Are you considering painting the floor tiles inside your home? Read on and discover some important tips that you should have in mind as you implement that home improvement project.
Know Which Floors to Paint
While most ceramic tiles can be painted, not all rooms are suitable for painted tiles. For example, you should avoid painting the floor tiles in the rooms where moisture exposure is common, such as the bathroom. This is because the water in those locations is likely to cause the paint to peel from those tiles before long. Similarly, you should avoid painting the tiles that will be exposed to heat. Tiles on kitchen countertops are an example of such tiles. Hot pans or cooking pots can cause the paint on the tiles to develop bubbles. Before long, that paint will peel off. It is therefore better to leave the tiles in those two types of environments unpainted during your project.
Prepare the Surfaces Adequately
One preparatory step that some inexperienced homeowners neglect is the use of an abrasive when cleaning the tiles. The abrasive is important because you must remove the gloss from the surface of those tiles in order to make it possible for the paint to adhere well. Scrub the tiles with that abrasive until the tiles appear dull. You can then clean them to remove all the dirt that can stand in the way of the paint.
Layer the Paint Appropriately
Is it better to apply two thick coats of paint or four thin coats on the floor tiles? Some homeowners may choose to save time by applying thicker coats of paint in order to reduce the total number of coats that they should apply. This approach is not the best because the thick coats can easily peel off as people walk over those tiles. It is much better to apply several thin coats. Each subsequent coat should only be applied once the previous one has dried/set. The paint that is applied in this way will usually last much longer than the paint that is applied in thick coats.
Ensure that you buy the products, such as the primer and the topcoat, which are compatible with each other. This can be easily achieved if you buy those products from the same source. Follow the application guidelines that are given for each product so that you have lasting results. Hire a professional to help you in case you are not certain about your ability to do a good job on your own.
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