Sometimes you may be faced with a room with a color of wall tile you just can’t accept, but the wall is sound and the installation is good. It might be a kitchen wall or a bathroom wall; either way, it’s not acceptable. Now you can rip it off the walls and start from scratch with new tiles, or take a more budget-minded approach and paint the tile. That’s assuming it’s nowhere near a bathtub or shower surround or behind the kitchen sink, where it’s in direct contact with water.
If that’s the case, you can paint the tile and save money and omit the hassle of removing the tile. This is a no-brainer for a DIY project, because painting is one of the most popular improvements with a low investment and high payback to achieve new wall tiles in the color you want. The key to professional looking results is properly preparing the wall tiles before painting them.
Wash the surface with a 50-50 solution of household ammonia and water to remove soap film from bathroom walls or grease from kitchen walls. Rinse the walls with plain water and let them dry. Apply a shellac-based primer, such as B-I-N to coat the tile and bond to the surface. Then apply two coats of alkyd paint, which provides a hard finish. Let each coat thoroughly dry between applications. Paint the grout the same color as the tile or for a different color use an artist’s brush to paint the grout.
You can hire a painter to prepare, prime and give two coats of paint to 100-square-feet of wall tile and be charged $351, which includes labor and material. Or you can do the job yourself for $95, the cost of material, and save 73 percent.
To find more DIY project costs and to post comments and questions, visit www.diyornot.com and m.diyornot.com on smartphones.
Pro Cost—DIY Cost—Pro time—DIY Time—DIY Savings—Percent Saved
$351—$95—8.4—10.0 —$256—73 percent
