Let’s Paint the Shower Tile!

Did you know that you can paint tile? I’ve heard about it for a while now but never gave it a try. My son recently bought his first home and didn’t love the tile that was in the shower. He plans to re-tile someday but since that will be in the future, we discussed painting the current tile. I did some research and most of the products that are available require to you have really good ventilation and the bathroom with the shower doesn’t have a window. In my research, I found a water-based paint that is an all-in-one product that can be used on many surfaces including tile. The all-in-one product contains primer, paint, and sealer so it saves on project time! That sounded perfect! Time to decide on the right color & place an order!

Original tile

Supply List

• 1 quart Heirloom Traditions paint in Cashmere
• Heirloom Traditions Water Resistant Sealer
• Heirloom Traditions Deglosser/Degreaser
• Heirloom Traditions True Applicator Sponge
• Paint tray
• Paintbrush
• Dense foam roller
• Mr Clean Magic Erasers
• Zep Degreaser
• Painter’s Tape
• Razor knife
• Step ladder

Paint color

The son decided on white for the tile. Cashmere is Heirloom Tradition’s true white paint. I ordered 2 quarts to make sure that I had enough. I ended up using less than 1 quart. Right before I started painting, I saw one of the videos HT did and heard that porcelain is not actually white but has a grey tone to it. They suggested buying their Colosseum color because it would go better with porcelain. Since I already had the paint and was working on a time crunch (the son was out of town for 5 days and wouldn’t need the shower), I decided to use the Cashmere anyway. I was SO surprised when the tile had been painted that the tub now looked grey! You can see that in the pictures in Step 5 and Step 6.

Step 1: Removing the caulk/silicone

The first step to painting tile that has been installed around a bathtub is to remove the caulk/silicone between the tile and the tub. This will prevent the paint from getting on the caulk/silicone and peeling off. In the past, I have had a difficult time when removing caulk so I gathered several tools to use, including a blow dryer to soften the caulk. After trying the dryer, screwdriver & putty knife, I found that a razor knife was the most effective tool for this particular area. Using the razor knife, I scored along the top of the caulking close to the tile and then the bottom, close to the tub. Then I used a pair of needle-nosed pliers to pry the caulk away from the tub at one end. Once I had enough caulk to grab, the rest of it just pulled away from the tile. I was so surprised that it was that easy to remove!

Step 2: Prepping the tile

The next step is to make sure the tile is clean & shine-free. To clean the tile, I used Mr Clean Magic Erasers formulated to use in the bathroom. I scrubbed the surface, rinsed it off, and then dried it. Next, I used Zep degreaser. Even though the Heirloom Traditions product contained a degreaser, since I already had the Zep, I just felt like taking that extra step wouldn’t hurt. After the degreaser, I applied the HT degreaser/deglosser product. Once that was dry, I tape off all the fixtures. Should I have removed them? Probably Did I? No Should you? Yes Removing the fixtures will make your painting job go a lot faster and most likely give you a better seal between paint & tile. I chose not to do it because this tile will eventually be replaced. I also taped around the soap dish, shelves & tub.

I also filled in the screw holes that were left from my son removing the glass shower door. It was not possible to remove red wall anchors from the tile. We used a razor to shave them flush then I added a bead of silicone where the screws used to be. Once they were painted, they blended in well.

Step 3: Beginning to paint

Now that the prep work was done, it was time to start painting. I’ll be honest, I was scared! When I’m doing projects in my own home, I am pretty fearless; but when I’m working in someone else’s home, I tend to be a little more timid at the start of a project. After a few deep breaths, I started painting. Using a brush, I applied a thin coat on the grout lines on a couple of rows then used a dense 4″ roller to paint the tiles. I had read that this paint dries fast so I didn’t want to cover a large section at a time. Two rows were just enough to get the grout and tiles covered before the paint dried. I continued this process for the first coat.

Step 4: 2nd coat & Adding trim

After the first coat of paint was dry, I applied the 2nd coat. This time, though, the Heirloom Traditions True Applicator. It is a sponge. I’ve never used a sponge to paint before but I watched their videos and it looked easy. The sponge is the same size as the opening in a quart of paint. You place the sponge over the opening of the can, tip the can (very carefully) to apply paint to the sponge; set the can upright, and remove the sponge. You’ll have just the right amount of paint on the sponge. To apply the paint to the tile with the sponge, you use a tapping motion. I loved using the sponge to apply the paint! It leaves a lightly textured look!

When the 2nd coat was dry, I added a 1″ trim around the tile. The reason I added trim was that there was a large, kinda sloppy bead of caulking all around the outer edge of the tile and I did not want to remove it. Cutting and installing trim was not only easier, but it also gave the shower area a finished look.

Step 5: More paint

Step 6: Sealing the tile

Step 7: Caulking with silicone

After the sealer had time to dry, I used silicone and caulked around the tub, fixtures & between the tile and trim. I then used regular caulk between the trim and wall. There is nothing like caulk to provide a nice, clean finish!

Before, During, After

In the beginning, I was so nervous to start this project! I had never painted tile before, much less tile that was going to get wet on a regular basis. The prep work, as always, was the most tedious and took way more time than I thought it would. Applying the paint & sealer was easy, especially using the True Applicator. The total project took 5 days due to the amount of time each coat of sealer has to dry and the 2-day wait to use the shower once the last coat has been applied. I am so thrilled with the results and even though it’s only been a couple of months, the paint is holding up great!

Instructions

• Using a utility knife, remove caulk/silicone between tile & bathtub
• Clean tile
• Apply degreaser to tile (this step can be skipped if using HT deglosser)
• Apply Heirloom Traditions deglosser to tile
• Remove fixtures or use painter’s tape to protect them
• Apply 2 – 3 coats of Heirloom Traditions paint with either a brush & roller or True applicator
  • Allow each coat to dry according to directions on product
• Apply 2 coats of Heirloom Traditions Water Resistant sealer with either a brush & roller or True applicator
  • Allow each coat to dry according to directions on product
• Caulk between tile & tub with silicone for bathroom areas

For your convenience

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