How to renew old tile shower base?

Hi I need to renew my shower base. Its old tiles pressed into a concrete slab. I want to get rid of the tile look and have it look like a single flat floor and change the colour! I tried to paint but it doesnt stick, can I spread tile grout all over,(or whatever that stuff is that you stick tiles on with)

let it dry and then paint? Will the grout stick? I dont want to put concrete over the top unless its just a smear so paint will stick... what can I do? Can I glue something waterproof over it, like waterproof vinyl or something? Right now its a mess and don't want to spend a fortune...

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EricL

Hello @susi

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's a pleasure to have you join us, and thank you for sharing your question about your shower base.

Your shower base has a waterproof membrane underneath the tiles. Just keep in mind that should you decide to change the tiles on your shower base you'll need to put on a new coat of waterproofing as well. Unfortunately, paint, vinyl and glue are not usable in your shower. Due to the hot water being used in the shower these materials will deteriorate and come off.

The other option is fitting in an acrylic shower tray. You'll need to speak to a registered plumber and they can make the determination if a shower tray can be installed over your existing tile base.

In this particular situation, if you currently don't have the budget for a proper shower renovation, I suggest holding off and gathering your funds until you are able to do a proper fit-out. I don't recommend doing a patch job as it might not last and you would have wasted your funds. When planned and executed properly re-tiling a shower area is not out of reach.

I suggest having a look at this handy guide - How to plan a bathroom renovation by @Adam_W

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

susi

Thanks Eric, appreciate your advice, sad though I dont think it is renovatable. It looks like they did a home job when building these units, nothing is square and the shower isn't to any standard. Its raised about 19 cm from the concrete floor so they could put the drain pipes in, the concrete floor is the flat below ceiling so as they couldnt go down they went up! I can't see Jack hammering the concrete out and tiles are stuck in the concrete not ontop... To put a preloaded base in would mean the step being even higher and the whole shower changed to fit it, the drain hole isn't central and ad-lib created... what a mess... there has to be a way around this somehow, maybe I will try nail polished!! Lol... what about fibreglass or apply resin? Is there something I can put on the tiles to take that non-stick surface off, then I may be able to do something? The waterproofing under the tiles (I assume there is) will stay there as cant get the tiles up.... maybe a big shower mat to hide the tiles? 🙂

EricL

Hello @susi

Among the things you mentioned, I believe that the Barelli 40 x 70cm White Rubber Non-Slip Bath Mat would be an ideal cover for the tiles. You can get two of these bath mats and place them side-by-side and cut the centre out to provide proper drainage. Since they have suction cups at the bottom, they will stay in place and prevent you from slipping in the shower.

As for the renovation, I propose asking a registered plumber for a quote for re-building the shower. In this manner, everything will be above board and will be built to code.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

susi

Hi, I haven't given up just yet! I came across these products and wondered if I can just spread that over the shower tile base and leave it just like that? Sorry may have doubled up, hard to see what I am uploading on the phone.

EricL

Hello @susi

I must admit it is an amazing product, I've seen the advertisements and it does just about everything you want it to do. Unfortunately, I have no experience with this product and am not sure how it will behave in a bathroom setting. Some of the things that come to mind are will mould grow on it? Can it withstand harsh chemical cleaners long term? I'm aware that it is a rubber-based product and is more or less designed for sealing. But what kind of performance will you get if you stand on it daily for the next few years?

These are some of the questions that come to mind and I'm not sure how the product will perform under those conditions. I still recommend waiting for the right time to do a proper renovation, rather than doing a patch job that will cost you more in the long run.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

susi

Hi, ok tried all the above and didn't work, got desperate and even tried super glue on a tile so I had a workable surface - lol didn't work. Then saw Rust-oleum tile transformation kit and gave that a go. So far so good. Problem with this product is they dont have adequate colour charts so very difficult to choose if trying to match. Ok if painting the whole lot. I started with a colour but end result was not like the chart colour and had to go over it again with white. A light sand beforehand, have to work fast it gets really sticky being a 2 part apoxy resin paint, they say 90 mins but I would say do small sections at a time 5 mins or so for easier working. Throw everything out when finished it sets hard. But at least looks so much better than the original. Time will tell how long it lasts. They use it for bath tubs so obviously stands soaking in hot/warm water. It says not to use harsh scrubbers, but we dry our shower on each use so no chance of getting grubby. Will update if it starts to wear so we can see if their claims of years is true. Not a silicone expert so my finish on the edges had a 'misty' look - I like to think of it as blending 😉

MitchellMc

Excellent results, @susi! That looks so much better than before. Well done, and many thanks for sharing.

Mitchell

didanaao

Would the rustoleum transformation kit or rustoleum tub and tile refinishing kit work best for this situation?

I also have old shower floor tiles and am looking at a way to revamp them :’(

EricL

Hello @didanaao

Just a friendly reminder that the Rust-Oleum Tub And Tile Refinishing Kit is not rated for shower base use. I believe that the product was used to temporarily refresh the look of the shower base. It will be difficult to determine how long the coating will last in a shower base setting.

I suggest waiting until you have the resources to properly re-tile the shower. Doing a cosmetic upgrade on some parts of the bathroom is possible, but it's better to properly upgrade your shower area so that you'll get a long service life.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

susi

Hi Eric, I am wondering, now that things actually stick to the rustoleum touch up, for example the painters tape wouldn't stick to original tiles but sticks to the newly painted surface - had a job to get an edge started to pull it off. So can something more durable now be put over the top and use the rustoleum like a primer base? I know you keep saying do it professionally, but it would mean a jack hammer to get the old tiles out of the concrete base. The slab that is our floor is the ceiling of the unit below, so it gets a bit tricky as would not want to compromise the slab. I would love a new shower and base but I can't see how it can be done without a lot of effort and expense.

susi

Hi Eric, me again 🙂

Just been thinking, I know you said it hasn't been rated for shower base, and time will tell but Rustoleum Tile Transformation say in their kit that you can even repaint your bath tub. So as it would be soaking in a bath tub in fairly hot water for perhaps longer than a shower takes and subject to scum that needs washing off, I figure based on their claims that it would withstand a shower base even better. Its not difficult to paint over again if it starts wearing a few years down the track, so its a cheaper option if you don't mind a bit of maintenance now and again.

EricL

Hello @susi

I'm sorry but the Rust-Oleum Kit is meant to be used only on the surface. It can't be used as a primer and covered over with tiles.

In regards to the maintenance of the coating, it's not difficult to paint over. I agree with you that it is a cheaper option than re-tiling your entire bathroom area.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

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