Can you paint tile floors? Yes! I’m sharing how to paint a tile floor so it looks good and lasts! We painted the ceramic tile floors in our bathroom and this simple, inexpensive DIY transformed our space!
Have you ever had a project that ended up being so much easier than you expected that you wished you hadn’t procrastinated so long to do it? Painting the ceramic tile floors in our first floor bathroom was one of those projects!
I decided I was going to figure out how to paint our tile floor way back in 2014 when I was making over my space for the One Room Challenge. But.. the stenciling of the bathroom walls took so long that I ran out of time to do it before my big reveal. Somehow THREE full years went by before I finally knocked this little DIY project. It ended up being so cheap and easy to do and I LOVE the result! Welcome to my its-five-hundred-times-better-than-those-ugly-reddish-floors-were bathroom!
Such a HUGE improvement over the reddish tile we started with, right?!
And believe it or not, the ugly color wasn’t even the worst thing about the old tile floors. Behind both the sink and the toilet, the tile had gross, ugly stains that I couldn’t get off no matter how hard I tried. It was completely gagworthy and something the previous owners hid under a custom cut rug they had in this bathroom when we bought the house:
Now you’d never know that my poor tile had such an ugly past!
It’s been six years now since we painted our tile floors and I would do it all over again! Today, I’m sharing everything you need to know about how to paint a tile floor so it lasts! 🙌🏻 (post includes commissionable links; for more information, see my full disclosure statement {here})
Step 1: Gather Your Supplies
These are the supplies you’ll need to successfully knock this project out:
- Sandpaper (I used 80, 120, and 220 grit) and/or an electric sander (I used {this sander} and {this sandpaper} that fits it.
- Stripper and cleaner (I used {this one})
- Grout or caulk to repair cracked/missing grout (if needed)
- Bonding primer (I swear by {this STIX primer})
- 4″ mini rollers such as {these} that have ¼″ nap
- Mini roller frame
- Paint brush
- Benjamin Moore Floor & Patio Paint
- Polyurethane topcoat (optional)
Step 2: Sand Your Tile Floors
The first step is to lightly sand your tile floors. The purpose is not to remove the glaze on the tile, it’s just to scuff it up which helps the primer adhere. And it also removed the disgusting crap on the surface of my tile that I couldn’t get off no matter what I tried.
It’s important to note that ceramic tile can contain lead so consider testing for it or consulting with a professional if you’re unsure about your tile. Always use protective eyewear and an appropriate mask or respirator to prevent you from breathing in the sanding dust. And contain the dust so it doesn’t go into other areas of the house.
I used {this electric sander} which makes the job so much quicker and easier than doing it by hand. If you do a lot of projects around the house and don’t already have one of these electric sanders, I’d highly recommend it. It’s lightweight, fits in the palm of your hand, and has an angled head to get into corners easily:
I sanded the tiles that had a build-up of crud on them with 80 grit sandpaper, did a light sanding of the whole floor with 120 grit, and then finished off with a quick once-over with a fine 220 grit sandpaper. A variety pack of sandpapers that fit the mouse sander such as {this one} is perfect.
Step 3: Clean Your Floors (Super Well!)
After finishing sanding, I vacuumed up all of the dust and debris and then went to town on cleaning my floors. Any heavy-duty stripper & cleaner should do the job – you can get the one that I used online {here}.
I mixed the cleaner with water (per the instructions), mopped it onto the floor, let it sit for about 15 minutes, and then scrubbed the entire floor with a nylon scrub brush. Then I cleaned it off with bucket of warm water and did it a second time. The cleaner the floor, the better your paint will adhere!
Step 4: Repair any Missing Grout or Cracked Tiles
The grout on our floor was a mess and there are several areas where chunks of it were missing. Regrouting is a pretty huge job since you need to spend a lot of time digging out the old grout first so I went the easy route and simply used paintable caulk to fill in and smooth over any bare spots in my grout. The caulk adhered well and now that it’s painted, you would never know that I had done it.
Now would be the time to replace or repair any cracked tiles too. I had one tile closer to our bathtub with a crack in it but knew it would be covered by our bathroom rug so I simply caulked the cracked portion and sanded down the rough edge a bit instead of replacing it.
Step 5: Apply a Good Primer
Using a really good primer is the key to success for painting ceramic tile! I used INSL-X STIX (available {here}) which is my go-to primer for painting surfaces that paint might normally have a hard time adhering too.
I used a paint brush and small roller simultaneously (I use a ¼ inch mini roller like {these}), painting the edges and grout lines with my brush and then rolling on the primer for the rest. Just make sure to start at the far end of the room and work towards the door so you don’t paint yourself into a corner. Once it was dry, I recoated using the same technique.
Step 6: Paint Your Tile!
I painted our floor tile in the same way as I primed it, using a paint brush on the edges and on the grout and rolling the rest as I went (as with the primer, I used a 4 inch mini roller like {this}):
The type of paint that I used was Benjamin Moore’s Floor & Patio Paint since it’s meant to stand up to lots of use and abuse. It comes in High Sheen and Low Sheen options. I chose Low Sheen just for personal preference.
I applied three coats of paint, letting it dry according to the paint instructions in between coats. The color I chose is Benjamin Moore Platinum Gray, which is the same gray color as the lighter portions of my stenciled walls.
Step 7: Seal Your Tile?
The last step, if you choose to do it, is to seal your tile. I was definitely torn on whether or not to seal mine. With porch paint you technically don’t need to seal it since the paint is made to withstand a lot of wear. The pro of adding a polyurethane topcoat is that it will make your painted tile more durable. The negative is that with a polyurethane topcoat, if you get a gash in your floor that needs to be repaired, it’s a little trickier to fix in a way that it blends in perfectly if you’ve topcoated with polyurethane.
I decided NOT to use a polyurethane topcoat and years later I’m happy with that choice. At one point a deep scratch appeared on one of our tiles that I’m guessing was made by stone getting stuck in someone’s shoe tread while construction was being done on our house. I was able to sand and repaint just that one tile and it blended in perfectly.
I also recoated our painted tile floors a few years after they were first done to freshen them up, and since I had no polyurethane topcoat I didn’t have to do any prepwork to remove it before repainting.
Step 8: Let Your Floor Dry & Then Put It To Use!
After your last coat of paint or polyurethane, give your floor at least a couple of days to fully dry before walking on it. The more humid it is, the longer it will take. It’s best to be gentle with it (no heeled shoes, etc.) for the first week or two until everything is fully cured.
Overall, I’m incredibly happy with how our painted tile floor looks and how it’s worn! Especially for a project that cost me under $100!
It’s fun to look back and see how far this bathroom has come. This is what it looked like when we moved in and the tile was covered by carpet (which I promptly took out because I decided that even the ugliest tile is better than a rug that goes around the toilet – yuck!):
and here it is today:
Powder Room Sources: Damask Wall Stencil (11.25″ x 15.5″) | Arched wood medicine cabinet mirror – no longer available | Pedestal Sink | Sconces (Polished Nickel) | Gray & white striped towel
The best part is that it’s a room we didn’t spend a ton of money on. Other than the money spent on the wood medicine cabinet and sconces, the rest of the changes were accomplished with inexpensive DIY projects. To learn more about our bathroom makeover check out my posts on:
Wall Stencils (yes, those walls are stenciled, not wallpapered!)
How to Replace a Towel Bar with Fixed Ceramic Ends
Also check out my post on our painted bathroom vanity which was another easy painting project that made a huge difference!
UPDATE!! If you’re wondering how our painted tile floors have held up, check out my post how how our painted tile lasted with an update of how they had done years later!
Thanks for stopping by!
Want to save this post?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Dianna says
It’s absolutely beautiful!! You did a great job and my bathroom floor is exactly what I am fixing to start on but my thought is to make it a more rugged paint for more traction. I tend to slip alot. What are your thoughts on this?
Kris Jarrett says
I believe you can make paint non-slip by adding grit to it but I’ve never specifically tried it with a painted floor.
Pam says
How has it held up ? Contemplating big job. Ceramic tile.
Kris Jarrett says
Yes it has held up really well!
Laura says
Great article. I am definitely going to try this on my tile foyer. Do you have a specific type of polyurethane you recommend? All the ones I can find say they are meant for use on wood – will they still work over the painted tile?
Kris Jarrett says
I actually don’t have a specific recommendation only because I decided in my case that I didn’t need to use polyurethane. I would talk to someone at a reputable local paint store!
Karen says
All beautiful!! A couple of questions about the wall stencil, how did you do the corners to align the design, and how did you know what kind of paint to mix for the stencil??? It is gorgeous!!! All lovely, wonderful job!
Kris Jarrett says
You can find all of those details in this post: https://www.drivenbydecor.com/stenciling-how-to-tips-tricks-pics/
Shae Bordes says
Hi Kris! So glad I stumbled onto your website! Fantastic ideas and I adore your taste ! I will be tackling the tile in our kitchen with this fantastic idea… But how many days did the whole project take? I know I can order takeout or pizza for a day or two, or will this be a 5 day project?
Kris Jarrett says
It’s only a 2 day project to finish the floors (since you have to allow for drying time between coats) but I would recommend giving it several days after you’re done before subjecting it to everyday wear and tear and putting down rugs or mats – you’d be fine going in and out in socks though!
Katie says
This looks so good!! Do you think it would work on the tile on the wall? I have tile similar to yours 40 in up the wall on the walls around the toilet in our bathroom and would love to paint it, but don’t want it Stark white like the tub and tile kits. Do you think this would work?
Kris Jarrett says
I think it would work on wall tile in the main area of the bathroom but I don’t know how well it would stand up to wall tile in a bath or shower area where it was exposed to a lot of moisture.
Lindsey says
I am interested in doing this in my guest/future children’s bathroom. It’s small with very basic white tile from when our house was built in 2002. We though about just redoing the tile, but that’s a lot of time & effort we just don’t have right now with everything else going on.
What sandpaper do you recommend? If you were to seal the floor would you use a basic tile sealer or soemthing else?
We do use rugs & the space is only 8×5 so most of it wont be exposed, but we want to make sure it really holds up since it’s only other bath we have besides our master.
Kris Jarrett says
I think I used 220 grit sandpaper. As far as sealing it, I don’t have a specific product to recommend since I didn’t do this step myself. I would talk to someone in a reputable local paint store about a specific sealing recommendation.
Cathy says
I am so going to do that to the orange and black tiles in my old bathroom. Do you suppose you could do that to the tiles in the shower?
Kris Jarrett says
I’m not sure how well it would hold up in the shower – I would guess that after prolonged exposure to moisture it might start to peel so I’d be cautious about doing that.
Kelly Jo says
I love your bathroom and plan to paint our own bathroom tile this weekend. I was wondering how you clean painted tile. I normally use Pine-sol. Can I use this on the painted tile? Would I need a finish on top of the paint to clean?
Kris Jarrett says
I’m not sure about Pine-sol – I just use a bucket of warm water with a squirt of a mild soap!
Susan says
Do you prime and paint right over the grout as well?
Kris Jarrett says
Yes I did!
Anonymous says
Overall good directions, but you’re talking about getting a DIY project done quickly and on a budget:
Once you sand something and vacuum with a good shop-vac, you don’t need to clean with stripper. It’s clean!
Also, three coats of paint is definitely over-kill.
Kris Jarrett says
I disagree – the sanding creates dust and dirt that you can’t fully pick up with the vacuum. Cleaning with a stripper only takes a short amount of time so why cut corners and skip a step that could help the primer adhere a bit better. And three coats isn’t overkill because I used a roller that gives a very smooth finish but it’s also a thin finish. You can certainly cut corners if you wish but that’s not how I do things.
Yv9nne says
Thank you…the tiles look good but is there a particular paint..eg regular paint, chalk paint? Did you ever do that to get tiles more shinny? Also, what is the polyurathane product?
Kris Jarrett says
If you go back and read through the post, I talked about the specific type of paint I used! And I’ve only tried this on my own tile floors, not any that are more shiny. If you decide to top coat it, I would speak with someone at a local reputable paint store to determine the best type of product to use – I didn’t research it since I didn’t use polyurethane or another topcoat on mine.,
Ashley says
Our new apartment title floor in the restroom is kitchen red like at a fast food place :/ I already work at one I don’t wanna come home to the same floor. I am considering doing this! it’s already sanded down and everything though the landlord did all that I need to just re paint it asap
Kris Jarrett says
Sorry I’m so late in getting to your comment – I hope it all went well!
Peggy says
How about just painting grout? I don’t want all the tile painted but the grout is too light and always looks dity. I know there are grout color enhancers but they are very expensive for a large area.
Thanks!
Kris Jarrett says
I honestly don’t think it would look very good to just paint the grout. This same product that I used to turn stained grout white is also available in different colors: https://www.drivenbydecor.com/how-clean-floor-tile-grout/
Angela says
Painting the tile would be a cheap, quick fix for my fireplace surround. Do you think the paint you used would hold up to heat that is given off by a gas fireplace?
Your project looks great!
Kris Jarrett says
I honestly have no idea! I would ask someone at your local Benjamin Moore paint dealer!
Lisa says
Can you do the same thing for wall tile? I see yours is white already. I’d like to make me cream wall tilewhite too.
Kris Jarrett says
I think it would likely work on wall tile too but I would hesitate to try it on tile exposed to water and a lot of moisture like wall tile in a shower.