Painting ceramic tile can be done. Careful attention to the prep work and choosing the right coatings will guarantee success.

Let’s divide the ceramic tile into two categories. Tile that gets wet and tile that doesn’t. Both can be successfully coated. Tile subject to immersion requires special coatings (epoxies). We will leave this category for later and deal with tile not subject to water exposure.

The first and most important step is to clean the tile and grout. This is critical. We use a solution of TSP (trisodium-phosphate). Available at most hardware and paint stores. Scrub the surface with a stiff brush (wear gloves). We follow this with a good rinse with several clean sponges. Next step is to sand the tile with a finer grit sandpaper. We use 180 grit. Shop vac the surfaces and then wipe with a damp rag. The key is to remove all dust.

The Primer we like for this is Seal Grip available at Pittsburg Paint Stores. A light first coat of primer rolled onto the tile and scrubbed into the grout lines by brush followed by a second coat of primer after adequate dry time is the way to go.

The top coat we use is Breakthrough. Another Pittsburg product. The final step we take is applying 2 coats of Amerlock sealer after the Breakthrough has dried for 24 hours. This is a two component product and it dries very fast so  you want to mix only what you need and can work with in 15 minute increments.

This system has proven very successful for us. I have had the opportunity to check some of our jobs years later and found the coatings to be sound and looking great.

Painting ceramic tile is not too difficult. If it seems a bit daunting give us a call for a free quote.