Give Your Shower Tiles a New Look with a Fresh Coat of Paint

Construction & Contractors Blog

Are the wall towers in your shower looking a bit tired? You might want to freshen them up, and yet a total replacement can be rather expensive. Perhaps you're considering a simple paint job to give them a new look. You can certainly paint the tiles in your shower, but it's important that you do it properly, otherwise the results can be less than satisfactory. Remember that any patterns on your tiles will be hidden under the paint, and you will lose the segmented look of the tiles, since the grout and the tiles will be the same colour. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as there are many tiles that closely match the colour of their grout and still look great. You will achieve a uniformity of colour, while still being able to see the indentations of the actual tiles. So how do you go about painting your shower tiles?

The Waiting Time

Before you begin, you need to remember that your wall tiles will need an appropriate amount of time to dry completely at various stages of the process. This time will vary depending on the type of paint you use and the level of moisture in your bathroom. Your shower will be out of action for a while, and so you will need to have a second shower that you can use (or go without showering until the tiles have dried).

Cleaning (Part 1)

Your shower tiles are subjected to quite a lot when you think about it. The water that bombards them on a regular basis will leave behind a reasonable amount of residue from soap and other grooming products. This will need to be removed. Remove this residue using a specialist tile cleaning spray, which can then be wiped clean. Do not use an abrasive scrubbing pad. You might inadvertently scratch the tiles, and this can still be visible when they've been painted. Rinse the tiles thoroughly and wait for them to dry.

Sanding

You need to lightly sand the tiles to remove their surface area. Skipping this step means that the paint will not properly attach to the glossy surface of the tiles, even if you use a bonding primer. A handheld sander (an orbital sander or something similar will do) is the best option. Unless you have a tiny shower, it's simply too time-consuming to do the job with handheld sandpaper. You need to ensure that the sanding disc is of a minimal grit level so that the finished job is not too rough.

Cleaning (Part 2)

You next need to thoroughly wipe the sanded tiles down to remove any particles. Do not use a fibrous cloth as it can leave fibres behind on the surface of the tiles. Use an actual sponge for this job. Rinse them again, and wait for them to dry.

Painting

It's best to paint the tiles with a paint designed especially for the task. There are a number of epoxy tile paints available. If you cannot find one in a colour that you like, you can use latex paint provided you first paint the tiles with an adhesive primer. Follow the manufacturer's instructions, and more than one coat might be recommended. No matter what type of paint you use, it's vital that the paint is allowed to dry before you use the shower. Using the shower before this happens can make the end result unpleasantly streaky.

Of course, if you have any doubts about your abilities to prepare and paint your shower tiles, you can always have a professional perform the job for you. But it's an easy enough job (with striking results) provided you wait long enough between each step. For more information, contact a business such as Herrmann Tiles.

10 November 2016