# Painting Tiles: Can It Be Done? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 12, 2012, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-tiles-can-it-be-done/612633 "2012-02-12T22:11:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-tiles-can-it-be-done/612633/1 "2012-02-12T22:11:32Z")
I would like to renovate our downstairs bathroom. It is in good shape, except for the pink (OMG I hate pink) fixtures and tile trim. I would like to retile the floor, but the walls are tiled in white 4"x4" tiles that are in excellent shape. However, they have border and trim which is that disgusting pink color. I could tile over the existing tiles, but I’m not sure that is a good idea. So the idea occurred to me: what if I painted the pink trim tiles? There are epoxy paints that will stick to ceramic tile-for those of you who have done this, does it come out looking OK? If not, I guess I’d retile over the existing wall tiles. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-tiles-can-it-be-done/612633/2 "2012-02-12T23:28:16Z")
Apparently [it can be done](http://www.doityourself.com/stry/paintceramictile), but prep work is the key. I’d try painting before tiling over tiles. In fact, I don’t think I’d tile over tiles at all, but that’s just me. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-tiles-can-it-be-done/612633/3 "2012-02-12T23:41:32Z")
For a more professional look, try [Miracle Method](http://www.miraclemethod.com/ceramic-tile-refinishing.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-tiles-can-it-be-done/612633/4 "2012-02-13T12:31:13Z")
The floor in my mother’s large bathroom used to be painted; you could tell it was (mostly because the lines were the same color as the tiles), but it was generally OK - a lot of people never even noticed. The paint survived 20 years of our wear and tear, plus however long it had been there since the previous owners painted. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-tiles-can-it-be-done/612633/5 "2012-02-13T14:55:28Z")
As \*\*FairyChatMom \*\*said, prep is key. Meticulous cleaning and immaculate preparation is crucial - if there’s any dirt, oil or silicone, your paint job will fail. Silicone is particularly nasty - over the years, there have been silicone-based “sealants” that claim to keep the tile and grout clean, not to mention silicone caulks, and noting will reliably stick to it, other than maybe more silicone. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-tiles-can-it-be-done/612633/6 "2012-02-17T21:15:29Z")
One of the previous owners painted over the tile in my downstairs bathroom. It’s not terrible, I guess, but it’s something I wouldn’t recommend doing. It’s flaked off in places, and if I’m not careful cleaning, sometimes pieces pull off and such. I’ve no idea how long it’s held up thus far. We’ll redo it eventually, but it’s not anything on a critical path. The tiles are also those little 1" by 1" tiles, so perhaps that’s why it’s flaking.