What are the advantages of painting over ceramic tile? Over time, tile can look dated. As color trends in home decorating come and go, it is easy to guess when the tile was installed. Harvest gold or olive green may have been all the rage years ago, but now they look dated, and many times, unattractive.

Removing ceramic tile can be an expensive and messy process that is difficult for many people. A much easier and far less expensive option is to simply paint over the tile.

Painting ceramic tile is really quite simple. The only caveat is that the tile should not be in an area which is frequently wet ( such as around a bath or shower ), because the paint will start to peel very quickly.

The first step is making sure the surface is very, very clean – paint and glue will adhere best to clean surfaces. This is all that needs to be done before painting begins.

Generally, an oil or epoxy paint will stick to the tile the best, and will last the longest. Semi- or high gloss paint looks the best.

After painting ceramic tile, creative touches ( such as stenciling ) can be added. Or for a really nice look, you could paint the grout a contrasting color to make the job look more like new tile.

A few days after all painting is done, the area should be coated with a layer of urethane. This will protect the paint and make it last longer.

One more advantage of painting over ceramic tile – if something goes terribly wrong during painting, it’s always possible to redo it.

Painting ceramic tile offers more options than redoing a tiled area. Paints offer a much wider variety of colors than tile. So if a wall was recently painted, the tile can be coordinated exactly using the same color of paint.

If the home’s residents no longer like the color of the tile, or if the room is being remodeled, it is a very quick and inexpensive process to paint over the tile.

And finally, painting ceramic tile is a great option for people that are either buying or selling a home. Dated tile work in a bathroom or kitchen can be a big turn-off for buyers. Simply spending a weekend and a few dollars painting tile can improve the chances that a home will sell.