How to refinish or paint clay tiles?

[barbgeren]

I purchased a home with saltillo clay tiles. Extremely worn, some still have a glazing on them, others wearing  or worn down exposing clay. Can I paint these? I tried stripping them but was overcome by chemical odors. Can I clean, use a primer first?  Help...over 2,000 ' of tiles

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @barbgeren. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about refinishing tiles.

Refinishing or painting over Saltillo tiles can be a tricky process, especially with the condition you've described. While there are interior tile paints designed to go over glazed surfaces and exterior paints meant for porous concrete, there's no specific paint designed to work effectively on clay tiles with deteriorated coatings.

The main issue lies in the compromised surface. Much like trying to paint over a deteriorated painted coating, manufacturers of these paints can't warrant their products when applied to a surface that is already breaking down. For a long-lasting solution, you may want to consider restoring the tiles rather than painting them. A thorough clean, followed by re-sealing, might help preserve their unique character and durability.

If you can remove the glaze, you could coat them with a clear penetrative sealer such as Crommelin 1L Natural Finish Penetrating Sealer And Water Repellent. 100% of the glaze would need to be removed for this process.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell
 

[barbgeren]

Thank you for the information. Do you know of any way to remove the glaze? I prevused Zepp stripper which worked well, but I was overcome with the fumes. I even tried a respirator. Thanks again 

[MitchellMc]

I'm surprised you'd be able to remove glaze with any type of chemical @barbgeren. Glaze is a baked on hard coating. If you've used a stripper and it's coming off, it sounds like it might be more of a sealant rather than a glaze.

If it is a sealant, you could test some Crommelin 1L Water Rinsable Surface Cleaner And Sealer Remover in an inconspicuous location to see if it works and doesn't damage the tiles. It's still solvent-based and potent, so you should ventilate the area well if it's enclosed.

Mitchell