Painting tiles is a cheaper and faster fix than ripping them out, and it works well when the tiles are sound but dated. It can go wrong too, with paint peeling in a month, so the paint and the preparation matter far more than the colour. Walls and bathroom surrounds are the easy case, floors are harder because of wear and water. Send one request with the tile type, area and where they are, and painters and tilers in your area quote you directly. It is free.
Which paint to use on tiles
Ordinary wall paint will not stick to glazed tiles. The glaze is slick and non-porous, so you need a system made for it:
- Epoxy tile paint, a two-part product you mix before use, is the most durable choice for bathroom walls, showers and kitchen splashbacks.
- Two-pack floor paints (epoxy or polyurethane) are used on floor tiles, and are tougher than single-pack tile paints. Use a floor system, not a wall paint.
- Single-pack tile paints and bonding primers are easier to apply and cheaper, and they suit walls and low-traffic areas.
Always ask the supplier for a paint rated for the room: wet areas need a water-resistant system, and floors need one that handles foot traffic.
Preparation: cleaning and keying the glaze
The result is decided before the first coat. Degrease the tiles with a strong alkaline cleaner, remove soap scum and limescale, and rinse and dry thoroughly. Then key the surface by sanding the glaze with a fine abrasive or applying a deglosser, so the primer has something to hold. Fill chipped or cracked tiles first, as paint will not hide them.
Apply a bonding primer made for glazed surfaces, let it dry, then apply two thin coats of tile paint with a short-pile roller, sanding lightly between coats. Mask the edges and keep the room well ventilated. If the tiles were laid on a damp wall or the grout is crumbling, repair that first or the paint will lift.
Painting grout lines, stencils and patterns
Painted tiles can look flat if the grout is dirty, so some painters paint the grout lines in a contrasting colour using a thin brush or a grout pen, then protect them with a clear sealer. Stencils turn plain white or grey tiles into patterned cement-look tiles, a popular way to refresh a kitchen splashback or a bathroom feature wall. They work best on walls: patterns on floors wear away quickly where people walk.
If your tiles are loose, hollow or cracked, repair them first. See tile repairs.
Floors, curing time, cost and when to retile
Painted floor tiles can last a few years in a bedroom or a study, but they wear faster in kitchens, entrances and bathrooms where water and grit scrape the film. Allow 24 hours between coats and about seven days before heavy use, as paint takes time to harden fully. Costs run from R180 to R450 per m² including preparation and materials. If the floor is badly damaged, damp or heavily used, new floor tiles will outlast any paint.
What to include in your request
- Where the tiles are: wall or floor
- The area to paint, in m²
- Current tile colour and condition
- The colour or pattern you want
- Your suburb and when you need it done
Tile Painting for different projects
- Homeowners renovating: refreshing dated bathroom walls or a kitchen splashback without retiling
- New builds and extensions: a colour change on tiles that arrived in the wrong shade
- Landlords and body corporates: a cheap update for old tiles between tenants, without demolition mess
- Guesthouses, hotels and restaurants: repainting guest bathroom walls and bar areas to match a new look
- Shops, offices and showrooms: fast colour changes on wall tiles in shop fronts and toilets
- Schools, clinics and public buildings: washable, water-resistant coatings on wall tiles in ablutions
- Workshops, warehouses and gyms: two-pack epoxy on canteen and ablution tiles that see heavy use
- Patios, stoeps and pool areas: painting wall tiles on covered stoeps, never in standing water
Frequently asked questions
Can you paint floor tiles?
What paint do I use on bathroom tiles?
How long does painted tile last?
Is it cheaper to paint or to retile?
Tile Painting by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg