Revamping a dated tile floor doesn’t have to involve a complete renovation or a hefty budget. One of the most transformative and cost-effective solutions is to use floor paint.
With a bit of preparation and creativity, you can breathe new life into your space, turning an eyesore into a stylish focal point.
Whether you’re looking to refresh your bathroom’s look or simply want to cover up worn tiles, floor paint offers endless possibilities.
In this blog post, I’ll guide you through the steps to achieve a stunning, durable finish that will elevate your bathroom’s aesthetic without the hassle of a full remodel.
As an Amazon Associate, I receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you) for qualifying purchases on items purchased through the links in this post.
Why Choose Floor Paint?
- Cost-effective: painting tile is significantly less expensive than replacing tile (it cost me about $35)
- DIY- friendly: this product was really easy to use. With a little bit of time, preparation, and some painting supplies, almost anyone can successfully take on this project.
- Quick: after the prep work, it took me about 20 minutes to do our small bathroom, and another 20 minutes to do the clear coat the following day.
- Customizable: For this room and because I was short on time, I decided to keep it very simple and painted the floors one color. But you can use this product with a stencil and get any kind of pattern you’d like.
Why I Chose Floor Paint
The tile in this bathroom wasn’t actually that bad. If I wasn’t trying to execute my vision of a very clean, modern, minimal, bright, and colorful kid’s bathroom, I might have kept it. Though some people might see travertine tile as a little dated, I think there are ways to work with it in a modern space. But in this tiny bathroom with its 6 and 1/2 foot ceilings, the brown walls, brown floor, brown countertop, beige and gold tiles, and grey vanity together made this bathroom feel like a dark depressing cave. Also, this is an upstairs bathroom in an 80-year-old house and it’s wildly hot right now here in Northern California, so that bathroom is hot. So it was a hot, dark, and depressing cave. My makeover can’t help the effects of global warming, but at least it’s cute in there now while you boil alive!
I knew changing the tile along with painting the walls, would do a lot to brighten up the room. But I didn’t have the budget or the know-how to replace the tile (yet). And since we plan to demo and renovate this tiny bathroom in a few years, I wanted to try to update the tile without replacing it. Enter Rust-Oleum Floor Paint System.
I opted for the color Greige in a matte finish. The griege color is really pretty. It is warm and neutral and could pair with just about any color scheme.
I also really love the look of the matte finish and so far, 2 weeks out, it’s holding up perfectly against three kids.
I am a tiny bit worried the matte might not be as waterproof as the semi-gloss, but time will tell!
How to Use Floor Paint?
This was my first time using floor paint, so I am by no means an expert. But, broadly speaking, most commercially available floor paints marketed for DIYers consist of a two-part system: a base coat and a top coat. The base coat will give the color and coverage and the top coat will seal it.
Clean the floor thoroughly. Apply base coat. Allow it to dry. Apply top coat. Allow that to dry. Voila!
Which Floor Paint?
There were so many decisions to make while updating this bathroom, but when it came time to decide on floor paint, it was an easy choice.
I chose to use the floor paint system by Rust-Oleum because I have used their products for years and I trust their quality. While using another product in the past, I had to call into their customer service and they were really helpful and stood behind their products. I appreciated that and so now I stick with their products when possible.
I’ve also seen several other bloggers and DIYers who’ve had positive experiences with this floor paint system, so I felt good about giving it a go! And I am totally happy with how it turned out.
Materials You’ll Need to Paint Your Floors
Before diving in, gather your supplies!
- Cleaning supplies and tools to clean the floor
- Rust-oleum Floor Paint System
- Tack cloth
- Painters tape
- 2 and 1/2 or 3-inch angled brush
- Paint rollers and tray *this bathroom is small so I opted to use a small 4-inch roller because I had them on hand and knew it wouldn’t take me long. I also wanted really good coverage so I didn’t mind going slow with a small roller. If the space you making over is larger, you could certainly use a longer, standard 9-inch roller.
Before and After Using Floor Paint
Floor paint was the perfect solution for us; the bathroom was old, dark, dated, and felt dirty- it did not feel like a bright clean space, which is what I feel like a kid’s bathroom should be. We won’t be able to swing a full renovation of this bathroom for at least a few years, so I wanted a temporary way to brighten up the space. I was able to do that with floor paint and a few other DIYs.
Check out this post if you want to see what else I did to brighten up my stepkid’s bathroom.
Step-by-Step Guide
For this project, preparation is key. It will also be the most time-consuming part. However, all in all, I still feel like this was a very easy DIY and I am already starting to plan to paint the floor in our primary bath if it holds up in the upstairs bath!
Before you begin, you should read the manufacturer’s instructions.
Step One: prepare the surface: clean and degrease
With my long hair, three kids, and until recently four dogs (RIP Sweet Loki, our 16-year-old pup who just passed away), we have a lot of hair in our home. So I started by vacuuming, then sweeping, then Swiffering before moping. After moping, I used Simple Green Ready-To-Use Surface Prep Cleaner to clean the tiles.
I also used this before painting the walls. It cleans and removes oils, grease, and soap scum that could negatively affect paint application. I like to use this before painting in kitchens and bathrooms where the walls are more likely to be dirty or oily.
I think this product is only available at Sherwin-Williams, so if you don’t live near one of their stores, you can use TSP. However, I have heard that has a much stronger industrial cleaner kind of smell so please use caution and follow the safety advice on the packaging. If it says to use a respirator, wear one! Protect yourself from those fumes! I used this respirator while painting the bathtub and shower tile and it worked really well. That tile paint smelled absolutely terrible and the smell lingered for days, but this respirator saved me from the worst of it.
Thoroughly clean the floor, removing all dirt, dust, hair, and debris. Allow it to dry.
Step Two: Tape off surrounding areas
Tape off anything you need to protect- baseboards, the vanity or cabinets, the toilet, etc.
Note: take off the door if at all possible! If you are painting a room where with an inward swinging door, I highly recommend removing the door unless you have at least 1-2 inches of clearance between the bottom of the door and the floor. Learn from my mistake!
I skipped this step and the door scratched the new floor paint. I blame this oversight on exposure to the aforementioned noxious tile paint. Normally, I am pretty good at thinking things like that through beforehand, but that was not the case on this day. Panicked and unable to take the door off without stepping on the wet paint, causing more damage, I played the “floor is lava” and climbed on the counter, then over to the toilet without touching the floor. From there, I carefully moved the door to the driest part of the floor and touched up the scratches.
Good thing I had my water bottle and my phone in there because I had to sit in the dormer window for about 40 minutes until it was touch dry so I could open the door again. Truly one of my finest moments.
Step Three: clean the floor again!
Clean the floor again with a tack cloth or Swiffer to remove any dust or hair that will get trapped in the paint. Despite my best efforts, there are a few hairs trapped in the paint. I learned this the hard way, so I hope to warn you so you won’t have to deal with that!
Use tack cloth (sticky microfiber cloth you can get at any hardware store, usually bright yellow) to get rid of any last debris before painting!
Step Four: you are ready to paint!
Pour part one, the base coat into your roller tray. The floor paint has a really interesting and thick texture and coverage with one coat was awesome. As it said on the package, I only needed one coat to cover the tile completely.
Per package instructions: work in small 2×2 foot areas keeping a wet edge as you roll. I like to use a small angled brush to cut in around edges and grout lines and then I used a 4-inch foam roller because I thought the foam would get into the crevices in the tile better and it did so very well. But honestly, the product was so forgiving, any roller would do.
This is probably obvious, but be sure to start away from the doorway and work your way backward so you don’t get trapped!
As I was applying, I wasn’t sure if I would need another coat as it looked a little patchy and mottled. However, due the the thick consistency of this paint, it leveled nicely and I ended up with a smooth even finish with one coat. So trust the process!
Check the finish and do touch-ups if necessary
I will say, because this bathroom is going to be torn out eventually, I wasn’t too worried about achieving a perfect finish and there was one area where I accidentally scratched it before applying the second coat. I definitely could have done a few touch-ups to correct those issues, but since I was trying to do this project as quickly as possible and not too concerned with perfection, I opted to just go for the clear coat. Maybe I’ll go back and do those touch-ups later.
If you aren’t pressed for time, I suggest doing your first coat and then examining the finish for marks and scratches. Touch up any mistakes before adding the clear coat.
You might want to wear clean socks during this step to avoid oils or dirt from your feet from marking the floor. It is prone to showing dirt before the clear coat is applied. If you do get something on it like I did when my husband stepped on the floor barefoot, just use a gentle multi-purpose cleaner and paper towel to remove it.
Allow at least 6 hours to dry!
Step Five: add a stencil
I opted to keep the floor a simple solid color, but you could buy two kits in different colors and use a stencil to add a design to the floor. This is something I plan to do on our patio at some point.
After stenciling, allow time to dry.
Step Six: clear coat
I opted for the matte finish but there is also a semi-gloss version. I used the same painting technique above to apply the clear coat, but for this part, I used a regular nap roller. Initially, I accidentally applied too much in the corners and grout lines and I wasted some of the product because I had to go back and wipe it off. So start with a thin coat!
Just as above, cut in the edges and then roll. Still working in a small area and keeping a wet edge, then roll it out to smooth.
Note: The color changes as you apply the clear coat, but it will go back to the matte finish once it dries!
Step Seven: let it dry
Wait at least 24 hours before allowing foot traffic. And a full 7 days for a full cure before moving heavy items like furniture over the floor. Even then, be careful, it is just paint after all.
The Bathroom Before and After
Follow the link below to see the full makeover!
Tips for Success
- Ventilation: this product does not have a strong odor, but as with all painting, it is best to ensure proper ventilation during the painting process by opening windows or using fans.
- Maintenance: Use mild cleaners and avoid harsh chemicals to prolong the life of your painted tiles.
- Touch-ups: Keep leftover paint for future touch-ups as needed.
Final Thoughts
I really love the look of this! I didn’t hate the tile before, but I wanted to brighten the room quickly and cheaply and this did the trick!
The application was super easy and the coverage was great. There was no terrible toxic odor (no more than regular paint). I made a few mistakes that I could have fixed with a touch-up, but those are only noticeable if you are looking for them. It seems durable so far (after two weeks) but we’ll see how it holds up against three rowdy kiddos. I will post a follow-up to see how it holds up over the next few months and years.
Honestly, this was so fast. In total, it took about maybe an hour to clean and tape, then 20 minutes for the first coat, then a dry time of 6 hours, then 15 or so do the clear coat, with 24 hours of dry time to finish. I used less than half the kit to do this bathroom which has an approximately 8 x 6 foot floor. Making the total cost about $35 for half the kit plus a couple of new rollers.
So if you are considering this, and have a tile floor you dislike, but can’t afford to replace, I’d say go for it!
Painting dated tiles with floor paint is a fantastic way to update your space on a budget. With a bit of time and effort, you can achieve a fresh, modern look that revitalizes your kitchen, bathroom, or any other tiled area. Ready to transform your home? Gather your supplies and get started today!
Have you tried painting tiles before? Share your experiences and tips in the comments below. Happy painting!
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you) for qualifying purchases on items purchased through the links in this post.
