Can I repaint my tiles instead of replacing them?
Some of them, sure, as there is special paint made just for covering tile on kitchen walls, countertops, floors, or bathroom walls and floors. The big caveat: Avoid painting the bathroom tiles inside your shower, as the constant water contact and high-moisture levels will lead to peeling tile in no time. To paint your tiles, follow this system: Clean the tile vigorously with an abrasive cleaner. Sand them down as much as you can to make remove as much gloss as possible, and clean them again. Next, paint them with a high-adhesion primer, and let the primer dry for only the amount of time it says on the package (points out Home Depot expert Judy Scott, every product is different, and if you miss the window of application for the paint, your primer will harden and become useless.) Then, cover using a high-gloss paint -- buy wall paint for the walls, and floor paint for the floors. Finally, some experts suggest waiting two days after the color coat, and topping the tiles again with a high-gloss, water-based urethane for a clear, uncrackable seal.
by Amy Spencer
6/19/08
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