Painting Tile Floors (TUTORIAL)
I've painted flooring before, but painting over river rock flooring like the one in our bathroom felt like a completely different animal. I used a different paint from last time, to try something new. And also had a completely different process for painting this time around.
In the end, the painted floors turned out better than expected. Especially after this hack I figured out while I was working on the project.
Cost: $88
Materials
- Krud Kutter - Any cleaner and degreaser will work but I like this one bc it's all in one.
- Rustoleum Home Floor Coating Kit - I linked the exact one I used and the color as well, it's matte ultra white. This kit also comes in other colors and another finish as well (gloss). Here are all of the other floor paint options, outside of the white.
- paint brush - Any 2 inch paint brush or larger will work. The bigger the brush, the less time it will take to complete.
- rags or old t-shirts - These will get destroyed because they're going to dabbing up excess paint. So only use something that you are okay with throwing away after the project is complete.
Instructions
Cleaning and degreasing the floors.
- I started by sweeping the floors really well and then using a degreaser. I like Krud Kutter. -- It cleans and degreases at the same time, so your paint will have a solid base, ready for the paint to adhere.
Painting the flooring with a brush.
- Next, is the painting. I used a 'two step system' for this and I highly recommend it. Basically, you'll need the base coat floor paint AND the top coat. It takes out the guesswork of knowing with top coat to use and all of that. So I like that aspect of it. Makes things easy.
- So first, I applied the base coat with a brush. I mostly did 1-2 foot areas at a time before pausing on the brushing and switching to a rag. But toward the end, I did larger areas like 3-4 feet at a time and that worked too. The longer you leave the paint on before patting it with a rag, the less paint will come off.
Removing excess paint with a rag.
- While the paint is still wet, I went back with a rag and patted over the surface gently to pull up some of the paint. And remove any brushstrokes. Doing this part with the rag is what really helped me get more depth of color in the floors and let some of the original rock colors come through. I think this part of the process was the key (for me at least) to making the floors feel more lived in and less sterile.
Repeat.
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the entire floor is covered. Wait for the floor to dry according to the instructions on the paint you are using.
Add the top coat.
- Once the floor is dry enough to add the top coat (according to instructions on packaging), use a roller or brush to paint the top coat over the base coat layer. If you're using the same Rust-oleum Home floor coating as me, it says to apply the top coat six hours after applying the base coat. And it also recommends two coats.
- Wait for the floor to fully dry before walking on it, according to the instructions on the can.