3 Types of Paint to Use When Painting Over Shower Tiles

If you wish to redecorate your home shower, it is normally a bit expensive to replace the tiles. A less expensive alternative is to paint the tiles instead. To do this, you need to use a special tile paint. Some prior ground work will also be needed to ensure the paint sticks. This is a particularity tricky job since the paint will be constantly exposed to water, but choosing the right type of paint will ensure success. Remember to contact a professional if you have serious doubts. The first thing to do is to prepare the tiles. This can be done by sanding them because this will help in the adhesive process.

Primers

You cannot paint your shower tiles if don’t apply the primer properly. There are a lot of different primers on the market today so ask the shopkeeper before buying a brand. In this case, it is important to use an alcohol based primer. Otherwise the paint just won’t stick to the shower tiles. Remember to apply it correctly and, most importantly, leave it to dry thoroughly. Alcohol based primers can be a little expensive, but they will be worth it. An example of a good quality primer is the Zinsser's latex-based Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Primer-Sealer, which is solely used for situations where you need paint to stick to shiny surfaces such as bathroom tiles.

Normal Indoor Paint

If you use a good primer, like that mentioned above, then you can apply normal indoor paint on your shower tiles. This is proven to work but has to be kept in tip top shape. Otherwise it will start to peel off rapidly. The latter can be avoided by applying 2 to 3 coats of paint in the beginning and leaving them to dry for about 6 hours between coats. Although this may seem cheaper, it is advisable to use a better paint to ensure proper application and duration.

Oil Based Paint

The best paint to be used after the primer is oil based paint because it will adhere to the tiles better. As a general rule, paint isn’t very cheap to buy, and oil based isn’t an exception. This type of paint is becoming harder to find due to environmental issues. Oil based paint offers the best solution for painting shower tiles because it is durable and water resistant. Color isn’t a problem because you can choose to mix your the color of your choice and they come in full gloss or semi-gloss finishes.

As you can see, painting the bathroom shower tiles isn’t an easy job to do; it requires patience. The important thing is to conduct every step in the proper manner otherwise each following step will suffer and effect the end result negatively. For best results allow ample time for the paint to set and harden enough in order to protect your tiles from any scratches or marks.