A Guide to Painting Ceramic Tile
Ceramic tile always looks great in any home, but often times you just can't find the exact color you are looking for, and this is when you may want to consider painting ceramic tile. This is definitely not something that you should just rush into however, especially since ceramic tile is often so expensive.
When it comes to painting ceramic tile there are a few rules that you want to follow and basically painting ceramic tile will work and be successful as long as you clean the tile well and use the right paint.
Cleaning
Cleaning the ceramic tile is incredibly important before painting. You need to remove all of the dirt, oil, wax, grease and other debris from the tiles, and you are usually fine just to use a typical bathroom cleaner as this will remove the dirt without damaging the ceramic tiles. Remember that the cleaner you get the tiles, the better the paint is going to look in the end.
Choose Your Paint
The next step in this process is to choose the paint you are going to use for painting ceramic tile. The best idea is to use a semi-gloss or high-gloss paint and always make sure that you follow the directions that are given to you on the paint can. You will want to use painter's tape just as you would in any other situation to protect the surfaces surrounding the tiles, and you may also want to stick something in between the centers of tiles in order to avoid painting in between the cracks.
Finishing the Job
Once the paint has dried, to finish the process of painting ceramic tile you are going to want to coat it with two coats of clear water-based urethane. This is really an integral part of the job as this is going to help the paint and tiles resist water and damage caused by foot traffic or other abuse.
As long as you take the right steps in the painting process, your ceramic tile will come out looking wonderful and is sure to add a fantastic touch to your existing home décor. Just make sure that you perform the proper maintenance on the tiles as well over the years, in order to keep the paint looking as crisp and fresh as possible and preventing any water and other damage from happening to the tiles.
Ceramic tiles are always a great addition to any home, but painting can be difficult unless you follow the right steps.