• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Meet Kris
    • FAQs
    • Media
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy
  • Home Tour
    • Master Bathroom
    • Kitchen
    • Kitchen Eat-In Area
    • Family Room
    • Living Room
    • Home Office
    • Laundry Room
    • Master Bedroom
    • Craft Room
    • Dining Room
    • Garage
    • Guest Room
    • Guest Bathroom
    • Patio
    • Powder Room
    • Teen Blue & White Bedroom
    • Teen Boho Chic Bedroom
  • Projects
    • Room Remodels
    • DIY Projects
    • Decorating Tips
    • Cleaning
    • Organizing
  • Subscribe
  • Shop My Favorites
    • Shop My Faves
    • Shop My House

Driven by Decor logo

menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Meet Kris
    • FAQs
    • Media
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy
  • Home Tour
    • Master Bathroom
    • Kitchen
    • Kitchen Eat-In Area
    • Family Room
    • Living Room
    • Home Office
    • Laundry Room
    • Master Bedroom
    • Craft Room
    • Dining Room
    • Garage
    • Guest Room
    • Guest Bathroom
    • Patio
    • Powder Room
    • Teen Blue & White Bedroom
    • Teen Boho Chic Bedroom
  • Projects
    • Room Remodels
    • DIY Projects
    • Decorating Tips
    • Cleaning
    • Organizing
  • Subscribe
  • Shop My Favorites
    • Shop My Faves
    • Shop My House
×

Updated: Jan 24, 2023 by Kris Jarrett

My Painted Bathroom Tile – Did it Last?

Hey everyone! I’m popping in to share a much-asked-for update on whether the painted tile floor in our bathroom hlasted. It’s been several years now since I painted the ugly red tile floors in our powder room (you can see the “before” and “after” pics and details of how I painted our floor tile {HERE}) so I figured it was time for a follow-up post. Overall, I am VERY happy with how our painted tile floors held up. Here’s a pic of our powder room floor today: (this post includes some affiliate links – see my full disclosure statement {here})

Do painted tile floors hold up over time? All the details are in this post!

Looking good right?! Let’s zoom on in so I can show you in detail how they’ve worn. The most heavily trafficked areas of this bathroom (which is used daily by my husband since our master bath is super tiny) are the area where you walk in, in front of the sink, and in front of the toilet. The first two areas look pretty much untouched – here’s a close-up of the tile in front of the sink:

How well do painted tile floors hold up over time? This post answers that question!

I was initially having issues with getting the painted tile totally clean in these high traffic areas but then realized that a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (you can find them {here}) does the job beautifully. So much so that I was kind of appalled at how dirty the magic eraser was the first time I tried it on my “clean” floors. So on a weekly basis I do a quick cleaning of the floor with warm water and mild soap but once every month or two I pull out the Magic Erasers and go to town on the grime.

The area in front of the toilet is the one area that has shown some wear with several small scrapes on one of the tiles and some teeny little marks on a few others that you’d only see if you were looking for them (like on the upper right of this pic):

Do painted tile floors scratch? All of the details are in this post!

I’m pretty sure I know how the scrapes happened – we had someone who was mulching our yard ask to use the bathroom and I’m guessing that he had a stone in his work boots because that’s the day I first noticed the scrapes. Some of the teeny marks are likely just wear and tear – everyone who worked on our never-ending kitchen remodel used this bathroom so it’s gotten a LOT of use.

So would I still recommend painting your tile floor? Absolutely! Overall they’ve worn really well and touching them up was pretty quick and easy. I sanded out the scratches in front of the toilet and then put two more coats of porch paint on the entire floor and the whole space looked good as new. So if you paint your tile and don’t use a top coat, plan on re-coating it every couple of years to keep it looking perfect. If you don’t want to have to recoat that frequently or have floors that are going to be extremely trafficked, consider putting a coat or two of water-based polyurethane over your last coat of paint when you do your project.

You can find all of the steps and products I used for painting my tile floors in {this post}. And for all the details on our stenciling see my post on wall stencils.

XOXO,

  • Pin
  • Share
  • Email

Categories: DIY Projects

✉️FREE EMAIL SERIES ✉️

5 Secrets to Reinventing Your Home on a Budget

Simple tips to instantly transform five rooms in your home!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Donna says

    May 26, 2019 at 9:53 am

    I painted the bathroom floor and counter top in the main bathroom of our first house as a quick inexpensive fix to tide us over until we could afford a remodel. Fast forward 10 years and we sold the house instead of remodeling. The bathroom still looked fabulous despite the daily wear and tear. I highly recommend painting tile!

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      May 28, 2019 at 3:43 pm

      Wow – that’s a long time so that’s great to know! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
  2. Debbie says

    May 26, 2019 at 10:38 am

    Thanks for the update on your tile. I think it looks great. It looks very clean and bright.

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      May 28, 2019 at 3:42 pm

      Thank you so much Debbie!

      Reply
      • Pamela J Draper says

        August 30, 2020 at 10:29 am

        This is beautiful! I was considering painting the tile in my upstairs bathroom. You mentioned your bathroom is a powder room. Do think this type of floor would hold up in a bathroom that contains a shower? Obviously the floor would be prone to drips. I guess patios get rained on all the time, so it should hold up, right?

        Reply
  3. Karen Bunch says

    May 26, 2019 at 11:32 am

    Kris,
    Wow, I’m impressed with your painted floor. It really looks nearly perfect after a year and a half+. The sales are of interest as we’re moving to a new place and you know how you often need stuff.
    Enjoy your “summer” weather, we have a prediction of rain today. 🙁
    Karen

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      May 28, 2019 at 3:42 pm

      Bummer that you had a rainy Memorial Day weekend – hopefully the sun came out on Monday at least!

      Reply
  4. Gail Storti says

    May 27, 2019 at 12:22 pm

    Happy Memorial Day Kris! This was such a great post and I’m so impressed not only with your painted floors, but with the beautiful stencil job you did on the walls. I remember when you did it, but had forgotten until I reviewed that post. Wow…I am dying to do that to my powder room walls. I’ve always been a do it yourselfer and done too many difficult projects to mention. But I just don’t know if I could do this. Years of doing all those projects have taken their toll and arthritis makes tasks like this hard. Wallpaper is a possibility but after the last time we removed wallpaper, my husband said “NEVER AGAIN!” I’m going to seriously think about doing the stenciling, I think it’s fabulous.
    Now about the deer! Yes, I love the deer in our neighborhood but I also love my plants and flowers that they have dined on for too long. Several years ago, after trying many things, I discovered a product called Liquid Fence that really works. It’s non toxic and has a garlic base. It comes in ready to use and concentrate forms and is so easy to use. It is a garlic based liquid that you mix with water, I have a air pump sprayer, and spray on at the beginning of deer season. I do it once a week for a few weeks then once a month. The deer learn that your yard is a no-no and stay away. It’s like a miracle. It does have a stinky odor when first sprayed but goes away after it drys. It’s available on Amazon and in hardware stores.
    Thank you for sharing all the great decore things you find!

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      May 28, 2019 at 3:38 pm

      That’s good to know that Liquid Fence has worked for you! Sounds like the Bobbex – super stinky but effective!

      Reply
  5. Carol says

    May 27, 2019 at 1:33 pm

    Appreciate this post as well, I dislike my bathroom floor but it’s so expensive to start over again.
    I have a porcelain tile in a reddish brown and I have thick grout lines and wondering if the painting would work. I tried to attach a picture but could not.

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      May 28, 2019 at 3:40 pm

      Mine had pretty substantial grout lines and it worked fine! But if your grout is old and flaking or cracking it could make any flaking more obvious once painted.

      Reply
  6. Mansa says

    June 02, 2019 at 7:34 am

    Love the painted floor tile. Seems like such an easy way to make a change to a bathroom! And I hear you on the deer – we have a ton in my backyard and my hydrangeas get half eaten every year! Looks like I need some Bobbex!

    Reply
  7. Tanzis says

    June 04, 2019 at 11:11 pm

    Hi there, i like the result in your bathroom and i was wondering if you could recommend this paint to my bathroom’s walls. it will be white so i was thinking it can work perfect, what do you think?

    Thank you!

    Tanzis

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      January 06, 2020 at 9:58 pm

      I think it could definitely work on tile walls as long as they aren’t the actually walls of the shower. I’m not sure if shower walls could hold up to all of the water and humidity or not…

      Reply
    • Smiley Mom says

      June 10, 2021 at 10:12 am

      Yes! You can paint tub and shower enclosures. I used the same technique as Kris and it’s holding up great one year later. Please note that I did not sand my tile, but I did use the stripper/cleaner, which was necessary in the showers. .

      I also painted 3 bathroom countertops and only one has a minor chip from something dropped on it. I can easily do a touch up.

      I hadn’t tried the floor, but I’m inspired by Kris and am off to the paint store today.

      Reply
    • Smiley Mom says

      June 10, 2021 at 10:13 am

      See my reply below Kris’ re shower walls. You can paint them too!!

      Reply
  8. Kristi says

    July 14, 2019 at 4:00 pm

    Love how this turned out! Think it would work for kitchen wall backsplash?

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      January 06, 2020 at 9:55 pm

      Yes I think you could totally do this on a kitchen backsplash!

      Reply
  9. Abby says

    August 01, 2019 at 12:28 pm

    Ohhhh my gosh, this made my day. I was feeling so discouraged thinking my bathroom would cost thousands to remodel. Looks like all I need is some paint and a new vanity. Goodbye red tiled floors and blue tiled walls! Glad to know it holds up! Thank you for sharing! It looks AMAZING!!

    Reply
  10. Bev says

    November 16, 2019 at 1:31 am

    Hi Kris, I quite enjoyed your article on painting floor tile. Do you believe that if I follow your instructions and do a sealing coat, allowing it to cure for at least 2 days, that the floor would stand up to dog nails as I have 2 dogs. Thank you for your input.

    course

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      January 06, 2020 at 9:54 pm

      Hi Bev – honestly I’m not totally sure. Our dog, Hope never really goes into this bathroom so I haven’t tested it with dog nails. I think that if you use a top coat it would hold up – it’s been incredible durable – but I haven’t put it to the test myself!

      Reply
    • Anonymous says

      January 29, 2022 at 10:07 am

      I used porch paint on my stairs after I I removed the carpet and after 2 years it’s held up better than I expected. I have 2 dogs and none of the wear and tear is due to their nail as the area of wear is on the edge of the stairs.
      I did it as an experiment because the steps are just cheap partical board and I didnt want to go thru the work of installing wood steps. They don’t look perfect because I didnt do any sanding or wood filler to smooth out any gouges from pulling out the staples but I bet I could get it to look better with a 2nd coat of porch paint.

      Reply
  11. Kelly says

    January 06, 2020 at 12:52 pm

    Hi there, did you use the low sheen floor & patio paint from BM or the high sheen? I’m so inspired by your tile makeover and wanting to attempt our master bathroom tile ?

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      January 06, 2020 at 9:51 pm

      I used the low sheen and am amazed by how well it’s stood the test of time!

      Reply
  12. Kristin says

    February 24, 2020 at 3:50 pm

    Hello! I’m looking for the perfect gray to paint my tile floors, and yours is almost exactly what I’m thinking. Can you tell me the paint color name?
    Many thanks!

    Reply
  13. Megan says

    April 20, 2020 at 10:47 am

    Thank you for the update! I have hideous tile floors in my master and I really want to re-paint them. Everyone thinks I am crazy but I am going to go for it!

    Reply
  14. Elizabeth Marshall says

    May 03, 2020 at 1:33 pm

    Hello! I’m really wanting to do the same thing in one of my bathrooms. The tile is just horrible., but I do not want to spend a lot of money on a big bathroom renovation right now.
    I am wondering about the grout part. It’s seems that if you were going to paint the tile with a roller, you would not need to use a paintbrush on the grout. Could you help me to understand why you did the grout with a paint brush if you already went over it with a roller brush?
    Your bathroom looks amazing!! Thank you so much for posting this update too, on how it looks 20 mo’s later.

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      May 06, 2020 at 11:09 pm

      My grout is recessed a bit from the tile so rolling over the tile wasn’t getting the grout entirely painted – it was easier to first brush some paint on the grout lines. If your tile is different and you get good grout coverage with your roller, you could do without the brush!

      Reply
  15. Brenda says

    May 05, 2020 at 3:47 pm

    Any recommendations on how to touch up areas where the paint simply chipped off? I have two spots that need touch up paint but when I tried re painting it looks totally different and doesn’t blend. Maybe because of the polyurethane seal? Help!

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      May 06, 2020 at 10:43 pm

      Touch up can be tricky if they were polyurethaned – you’d probably have to sand the edges of the chip smooth first to help it blend.

      Reply
  16. Dianna says

    May 13, 2020 at 1:28 pm

    Hi! Love this post! What a beautiful job! I’ve decided to paint my bathroom tiles to hide the 90’s brown tile! I’ve already used the STIX primer. I’m looking for the BM floor and patio paint. I see there are several options…urethane, epoxy and water. Do you remember which one you used? I apologize in advance if you’ve already mentioned this. I didn’t see it in the post. Thanks so much for the great idea!

    Reply
  17. Marilyn says

    June 01, 2020 at 4:28 am

    Hi Kris,
    I so enjoy your blog. I have read and reread the article about you painting your tiles. It inspired me to paint the faded vinyl floor in my second bath. I’m in the midst of that now, have cleaned, sanded, cleaned again and primed the floor. Now I must paint and topcoat. Other bloggers have written that polyethylene yellows unless you are careful to get the non yellowing kind. I thought I’d mention this because your light gray floors are so beautiful and I’d hate to see them ruined by yellowing. I’m so glad you posted an update on how they’re wearing.
    Marilyn

    Reply
  18. Sheri Gibson says

    July 21, 2020 at 8:48 pm

    Just curious, is the floor slick when wet? Looks lovely!!

    Reply
  19. Nicole says

    October 04, 2020 at 12:32 pm

    Your article is very helpful! Wondering if adding a polyurethane coat would make the floors more slippery when exiting the tub? Do you find just the paint coat to be the same as a ceramic tile in comaprison when wet?

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      February 11, 2021 at 3:22 pm

      I would expect that how slippery it would be is similar to that of hardwood floors since those are coated with polyurethane. And yes, I don’t find my painted tile to be any more or less slippery than it was unpainted – it’s about the same.

      Reply
  20. L. Hart says

    November 11, 2020 at 12:21 pm

    I just saved your post that describes how you painted your bathroom tile floors and can’t wait to try it on mine. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, my floors, vanity, shower stall, and half of the walls are all hot pink and green tile. The tile is in beautiful condition, but I’m not loving the colors. Can I use the same technique to paint the walls that you used to paint the floors? I’ve already purchased a tub and tile refinisher kit for the vanity and shower stall.

    Thanks!

    Reply
  21. Jaime V says

    January 19, 2021 at 10:08 am

    Great work, looks amazing! Nice to know it held up so well. I wonder if tinting the primer would have helped hide the scratch more? You can see it only went to the primer level and not the level of the old red tile. Good to know the primer is holding up so well too.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

✉️FREE EMAIL SERIES ✉️

5 Secrets to Reinventing Your Home on a Budget

Simple tips to instantly transform five rooms in your home!

Meet Kris

Kris of Driven by Decor

All images on DBD are copyrighted and taken by me unless otherwise noted. If you'd like to use any of my images, please request their use via my Contact page.

I am a participant in several affiliate advertising programs (including the Amazon Associates program) and earn fees from qualifying purchases. For more information, see my full disclosure statement {here}.

To view my privacy policy, go {here}.

Copyright © 2023 · Driven by Decor