Painting tiles in porch - novice needs some guidance for products

[avondale]

Hello.

We have a small porches area that needs some modernising. My father-in-law in painting the walls and ceiling next weekend and I would like to have the products ready to do the floor, which is currently red tiles.
I would like to prime the floor, paint it white, stencil onto it and seal it.

My dad is a super diy dad: he fixes anything and is one of those dads who agrees to getting help in his own house (he works full time) but inevitably does the work himself because he knows he’ll do the best job. I’d like to surprise him by not asking for his advice, which is what has brought me here.

Any tips on products or equipment to use will be very much appreciated. I did consider tile stickers but Dad said they’d wear off quickly.

Thank you in advance for any help.

With regards,
Jenny

 

[Doghouse Riley]

Hi Jenny.

Each to their own. But in this situation, I'd let your dad do it. As a dad myself, I'd suggest that within reason, dad's like doing things for their kids. It makes them feel appreciated.
Attempting to do it yourself and possibly making a mess if it, your dad would probably have to sort it out for you.
"Dad's don't appreciate that."

 

[DIYRules]

Hi Jenny - what a nice idea. I'm sure your Dad will be proud if his daughter pulls off a good DIY job. First of all painting tiles is tricky and the results are never super hard-wearing or long-lasting. It is time-consuming to do it properly but you can't skip the preparation steps.

Every square millimetre of the current tile needs to be sanded very well. You will need a power tool for this to cover the area. You will also need to very carefully manually sand where the tiles meet the walls and bevelled tile edges where the grout is. If you don't sand these bits the paint will not stick and the finish will look terrible. Next, fill in any missing grout between the tiles and fill the edges where the tile meets the wall. Leave to dry. Then give the tiles and grout a very thorough clean. All dust and grease must be removed otherwise the paint will not stick. Leave to dry.

Finally to painting. You need to buy an acrylic primer. It might be marketed as a primer for ceramic tiles, a tile primer or tile bonder. Apply the paint to the grout and room edges first with a small brush and then use a tight foam roller to go over it and cover the floor tiles. You will have to work in small sections. Apply it in an even thin coat. You might need more than one coat to cover your red tiles. Don't be tempted to cheat and apply one thick coat. You will get wrinkles and uneven coverage. For the topcoat use special ceramic floor paint. This is more hardwearing than the tile paint marketed for walls and bathrooms. You can then add the stencil pattern - again using ceramic floor paint. Make sure this is completely dry before you add the protective topcoat. Again you are better applying several thin layers rather than one thick one. This article provides detailed step by step instructions and more info; https://www.diy-tips.co.uk/painting-tiles/

With drying time it takes ages and the paint is expensive but I have seen the stencilled effect work really well on floor tiles. Of course, you could just buy stick on floor tiles - they come in a range of materials. It will be a quicker and possibly easier job but it might not achieve the look you want.

 

[avondale]

Thank you very much for your explanation. It’s really clear and easy to follow.