Tile paint can be good idea that refreshes the look of your room. Why not add a little color to your rooms and paint little designs on your tiles? It's a fun project to do for the whole family and it can even enhance your kids' creativity. Tile painting will also dramatically update the look of your tiles without having to completely replace them. And as long as you use the proper tools for painting over tiles, your finished pieces can become long lasting works of art.

How to paint over tile? Take note that tile paint is not recommended for tiles in the bathroom. Because they are constantly in contact with water, it is easier for paint to fall off after a few weeks. So for this project to work, it's better to paint tiles on your kitchen, fireplace or even your patio.

The steps are simple and easy enough, but they require a considerable amount of time. Devote a day or two to tile painting on your tiles, depending on the area of the tiles you are going to paint. So get all your materials ready and start painting your tiles.

What You Will Need:

Tile cleaner

Hand-held sander

200-220 grit sandpaper

Oil-based primer (high adhesion quality)

Oil-based tile paint in your favorite color or colors

Paint brush

Paint roller

Paint thinner

Tip 1: Clean Your Tile Thoroughly

Some say that this is the most important step to paint over tile. This step can make or break your painted tiles. Painting any surface requires preliminary cleaning so as to take out particles of dust and dirt that might keep the paint from sticking properly to the surface. Apply tile cleaner with a piece of cloth to the tile area. This would probably also be a good time to fix any cracks or dents on the tile, or mildew stains or anything wrong with the grout surrounding the tiles. You want the surface to be spotless before you actually do tile painting on it.

Tip 2: Sand out the glossy finish of the tiles

If you would notice, tiles usually have a glazed finish over them. This thin layer of enamel keeps them from being weathered by outside forces. This also keeps paint from thoroughly sticking to the tile. Therefore, before you start painting, you have to get rid of this glazed layer on the tile. This can be easy using a sandpaper with a 200-220 grit surface. Use it with a hand-held automatic sander to make sanding the glaze out easier. The sandpaper will be rough enough to take out the glaze but not the tile itself.

Tip 3: Apply the primer

When the glaze has been successfully removed, clean the surface again and remove any dust or particles from the tiles. Then it's time to apply oil-based primer over the tiles to prepare the surface for the paint. Make sure that you get a high quality kind of primer , because since this is a tile surface, it will require paint that sticks better. Anything else might just fall off.

When the primer dries, sand it lightly to remove any impurities such as bubbles on the surface.

Tip 4: Apply the paint

Oil-based tile paint is important for this project. This is because it is more long-standing, durable and has better staying power. Latex paints will only peel off if enough pressure or friction is applied on it. To paint over tile, first paint on the borders of the tile first with a paint brush so as to delineate the edges and to keep you from accidentally painting on the grout. Once you have finished bordering the tiles, fill in the center spaces with paint using a small roller. This is how to paint over tile correctly.

Don't be afraid of making mistakes. Always have some paint thinner handy if you do paint outside the tile. The paint thinner can do the trick of removing unwanted paint spots and such around the tiles.

Don't forget that you don't need one thick layer of paint. Start by painting a thin layer, let it dry, then keep applying thinner layers in the same fashion. This will keep the layers from peeling off at once.

Oil-based tile paints are usually glossy already so it's like they have their own built-in glaze.

Your very own painted tiles that will last long and will add some color to your existing room, be it a kitchen or patio. Maintain your tile paintings by cleaning it regularly with tile cleaner.

Tile paint can be fulfilling but it also doesn't hurt to get professional assistance from a local painting contractor. You may want additional knowledge on how to paint over tile.