Painting Ceramic Floor Tiles
There are few important things that you need to keep in mind during the process of painting ceramic tiles. First, your floor should be cleaned before you apply paint. Second, chose a paint that is suitable for your tiles and third, apply a protective finish after the painting.
Preparing the Floor Tiles
Floor preparation is required to obtain a smooth surface for painting. Firstly, check out the entire floor carefully for cracked tiles. If you find any, you should repair them before you start your paint job. After you have grouted the cracks, you should leave the floor untouched for at least 48 hours, to allow the floor to cure. Now, start cleaning the ceramic tiles to get rid of all dirt, grease, soil or molds, accumulated on the floor. Use some abrasive cleaners and scrub brush to get the best results. You can make a mixture with equal quantities of ammonia and water and use this mixture for washing.
In case, the ceramic tiles of your floor are very glossy, you may have to rub sandpaper on them as the paint may not bind well with the glossy surface. Thus, to avoid re-painting of the tiles, it is better if you make the surface slightly rough. Clean up the dust after sanding the tiles. If you do not want to paint the entire floor with colors, put painter's tape on portions where you do not need color.
Application of Primer
The primer enables the paint to adhere to the tiles well. There are two types of primers that can be used on ceramic tiles. One is the oil-based primer and the other is the shellac-based primer. You can choose any one of them. Read the guidelines given by the manufacturers before applying them on ceramic tiles. Usually, two coats of primer need to be applied. After applying the first coat, wait until it dries up completely before you apply the second coat. Generally, the manufacturers do mention the drying times in their instructions. Once the second coat dries up, rub a sandpaper once again lightly over the primer. This is required to remove any lumps of primer that have formed on the tiles.
Application of Paint on Ceramic Floor Tiles
Semi-gloss or high-gloss oil-based paints are just right for ceramic tiles. Oil-based paints are better, as they give better finish and are not damaged by moisture. Start painting the tiles from the corners and the areas near the walls with the help of a brush. You need a number of coats of paint before you can achieve the desired results. Let each of the coats dry completely before you apply the next one. The paint requires at least two weeks to dry up. Therefore, keep it undisturbed for that period of time. For the finishing touch, you have to apply a floor finish. Water-based urethane works best for the ceramic floor tiles. Again, just one coat of finish will not do and you have to apply a number of thin layers.
Never use latex paints on ceramic tiles as they do not last for a long time on the tiles. It is not at all necessary that you have to use one color for the entire floor. You can try out with different color combination and various designs on the ceramic tiles. The result will surely be stunning.
