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Welcome to day 13 of my 31 Day Series, Building Character.
Today, I am going to share how I updated the look of my builder beige ceramic tile floors...
Today, I am going to share how I updated the look of my builder beige ceramic tile floors...
(Before)
Our home was brand new when we bought it but, the tile looked old and dated. The reason for this was the color of the grout. The tile was light beige (of course) and the grout was dark gray. Instead of replacing the tile or hiring someone to apply new grout, I chose a simpler and cheaper solution...grout paint.
Following the directions on the back of the bottle, I prepped my floors 24 hours prior to painting. I purchased a plastic squeeze bottle from the beauty supply store and filled it with my paint.
I also purchased a child sized tooth brush with a suction cup on the end so I could stand it up as I was working.
Working in small sections (one or two tiles at a time), I applied a bead of paint to the grout area.
I spread the paint into the groove by lightly dragging the toothbrush through the bead of paint along the grout line.
With a damp paper towel, I wiped the edges of the groove to remove the excess paint.
This was a tedious job but, so worth it in the end. It's a great "put the kids to bed, open a bottle of wine, and turn on the 80's rock ballads project".
Before you know it, it's two a.m. and you're done!
(After)
It instantly updated the floor and gave it a fresh new look.
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Oh, I need to do that on my kitchen counters, since my granite fund is not quite there yet. How does it hold up mopping and wear and tear?
ReplyDeletei tried the group paint on my kitchen countertop tile and found it was awful! also impossible to remove so just a hot mess if you want my opinion!
DeleteI agree this product wasn't really that great. I used it on my kitchen floor at first it looked wonderful and brand new but its been two months since ive done it and the old dirty looking grout I was trying to cover is right back to what it looked like before. I was so disappointed. I even spent valuable time on my hands and knees scrubbing for hours just to it look good for less than a month.
DeleteAnonymous and Maria, thanks for sharing your experiences. My grout paint has held up great. I'm still happy with the results 18 months later. I agree that the process was tedious and time consuming. Thanks again, Sarah
DeleteI wonder if it does not work as well the longer the original grout has been on there. Also, if the grout was sealed at some point prior to doing the paint, I imagine it will not absorb the grout paint as well. I'm sure a thorough scrubbing with some kind of chemical that cuts grease would be required. I'm considering doing mine because it looks awful after 13 years of wear and tear. I think I'm going to try the stuff from the website "This Old Grout." Still working up my nerve to buy the stuff and commit to actually tackling my entire tile floor....
DeletePaint to the rescue again...it never ceases to amaze me that paint can transform anything!!!
ReplyDeleteClever, love it! :)
ReplyDeleteAnother great tip for something that DESPERATELY needs to be done in my house (I especially like the part about putting the kids to bed, pouring a glass and turning on the 80s music! haha). How has it held up? Do you find that it needs to be repainted in the traffic areas or no?
ReplyDeleteOur house was built the fall of 2003, and we've needed to do something to the grout for several years. Thanks for posting this tutorial!
ReplyDeleteWow, such a clever idea! great idea to use the suction bottom toothbrush too! projects go so much quicker with music and wine, don't they! LOL!!
ReplyDeleteGreat transformation! I didn't even know that a product like this existed. What a huge money saver.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea that was even possible! Lucky me I already have a trip to the home improvement store planned for tomorrow. I'll just add it to the list.
ReplyDeleteI'm completely in love with your ideas and home! OH MY>>> thank you for the advice and tricks... I found you from a pintrest post!!
ReplyDeleteIs there some kind of clear protector to put over it?
ReplyDeleteI love the coat/hat rack. Where did you get it?
ReplyDeleteI would like to know the same thing!
DeleteI have same coat rack I got mine at bed bath beyond
DeleteMy contractor used a bottle that had a spone wheel to seal my grout. He said he got it at Lowes in the tile area I think. Going to get one and try this.
ReplyDeletedo you know of an easy way to remove rust from tile???
ReplyDeleteA product called Wink Rust Remover works great for this. It comes in a very generic-looking brown bottle. Toxic, I'm sure, but you don't need to use much, it will last you a lifetime, and it completely removes rust.
DeleteScrape it off with a flat razor blade.
DeleteI just did this... THIS IS AMAZING .. the guys at the tile store instructed me to use a special brush and a special applicator... i opted for the toothbrush and applicator bottle.. works like a charm - THANK YOU for this great idea!!!
ReplyDeleteI love the hall tree seen in the top photo. Where did you find that?
ReplyDeletei did this about a year ago and used the same stuff, followed directions, but mine keeps chipping off in the high traffic areas... any clue how to fix it?
ReplyDeleteThat's a bummer. My has held up great, no issues, not even in the high traffic areas. I know the directions say to clean the tile/grout with a solution to remove the sealer prior to painting. If you followed the directions than I'm sure you did that important step. I think I would just touch up the chipped spots. Thanks for commenting,
DeleteSarah
AMAZING! I hate my tile because of the grout, put never knew I could do this! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteYour floor looks new. I'm impressed. Where did you buy the paint? I wonder if I could color my fireplace brick with these?
ReplyDeleteWhat a great and simple idea. The finished result looks so clean.
ReplyDeleteI have exactly the same problem, the builder chose beige tile with gray grout. I can't tell you how much I hate it. May I ask where you got the grout paint?
ReplyDeleteHome Depot sells it. It is about $11.50 a bottle. I got about 500 sq ft out of one bottle. Well worth the time and money.
DeleteOh, I so want to do this to my kitchen. I have the same scenario - light tiles dark grout. I'll have to look for this paint and I'm going to town.
ReplyDeleteBe a sweetie,
shelia ;)
WOW! Love that transformation! We get a lot of people into our granite shop that are updating to sell . . . and so many of those houses have straight-set builder-grade tile with tan or brown grout. The tile really drags down the whole look. This looks like JUST the thing to recommend they come and read before they put the house on the market.
ReplyDeleteDid I miss something? How do I strip the sealer off the grout prior to starting? What is the prep work done 24 hrs prior???? PS you are a genious
ReplyDeleteUnless you sealed it yourself, you can bet 99% of the time, it's not sealed. Contractors do not do it. Just clean the tiles with a bleach/water mix, dry it out for a day, then paint.
DeleteI have started, what an amazing difference! It will take me a long time since I have such a bad back and I can't work except after 8 pm (have a full time job stinks sometimes! Lol) I have found my own technique, I did better with a nice make-up brush and hardly needed to wipe up anything! My questions to you is, did you seal the paint afterwards? I am afraid it will get so dirty again. What are your thoughts?
ReplyDeleteI have stumbled upon your site through Pinterest! I love your style. At this point, I'm trying to rip myself away from the computer but wanted to leave you a note to say that I'm glad I found your site! :)
ReplyDeleteI did mine and it chips. It said to prep the area 24 hours in advance on my bottle too and I thought that just meant to clean it. I struggled to cover the dark gray grout with my white paint too. It was super tedious and I ended up touching up spots 3-4 times.
ReplyDeleteHi JM, sorry to hear this. The product I used had specific instructions for prepping in order to completely break the seal to prevent chipping. Not only did the prep clean the grout and remove the seal but it also opened the pours to accept the paint. I followed the instructions step-by-step and had no issues with chipping or coverage. I do agree it was a tedious job, though. For me, it was worth it in the end:) Thanks for sharing your experience. Best, Sarah
DeleteDid this to a few of our floors and counter tile lots of work but worth it
ReplyDeletei love the idea of a clock over the front door!
ReplyDeleteI used this in my kitchen and I
ReplyDeletehave a home child care.It works great and you can seal it but mine still gets stains in the high traffic areas.What doesn't clean up with a little Dawn and a toothbrush,gets reprepped and painted again.Love this stuff and it was at Lowe's as well as Home Depot.
This is wonderful! Do yo have to seal it?
ReplyDeleteDone it!worth it!
ReplyDeletei just did my floor in November, i did not know a specific paint was available for this. I asked around at paint stores and they just gave me a puzzled look when i told them i wanted to paint the grout. Ended up using a product called Sure Step, its an outdoor paint for around pools and walkways. its perfect for the job, no prepping!
ReplyDeleteGreat Idea! Must try! And I love the coat rack / shelf! Where did you purchase it?
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your easy step tutorials! I am going to be painting the grout in my master bath as my son spilled nail polish a while ago and the red polish never came out of the grout! You are so inspirational, and I will continue to follow you as we add character to our newly built home. Thanks a million!
ReplyDeleteWhere did you get the coat tree/rack in your entry-way? I really want to buy it, but can't find it anywhere!
ReplyDeleteDid you get a response? I wondering the same thing. email me at ericaletts@yahoo.com
DeleteWhen I was still a student I was bored with my powder room and the dirty grout so I grabbed a sponge, some bright blue wall paint, mixed in some water and just painted all the grout. After it dried I just scrubbed the paint off the tiles with a brillo pad. The room looked super funky afterwards, though I am not sure this would work on floors.
ReplyDelete