The house I haved moved into has a pink bathroom. Pink Tiles, pink suite, pink carpet, Please! Please! help. I cant afford to have tiles replaced. Have seen them painted on makeovers, but have been told the paint wears off with cleaning. Any ideas on best primer and paints to use and also best cleaning method of completed job.

hi, you can either use a tile primer like 'International', and then paint with oil based paint, clean with mild detergent, with sponge not the scratchy scourer, or you could prime with ESP, paint with waterbased paint and varnish using Yacht varnish, and clean in the same way. you can get tile paint aswell, but there are more colours available in ordinary paint. varnish with at least 3 coats, and dont scrub, it should last longer than a few baths!! all available from DIY shops.hope this helps. Riah.

Hi Riah,

Many thanks for your input, great help. Think I will go with the oil based paint as it is ceiling to floor tiles on all 4 walls, and the thought of three coats of varnish was just too much. (me lazy? nooo!)
Tilley

Did someone like pink?... or did they like pink - poor you...

Just a reminder that if you are going to use an oil based paint then you need to use an oil based varnish and although 3 coats seems a lot of hard work it will pay off in the end by making the finish extremely durable and hardwearing...

Have you thought about what colour you are going to paint the tiles... I inherited a black and grey bathroom which I have to say is very tasteful... and grey goes with pink so well...

Angie

Be careful when useing emlusion over ESP although it feels dry to the touch paint films can stay soft for up to 30days

Thanx for all your great advise. Haven't decided on what colours yet as hoping to pick up cheap white suite. I know boring! boring! boring! but it will mean cheaper makeovers in the future.
Any advise on whether I should remove grout to paint, then re-grout or just paint over grout. Daughter has in unprecedented move offered to help with this.

Tilley

PS Can all that varnishing be done with a roller? Please! Please! say yes.

Have opposite problem with tiles.Mine have transfers on and i cannot get them off ...does anyone know how i can do this???

Thanks, but it is a bathroom/wc and a fair size. Mind, if I stopped watching all these lovely makeover programmes, I could of had it done by now.
Do I need a very steady hand to use a grout pen or can you rub it off, any tile it may land on. Will be sober when I start, not sure same will apply by time I finish.

P.S. Good news about roller.

Hi Ems, an easy(ish) way of getting rid of tile transfers is to use an angle scraper, if you haven't got one of these then an alternative is to use one of the scrapers that you use to get the paint off the glass on your window frames. You can normally pick them up in a little set of craft/decorators knives cheaply from "pound" shops and little hardware stores.

I HAVE SOME TILES THAT ARE IN A BAD STATE AND NEED A GOOD CLEAN, THEY HAVE BROWN PATCHES THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO GET OFF - WHAT IS THE BEST PRODUCT TO USE TO REMOVE THEM? CAN I USE WIRE WOOL?

I am moving into a house with beige tiles with the occasional flower pattern, would like to get rid of the lot for something contempoary any suggestions.

ok, first off, hello shaggydoo and kikki!
right, to clean tiles, have you found out what the stains are? you could try sugarsoap, or maybe a steamer, you can hire the industrial ones!! i wouldnt recommed wire wool, it may scratch the glaze if you are not careful! or, you could scrap the lot and retile, either over the top or take them off and replaster if necessary.

to update tiles, you could use transfers over the patterned ones, or paint them, or paint them all, or retile the room!! hope this has given you some ideas, if you decide what to do and require more help, just ask!!
happy decorating Riah