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DIY: How to Paint Ceramic Floor Tile

CAN YOU PAINT TILE FLOORS? YES! I’M SHARING HOW PAINTING OUR BATHROOM’S TILE FLOORS – A SIMPLE, COST-EFFECTIVE DIY – MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE!

This post is in partnership with Rust-Oleum. This post was updated on April 30, 2020 to answer all questions and give a status on house the floors are holding up. If you’ve already visited this post make sure to scroll through and see all the updates including NEW COLOR options from the Rust-Oleum Home Interior Floor Paint Line.

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You can also paint tile with a stencil

 

Also, we have taken on this project in another bathroom using a stencil! Click the photo to see that project after you finish viewing this project.

I have to kick off every DIY post by sharing that I’m not your every day DIYer. Projects that require any amount of skill overwhelm me and I have given up on more than a few. Recently Mom and I have been a lot more determined to find cost effective solutions to accomplish projects. The first two were at the Skyline Project (my house) where we painted my shower wall tile and then we added peel & stick tile to the laundry room. Both projects were SO MUCH easier than expected and we’re so pleased with how it turned out. The tile theme is not intentional, but it happens that the next project is at the Touch Gold Project (mom’s house) where we are painting floor tile in the upstairs bathroom.

UPDATED VIDEO REVIEW OF RUST-OLEUM HOME INTERIOR FLOOR PAINT 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

We are using Rust-Oleum’s RockSolid Interior Floor Coating system. Although the same brand, this product is not the same product we used to paint the wall tiles in the bathroom and is made specifically for floors. It can be used on tile, wood, laminate, concrete, vinyl, linoleum and more.

This jack and jill bathroom has a very familiar tile. It’s one that seemed to be used in every home and commercial bathroom in from 1980 – early 2000 😂It’s not the worst, but it definitely didn’t make the space feel special. We began updating the bathroom with new countertops, painted the vanity, new lights and hardware. The more we added to the space the more the tile felt out of place and dated. After the farm moulding and wallpaper went up it was time to find a cost effective solution that even a level one DIYer could take on. Enter Rust-Oluem.

SUPPLIES TO PAINT TILE:

NOTE: They have updated their product offering as a kit with the top coat and the base coat in one bundle for $39.99. This makes the project much more affordable for small spaces like a bathroom. We had over 3/4 of a gallon left over doing the jack and jill bathroom so if you’re deciding which to purchase for a bathroom I’d choose their quart size offering. When painting two 12×12 rooms we still had over 1/2 the gallon left over. This product goes so much farther than you’d think.

I often get asked what color we used in this project. It is Seattle Mist. It’s a nice neutral gray. We also used Aged Gray when painting the floors in our vendor booth at The Rustic Warehouse and I loved that color choice as well. I’d love to see someone use the black and white with a stencil now that they have a larger variety in colors!

HOW TO PAINT TILE:

1. PREP

Clean and Tape off space. The cleaning process was a lot simpler with the floor system than it was with the shower kit. Simply mop and make sure there is nothing on the surface when you begin painting.

Many tutorials using other products suggest priming. That is not necessary with the Rust-Oleum Home Interior Floor Paint system.

2. PAINT BASE COAT

We painted one coat over the grout lines and all. For this jack and jill bathroom the process took us about 30 minutes. The tricky part was painting in a pattern that didn’t cause you to walk on wet paint. I’ve seen other tutorials showing products that you have to have 3 and 4 coats to get full coverage. This product is not super thick, but covers so well.

3. WAIT

Between the base coat and the top coat you need to wait 6 hours for application. We could have run errands or worked on another project, but we played with puppies and read magazines. The waiting is the hard part. I suggest painting the base coat one afternoon and the next morning painting the top coat.

4. PAINT TOP COAT

The top coat was the easiest part. Just simply paint it on with a new roller. We used the semi-gloss for this project and are pleased with the sheen. Many other tutorials suggest many coats of a top coat sealer where as this system you simply need one. The instructions suggest waiting 12 hours before walking on floors. This last step took us 15minutes…yes less time than we scroll on Instagram each day.

COMMON QUESTIONS:

WHERE CAN YOU PAINT FLOORING?

Anywhere that needs an update! It’s the perfect long term solution for dated tile in an entryway, kitchen, laundry room, mudroom, bathroom floors – even high traffic areas! It’s not made to be used inside showers or on countertops. This product is also not food safe and should not be used on kitchen counters.

SHOULD I PAINT GROUT LINES?

As you can see, we decided to paint over the grout lines for ease and a uniform finish, but you can tape to retain them if you prefer. The color we chose honestly looks like a pretty standard grout color.

WHAT COLORS ARE AVAILABLE?

Rust-Oleum currently has 18 color choices listed from white to many shades of gray and even sea foam! UPDATE: They now have 30 colors!

HOW SOON CAN I USE MY FLOOR AFTER PAINTING IT?

It is ready for foot traffic 24 hours after the top coat with a full cure time is 7-10 days.

HOW DO I CLEAN MY FLOOR AFTER IT HAS BEEN COATED WITH THE HOME INTERIOR FLOOR COATING SYSTEM?

A fully cured floor can be cleaned with mild soap and water after 7 days. Do not use an abrasive cleaner. We use cleaners like Pin-Sol all the time.

COULD I USE THIS PRODUCT WITH A STENCIL?

Absolutely! See the example below! It’s recommended to apply the first color of the base coat and then using a second color of base coat for the stencil. Wait 6 hours before applying the stencil. Wait 1-2 hours after stencil is dry before applying the Top Coat. We used a stencil here and had a great experience.

WHERE CAN I BUY IT?

Currently, it is in The Home Depot!

The entire process was much easier than we thought. Painting was quick and painless and the hardest part was waiting and staying off the floors. I would definitely do this project again and I’m actually thinking of using it on our tile floors in our local vendor booth where we sell some of our favorite things. That would be a great test of traffic.

If you use this technique to paint tile, please return to share your experience using the comments below or tagging me on Instagram! I’d love to see! Also for more information visit rustoleum.com/rshome.


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132 Comments

    1. We don’t notice any chipping or color changes since we’ve completed the project! It hasn’t been on the floor for very long, but this isn’t our first time using a Rust-Oleum product and the paint we used on the wall tiles has held up perfectly. Not one single chip, scratch or fade.

  1. Love this DiY project! However, I am curious what the odor or off gassing of paint is like. Can you share you experience?
    Thanks
    Judy

  2. What tint or color of gray did you use for your tile makeover? there are so many grays! LOL, Also are your cabinets a dark gray in your bathroom? I have dark gray cabinets and trying to match the right gray. thanks for any help.

  3. Still no chips? I want to do this in our kitchen but don’t want it to look bad if it starts chipping!

  4. Do you think I could also use this on an old counter top? The floor looks awesome and love the way you tied everything in

  5. Hello! Thank you so much for sharing your experience 🙂 How much paint did you use to cover your floor? 1/2" Gallon? Appreciate you sharing!

  6. This looks awesome!! How has it held up? I’ve been wanting to do this in our master bathroom but I’m worried if there’s standing water that it might peel or bubble

  7. We have the same tile in a good portion of our main floor—kitchen, laundry, 1/2 bath, and front hall. We are starting to talk about demo. I don’t think I have the patience to paint over all that tile and hope it doesn’t get ruined or the dog’s nails don’t scratch it off! However, I’m intrigued about trying it in our master bath on that tile. Can you post an update on how it is wearing after a year?

  8. Hi! Your project above looks like it turned out great! I am thinking about trying this out on the tile floor in our half-bathroom and possibly painting the tile floor in our kitchen. My concern is that we have 2 dogs and I’m not sure how this product will hold up against the dogs nails/running around. Did you run into any issues like it chipping or scratching away in high traffic areas?? Your feedback is appreciated!
    Jasmine

    1. Hey Jasmine! We also have pups and it has held up great. We are planning on painting our retail space this week to show how it holds up in that load of traffic. It’s done so great in the bathroom I really trust this product in almost any interior area!

  9. Just saw your project…. very interesting. What color was used on vanity cabinet and where did you get rug in front of vanity?

  10. It looks so good! I really want to do this on our bathroom floors, I have seen other tutorials that require sanding the tile first, but it looks like you did not have to do that!? Is that just because of the specific kind of tile you had? Or is this just a product that does not need sanding before hand? Thank you!

  11. Hi, I noticed in one of your bathroom photos there , I believe, is a leaf wallpaper can you tell me what’s it called and where to purchase it?

  12. Hi! So I am interested in this project but I have a dog. Did you find that your dogs feet or nails scratched the paint? I am a little nervous to do this project with a 75lb dog! Thanks! I really enjoy your blog (:

  13. Would you ever regrout or paint the grout to give it that type of look? Could you? If so, would you do it before or after the gloss?

  14. I just painted my kitchen floor and I’ve seen people do multiple layers of the seal. Did you just do the one? The 24 hour waiting period is dreadful so I want to avoid doing the seal multiple times! Not to mention the seal layer was when I noticed the most dust/dog hair coming up. I’m guessing I got a roller that sheds even though I used their suggestion of 1/4 nap. Thank you for the detailed review!

  15. Hey there! I read through the comments to see if you answered this question before I asked again, I did see it asked already, but no answer. What color is the sink vanity and wall color please. Thanks!

  16. I have the horrible 1960 "pinkish tan" ceramoic tile with a high glossy shine on my bathroom walls and countertop. I just want your opinion as to whether this paint would work well on that tile as opposed to actual floor tile. Thank you!

  17. To date, how is the finish holding up under all of the wear and tear? I have 3 teenagers using the same bathroom AND a busy kitchen that both need an update. Thanks in advance for your help!

    1. Hey Kitty! It’s holding up great. It’s perfect in our bathroom with tons of foot traffic. There’s a little wear and tear in our retail booth but we’ve drug a lot of furniture across it.

  18. I just watched your updated youtube video… I’m getting ready to do all the bathrooms in my house. Now that you’ve used both topcoats which do you prefer? Matte or Semi-gloss? I’m trying to decide which to buy and there aren’t a lot of great photos online to compare the two. Thank you so much!

    1. Hey Laura! It’s really hard to show in photos. I prefer matte from a design point but the semigloss is more practical since it doesn’t show as much. I would choose semigloss if I was to complete the project again 🙂

      1. Thank you so much! I’ve been on the fence and just needed a nudge in either direction. Semi-gloss it is!

  19. Great job! But I’ve gotta say that you, your baby daughter and Mom are just way too cute! Thanks for a thoroughly entertaining “how-to” DIY! (Baby girl is a great little show-stopper actress🤗…and I plan to try the wall tile paint on my subway tile in the kitchen.

    1. watching. My bathtub is in perfect condition but would like to paint tile in mt bath and in husbands shower.

  20. this sounds easy its just the waiting time as we only have one bathroom , maybe I could split up doing certain areas ,cause if we have to use the bathroom and were waiting on the paint for 6 hours oh boy. I enjoy your video.

  21. Could this same floor paint be used on kitchen backsplash tiles or would the bathroom tile paint be better for that?

  22. Is this safe to use near a fireplace? I’m looking to paint the tiles on the floor around the fireplace and from what I’ve read there are certain paints that should be used for exposure to higher temps. Do you know if this is safe for that?

  23. Would you recommend painting shower tiles with this product? Our shower has really ugly tiles so it would be great if we could paint over the ugly tiles.

    1. They have a rustoleum tub and tile kit that works amazing for both. I did mine three years ago and it looks brand new!

  24. How does it hold up against scratching from your pupper?! We have a pup and that’s what I’m most worried about. How scuff resistant/peel resistant/scratch resistant is it?! Thanks in advance! Your bathroom looks beautiful!!

  25. I have recently just painted my bathroom tile floor and I was very skeptical about how easy it was gonna be and I was very surprised. Between the prep work (cleaning, deglazing tiles and tape), premier and two coats of final paint it probably took all about 5 hours total. Total investment was just over $70 and I couldn’t be happier. I would post pictures but not sure if I can on this blog. Honestly it turned out amazing and saved me a ton of money

  26. Thank you so much for the informative video. I have one question. What roller type did you use? Wall rollers, ceiling roller, foam roller, etc? Thanks in advance, Kat

  27. I really want to know more about painting ceramic or porcelein tile floors. I HATE my "dirty" looking cream tiles and they go throughout my home. Rugs only cover up so much. Is the paint permanent? Does it easily chip. Is it cost effective? Is it maintenance- proof, as in frequent mopping and cleaning? Someone please answer because I want to do something before the holidays.

  28. Anyone use this to paint the tub surround? I have tiles around my tub (which rarely gets used). I would like to paint it. Says for horizontal surfaces only and wondering if anyone has tried on a vertical surface.

  29. If I wanted to fill in the grout lines so I could do a painted "rug" what would be the best product for that?

  30. Are you able to clean tile floors that you’ve painted with this product with steam mops? Or would the combination of heat and water cause it to wipe off? Thanks!

  31. Hi. I am trying to decide between Steam Gray and Coastal Gray for my LARGE master bathroom floor. Coastal Grey looks a lot lighter in your video than it does on the paint sample. Does it look lighter to you in person than it does on rustoleum website or sample brochure?

  32. Thinking to use this for our bathroom floor. We have a tile surround around a jacuzzi tub that doesn’t work. Do you think we could still use this? It’s about 18” vertical tile up from the floor.

  33. In excited to give painting our bathroom tile floor a try! Your tile looks awesome! Also, what is the wallpaper you have on the walls? It is so pretty!!

  34. Hey about to do my bathroom and loved your video thank you so much
    So how many kits of the rust oleum did it take to do bathroom and tile on walls ??
    Did you use primer on it first or just the rust oleum directly on tile after prepping it ??
    Thanks so much

  35. The timing on this article couldn’t have been better. I just finished stripping and repainting the kitchen cabinets in our 60 year old home. Got new pulls, etc. My husband commented how awful our old ceramic tiles look now. He wants to rip them up & do a new floor. We are both 70! I said, "Do you know how much work that would be?!" The next day, there you were.

    1. By the way. You don’t have to rip out ceramic tiles from the floor. You lay the new tiles right on top. Easy peasy. But painting, way cheaper. I’m doing my whole house.

      1. Can’t do that in my Grade II Listed English cottage unfortunately! Reduces ceiling height & planners wouldn’t allow it anyway 😐. Tile away & think of us custodians to heritage.. someone has to do it!

  36. We have a screened in porch with a concrete floor. We power washed it when we moved in a couple years ago & painted it with exterior paint. 2 years later it is chipping. Would this same process work for the porch floor as well?

  37. How well do you think it would do on a kitchen floor.? ? I have black porcelain tiles, I hate the color. Would I need to prime prior to painting over the black tiles?

  38. The bathroom looks great! Do you think I could use this on my tile surrounding the outer area of my tub? My tile is so dated, but it is in good shape.

  39. How is the painted tile floor holding up. Is that bathroom used all the time or just occasionally?
    It’s hard to imagine that it wouldn’t get scuffed up or chipped.
    I just happened on to your site, I love your video’s .
    Linda

  40. I was scrolling through on DyI ideas. I am in the process of buying a house. but in one of the bedrooms they placed tile. yes I said that right. I need ideas on what to do with the tile. I do love the paint idea for the bathroom to update and freshen the look. the bathroom is the 80s blue tile. and its everywhere. any advice on what to do with the bedroom floor tile???
    thanks
    Tammy

    1. Hi Tammy, did you end up painting your bedroom floor? I moved into a new house and our master bedroom is tile, unfortunately. I’m going to paint it, but struggling to pick a color.
      Kari

  41. I just saw this. I white to paint my ceramic tile. But I don’t know what color. Also Im afraid the paint would start fading since is the kitchen and entrance door. How can I send you a picture so you can give me an idea of what color please.

  42. What a brilliant idea! Paint the tiles instead of replacing them! It saves a whole bunch of money (and God knows, we all need to save as much of that as possible these days). Still, my tiles are cracked and I’m going to need to have them replaced. I’m thinking of hiring a local flooring company to fit it at https://broadloom-ipswich.co.uk/tiles-flooring. Do you have any suggestions of questions I should ask them before they begin?

  43. Hey there! I just watched the video and am going to attempt to do this in my kitchen! Do you think if the grout is chipped I should fill the missing spaces or should I just go over it as normal? Also, do you have a recommendation for more of a light grey or a white? The one in the Jack and Jill was def close to what I’m looking for just a little lighter if possible!

    Thanks in advance!

  44. This is awesome, thank you for sharing these tips and tricks! A couple of questions, in case it doesn’t turn out the way we want it to, is there a way to strip the paint off without damaging the original tiles? Also, once painted, how often would you have to “retouch/maintain” the floors? Thanks in advance!

  45. I need a limestone shade masonry paint for outside.. do you do this? Great ideas on here for the lucky people who are allowed to slap paint anywhere they choose.. not so lucky in a Grade II Listed property in UK! 🤔

  46. Can you use this system on textured tile floors. Our bathroom tile is almost like a stone finish with lots of texture, highs and lows, not a smooth finish at all.

  47. Hi-what color did you paint the bathroom vanity in the first project post on painting time? It looks like a dark gray? Thank you!

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