About Laura Mesich Expertise I own my own painting and remodeling company for the last 13 years. So, I can answer any questions regarding Painting, remodeling and decorating. I can also help out with advice regarding hiring a contractor, if you are getting a fair price or any Do it yourself questions. I would even like questions that I dont know the answer to so that I can resarch and find out whats best!
Experience I have had the painting and remodeling company for almost 14 years and have worked at all aspects of it. From actually painting, running the office, sales, ordering, all aspects of the company. I am also a Realtor and am working on my Interior Design degree. So the training that I have had on the design side has tremendously helped me be able to serve my clients
Organizations Plainfield IL Chamber of Commerce
Shorewood IL Chamber of Commerce
Education/Credentials Associate degree: Business management
Bachelors Degree: Communication leadership
Real Estate Broker
Awards and Honors Graduate Magna Cum ladae Bachelors degree
Past/Present Clients Two many to list in the Will and DuPage counties of IL
Question Hi
thanks for taking the time to answer my question.
i have a bathroom that i want to redo without going through the hassle and inconvenience of having of tearing it apart. my walls are completely covered in tile from the floor up (48 inches) is a nice tile that i can live with. the uper section is covered in a rough small (mosaic) type tile. is there any way i can cover this with maybe joint compound or a fabric material which i could then either paint or wall paper? thanks again for your advice
Answer You can paint any ceramic tile that will not be subject to lots of water on a routine basis. This means floor tile, wall tile, and countertop tile can all be painted. You can even do decorative painting on ceramic tile. The only tile I would never paint is that ceramic tile within a shower or above a bathtub. The high levels of moisture in these areas cause most paints to peel from ceramic tile in a short amount of time. So, if it is around your bath tub area than it is going to peel real quick!
The first step in the process is to deep clean the ceramic tile and grout. You must remove all dirt, oil, wax, grease, mold, etc. I would use a bathroom cleaner that contains a mild abrasive for this task. The cleaner you get the tile, the better chance you have of overall success. Keep in mind that paints of any type are simply glues that have color in them. Glues prefer to stick to surfaces that are squeaky clean. They stick even better if the surface is slightly rough.
The best paint would be oil-based paint. It is getting harder to find this paint because of environmental issues, but rest assured, it really sticks to things once it is dried and has cured. Water-based paints peel readily from glazed ceramic tile surfaces. You may have great success with epoxy paints, but test these in a small area as they might be hard to use the first time.
Use a semi-gloss or high gloss paint for the job. If the paint is thick or hard to brush or roll, use a little paint thinner to slightly dilute the paint. Always follow the directions on the paint-can label with respect to the maximum amount of thinner you can add.
Use masking tape to protect surfaces next to the ceramic tile. Use tapes that have less-aggressive acrylic adhesives so when they are removed, they do not damage the surface that was taped.
Once the finish paint has dried for two or three days, coat it with two coats of clear water-based urethane. This urethane is very sticky and will adhere to the fresh oil paint. Avoid using oil-based urethane as many of them have a tendency to develop a golden patina over time. You may find the amber color of this patina to be objectionable. The water-based urethanes stay clear forever.
The urethane is an integral part of the paint job. Most urethanes are very hard and resist water and foot traffic or abuse from plates, glasses and cookware on countertops. It is a known fact that urethanes do a fantastic job of protecting hardwood floor finishes for years. They do the same for painted surfaces. This is especially true for painted ceramic tile floors. The urethane finish will protect the colorful paint and provide you with years of beauty. There are thousands of basketball courts that are living proof that painted floors can handle abuse and still look good with minimal care.
Be sure to repair any chips in the tile before you paint. Quick-drying epoxies are an excellent material to use for this purpose. Caulk all cracks as well. Be sure the caulk cures for several days before you paint it. Some water-base caulks will shrink if you squirt them into wide or deep cracks. Use caulking backer rod, if necessary, to fill deep cracks. Generally speaking, a bead of caulk should only be as deep as the caulk bead is wide.
