.

Jacob

[Ari]

Thank you @alc123 and @diy_vvv  for the question and kind comment. 

Three years on and the white walls and splashback still look great, no cracking or chips at all. 

I also painted a tiled bathroom floor and tiled shower floor in charcoal grey.  Aside from a few drops of hair colour which stained, the tiled bathroom floor still looks excellent. We don’t really wear shoes on this bathroom. 

The tiled shower floor has chipped a lot around the drain and edges as it gets a good scrubbing when cleaning, and the constant water on it wouldn’t help.  I would say the shower floor lasted 18-24 months before it started looking shabby. 

I am hoping to replace my bathrooms in 2025 and painting has been a great way to make them a little nicer while I saved. 

100% recommend painting bathroom tiles, it’s an easy budget job. 

[alc123]

Thank you @Ari for your detailed response. It is really appreciated. 

In terms of cleaning, what sort of product were you using on the wall

tiles? Just wondering if the tile paint could handle the stronger products like anti mould spray or bleach.

thank you 😃

[MitchellMc]

Hi @alc123,

Here's a helpful guide with common questions on the Renovation range of paints. 

A couple of notes:

• Only use strong, clear cleaning compounds like Selleys® Sugar Soap. Do not use cleaners that contain abrasive particles. Abrasive cleaners can leave particles in the grout lines of tiled surfaces that can be picked up by the paint and cause imperfections in the surface.

• Renovation Range will not adhere to silicone or silicone contaminated surfaces. It is important to remove the silicone completely before painting. Step 1 – Apply Selleys® Silicone remover and allow it a suitable time to soften the silicone. Step 2 – Remove the softened Silicone with a grout and sealer removal tool. Step 3 – Mechanically scrape the joint until all signs of silicone are removed. Step 4 – Take a piece of p400 paper and work it into and along the joint to abrade both sides of the joint and remove remaining silicone sealant on the surface. Step 5 – Clean the joint with a scouring pad and Selleys® Sugar Soap until clean. Step 6 – Rinse with clean water and allow to dry. The surface is now ready to paint.

Dulux Renovation Range Tiles & Benchtops requires a clean and primed surface to adhere or the paint will peel and flake off. All grease, silicone and dirt contamination must be removed and Dulux Renovation Range Primer must be applied following label directions prior to applying your Renovation Range topcoat.

The prep guide recommends Selley's Rapid Mould Killer.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell