Expert: Leisha Hiester - 11/22/2008

Question
Is it possible to paint over tiles with a metalic paint and protect them from chipping?  I put a "gripper" primer on the tiles, then painted, then put a regular low luster floor/trim sealer on top but that does not seem to be doing the trick of keeping all the paint from chipping off.  This is for a backsplash in my kitchen ... any suggestions?

Answer
Dear Susan,
I've rarely heard of it working for any length of time to paint over glaze. When tiles or ceramics are glazed & then fired in a kiln to hot temperatures, the silica is actually turning to a glass coating. In essence, you're trying to paint a glass pane. Eventually, especially in a high use area like a kitchen, the paint is going to wear & the glass win.
If I were going to paint a pane of glass, I'd have to practically sand-blast it 1st to get the paint to adhere.
I'm sorry I couldn't be more encouraging. Have you tried researching on DIY? There may be a chemical application that remodelers use initially. If you have no luck, I did just see a beautiful fake tin application at Home Depot that was really inexpensive. It looked like metal. Just a thought.
Leisha