Domakihub How to Paint Tiles and Refresh Any Room Without Replacing Them
A step-by-step guide to painting bathroom, kitchen, and floor tiles that lasts.
Reviewed by Domakihub home & decor pros · 2026-06-23 · 5 min read
Replacing tiles is expensive, loud, and disruptive — not ideal in a holiday rental or a hotel room that needs to stay operational. Painting tiles with the right preparation and materials is a proven alternative that can add years of fresh life to dated or discoloured surfaces. The video above walks through the process visually; this guide gives you the ordered steps, material list, and answers to the questions that trip most people up.
When Painting Tiles Makes Sense
In Greece's climate, ceramic and porcelain tiles are everywhere — in bathrooms, kitchens, terraces, and pool-area borders. They age well structurally but can look tired once the glaze dulls or the colour goes out of fashion. If the tiles are intact, well-bonded, and not in a high-moisture wet-zone that floods regularly, painting is a legitimate long-term solution rather than a stopgap.
Homes prepared for short-term rental on platforms such as Airbnb benefit especially because the work can be completed in a long weekend, there is no demolition dust, and a fresh neutral palette photographs better and appeals to a wider audience of guests.
Choosing the Right Paint
Standard wall paint will peel off a glazed tile surface within weeks. You need a product formulated specifically for tiles or non-porous surfaces — typically labelled tile paint, enamel renovation paint, or epoxy tile paint. Brands such as Dulux Renovation Range, Rust-Oleum Tub & Tile, or equivalent products available at Greek building suppliers (Praktiker, Leroy Merlin) are designed to bond to glazed ceramics without a key coat.
For floor tiles and horizontal surfaces that take foot traffic, use a two-part epoxy tile paint rather than a single-component formula. The extra hardness resists abrasion and cleaning chemicals far better over time.
How to Paint Tiles: 5 Steps
- 1
Clean and degrease thoroughly
Tile paint fails almost exclusively because of surface contamination. Scrub every tile with a dedicated degreaser or a sugar-soap solution, paying extra attention to grout lines. In kitchens, use a citrus degreaser to cut cooking residue. Rinse twice with clean water and allow to dry completely — at least 24 hours. In humid Greek summers, point a fan at the surface to speed drying.
- 2
Sand or etch the glaze
Even with specialty tile paint, light abrasion improves adhesion dramatically. Use 120-grit wet-and-dry sandpaper or a liquid tile etcher to dull the gloss across every tile face. You are not trying to remove the glaze, only to give the paint something to grip. Wipe away all dust with a damp cloth, then let the surface dry again before moving on.
- 3
Tape off edges and apply primer
Use painter's tape along skirting boards, bath panels, fixtures, and any surfaces you are not painting. Apply a dedicated tile or adhesion primer in thin, even coats using a short-nap foam roller for large areas and a small brush for grout lines. Allow the primer to cure for the time stated on the tin — usually two to four hours — before touching it.
- 4
Apply tile paint in thin coats
Load the foam roller lightly and work in one direction to avoid lap marks. Two thin coats always outperform one thick coat: thick layers trap air, sag, and take far longer to cure fully. Let the first coat dry until it is no longer tacky (check the tin — typically two to four hours), then apply the second coat at a right angle to the first. For corners and grout lines, use a small angled brush after each roller pass.
- 5
Cure fully before use
Tile paint feels dry to the touch within hours but takes five to seven days to reach its full hardness. During this curing window, avoid scrubbing the surface, placing items directly on painted horizontal tiles, or exposing the area to prolonged steam. In a rental property, plan the painting window so the curing period is complete before guests arrive. After full cure, apply a clear tile sealer for extra moisture protection in shower areas.
Rather have a pro handle it?
Get a vetted painting pro in your city — one number, booked in EN/EL/DE.
FAQ
- How long does painted tile last?
- With proper surface preparation and a quality tile-specific paint, a painted tile surface in a bathroom typically lasts five to ten years before needing a refresh. Floor tiles painted with a two-part epoxy formula last three to five years under normal residential foot traffic. Longevity depends almost entirely on how well the surface was cleaned and abraded before painting.
- Can I paint floor tiles as well as wall tiles?
- Yes, but floor tiles require a tougher formulation. Use a two-component epoxy tile paint rather than the single-part products sold for walls. These cure to a harder finish that handles foot traffic, cleaning chemicals, and the mechanical stress of people walking on them. Add a non-slip additive if the floor is in a wet room or pool area — this is especially important in rental properties where you have a duty of care to guests.
- Do I need to paint the grout lines too?
- You do not have to, but it usually looks better if you do. A foam roller will naturally deposit paint on slightly raised grout lines. For recessed grout, follow up with a small brush after each roller pass to work paint into the joints. If you want a very uniform result, you can paint grout lines in a contrasting colour using a fine artists' brush — this is popular for creating a faux pattern effect on plain white tiles.