We are getting SO close to the end of this challenge and as you would expect things have not been going as planned lately. This was supposed to be a DIY terrazzo floor, but once I bought all of the color chips to do this project and tested them out they looked horrible against the rest of the room. So that’s how it goes. I scrapped the color chips idea and went with solid white painted tile which totally works and brightens the space up. My go-to tool for this tile-filled house has been painting the floors white — it is called Coyote Casa Blanca after all! And this Rustoleum floor coating paint works wonders. I’m so happy with how it turns out and it has been a life saver in terms of a budget, temporary flooring update. While painting tile isn’t a permanent fix I opted or this to refresh our space for a few years and hopefully get new tile down the line.
How To Paint Tile Floor
Step 1: Clean Your Floors (like really well!)
Before you paint it’s super important to get your floors sparkling clean. After I vacuumed I went to town on cleaning my floors. I used Krud Kutter about three times before I started painted. You can also use any heavy-duty stripper to get the floors clean. Basically you want to make sure there is no oil or dirt before you paint.
Step 2: Repair any Missing Grout or Cracks
Before you paint you should give the tile a bit of a refresh if you have any cracks or missing grout. I had a few pieces of grout that were cracking and filled those in before I started painting.
Step 3: Paint Your Tile
Now we’re ready to get started. I used this Rust-Oleum Home Interior Floor Coating Kit in White to paint my tile floors. It took about three coats of paint to get a solid color. Make absolutely sure the color is fully covered before you seal. The hardest part was not using the room for as long as it took to paint because you don’t want to step on the painted tile before it’s sealed, or drop anything on the floor. Any hair that falls on it will get stuck in your tile so I put my hair up each time I painted and wore clean socks as I went. I used a roller and tray to paint the floor, and a brush for any corners or grout edges.
Step 4: Seal Your Tile
After the paint has dried (about 6 hours after the final coat) it’s time to seal. Rust-Oleum Home Interior Floor Coating Kit has a step 2 that seals your tile. I definitely would not paint any tile without sealing it after. Any marks I left before sealing really stuck to the paint so sealing is a must-do. Also use a brand new roller for sealing because anything that comes off of your brush will absorb into the floor.
Step 5: Let Your Floor Dry
Now that you’ve painted stay away and let the paint dry! You can have light foot traffic after about 24 hours, and I’d wait about a week to put any furniture on it. And voila! Fresh tile for under $100!
Before & After
And here the white floor is in all of her glory! I can finally see this space coming together now and we mocked up the vanity and sink together on an ottoman I had to see the plan together. I can’t believe it’s finally coming together.
Stay tuned to the finishing touches next week. We are almost there! Crossing my fingers and toes we can finish in time.
SHOP THE ROOM
Follow me on Instagram @erikacarlock to see more of the project come together!
Don’t miss out! Catch up on my other One Room Challenge Posts:
One Room Challenge: Week One | Desert Bathroom Makeover
One Room Challenge: Week Two | Small Updates
One Room Challenge: Week Three | Floating Shelves
One Room Challenge: Week Four | DIY Tub Tile Refinishing on a Budget
