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How To Paint Your Bathroom Tile Floors

This is the easiest tutorial on how to paint ceramic bathroom floor tiles.

This post is sponsored by Rust-Oleum.

Last time we were in this bathroom I showed you just how easy it is to paint your tub. I took our old tub from 1962 salmon to a modern sharp crisp white. Now we are going to tackle the salmon original tiled floors. We are going to paint the floor. YES, you can paint your tile floors. And I’m going to show you how.

For more how-to renovation projects check out how to remove your tile backsplash and How to Repair Drywall After Removing Tile.

Materials

RUST-OLEUM® HOME Interior Floor Coating

We are going to paint the tile floor using the new Rust-Oleum HOME 2 step Interior Floor Coating Kit. It’s a simple two-step process. There is no need to strip anything or sand anything down. It works on ceramic tile, vinyl, laminate, hardwood, concrete, and linoleum.

OK, Let’s Get Dirty!

Step 1. Clean the Floors.

Before we get started painting the bathroom floor tiles, I started by scrubbing the floors using Krud Kutter 32 oz. Original Concentrate Cleaner/Degreaser. This product is great at getting rid of years of grim and build up. I literally got down on my knees and scrubbed the floor well. I wanted to make sure there wasn’t anything that would prevent the paint from sticking.

Step 2. Apply the Base Coat.

Using a roller and a brush I applied the base coat in white starting from the far back of the bathroom. I had already removed the old vanity and toilet so I had full access to the entire bathroom floor.

With white, one coat is not enough. You have to apply at least two coats of the base coat. So I allowed it to dry before applying the 2nd coats of the base paint to the tile floor. You need to wait 6 hours before applying the second coat.

Just be careful not to paint yourself into a corner. Hahaha.

Be careful of leaving footprints.

The base coat of the Rust-Oleum HOME Floor Coating is very sticky. So after applying the first coat I sorta found myself in a sticky situation. Haha. I made the mistake of attempting to walk over to the far back of the bathroom to apply painters tape and found with every step I was leaving a trail of footprints. LOL, It wasn’t pretty.

The remedy to this situation was, well I removed my sneakers. And I wiped down the area with a warm soapy rag. Then I lightly sanded down the area where my footprints were and it worked.

Step 3. (optional) Apply a stencil or pattern.

To add a little visual interest and break up the monotony I decided to add a very simple border around the perimeter of the bathroom. Well here is where things got a little tricky and I quickly found out that no matter what the painter’s tape claims it’s supposed to do when working with tiny ceramic tiles like the ones in this bathroom, there are no such thing as “sharp lines” with just a simple application.

I had to completely redo the base coat and start again. But I refused to give up on doing this pattern. I did a little research on how to apply stencils and painter’s tape properly to reduce the likelihood of the paint from bleeding and this is what I came up with.

Apply a Stencil or Pattern (Round 2)

I reapplied the painters tape. But this time I went back over the edges of the tape with a 5 in 1 tool. Then I sealed the painter’s tape by painting over the edges of the painter’s tape with the base coat (1) in white.

I allowed the basecoat on the painter’s tape to dry be for using a stencil brush to apply the accent color. For the accent color I used the base coat in French Gray. And Ladies and Gentlemen, I am proud to announce that when I went to remove the painter’s tape this time, there was little to no paint bleeding. I actually had straight sharp lines. Yay!

Step 4. Apply the Topcoat.

Finally with a completed pattern that I was happy with I applied the top coat (step 2) over the base coat and allowed 24 hours for it to dry. We allowed 7 days for it to fully cure be for installing the vanity and toilet.

My Final Thoughts

See it’s so easy to paint your bathroom floor tiles. I’m not going to lie, I had some hesitations in the beginning. After the first coat, the floors looked a little rough and I literally looked down and thought, what have I done? LOL. However, I’m so glad I plugged along and continued through the process.

The floors look like a brand new tile floor. And I completed it in two days. Surprisingly, there were no strong odors with this paint. And I had more than enough in the paint kit to complete this bathroom and another if I had to.

I’m extremely happy with how this turned out. Let me know what you think in the comments.

Till Next Time. ~T.

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8 Comments

  1. It looks great! How has the painted tile held up? I just discovered painting floor tile and I’m glad I found your tutorial!

      1. I am a little confused. The materials are the kit which is 2 cans and then you show under that another can of paint which is the top coat? So is it correct that you need to buy 3 cans of paint

        Thank you Lucy

  2. Great transformation! I’ve been searching for a painted floor tile before/after with the tiny tiles like that! I’ve been wanting to redo ours with a stencil (maybe 6”x6”) but have wondered about bleeding like you experienced. Do you have any thoughts about that? Thanks!

    1. Thank you so much! These tiny tiles bleed so easily and honestly if I were a patient person I could do the stencil thing. But I didn’t have that level of patience so I taped out a pettern and went with it.

  3. Laine of Montclair, NJ says:

    I am so impressed and motivated. You’re a diva with moxie & elan, a nice combo. As a fix-it diva myself I always loved, used & collected tools since I was a kid. My fixing and carpentry skills are A+ but special paint projects always scared me until I saw your video. Also, I’d never attempt to remove my only toilet & sink but kudos to you (see? moxie!). Thanks for the inspiration. You rock!

  4. Girl, you amaze me!!!! I’ve been so nervous to paint over our terra cotta Spanish tile in our entryway. Already tried porch and floor paint (that was a big “no” that left scuff marks from kids’ shoes and the only way to get them gone was to paint another coat on…and then we had to peel it all off–it’s been a journey) but this gives me hope! It is BEAUTIFUL! Nice work and thank you.

    1. hahaha don’t feel bad. Before I sealed it I kept doing the same thing and it drove me insane!

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